curry and dynamics of power
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While some could argue that incorporating Indian dishes into British culture shows evidence of multiculturalism, Buettner’s chapter “Going for an Indian” shows that the process of acceptance, integration, and appropriation of Indian dishes in British society is marked by different struggles for power, involving racism.
First, this culinary integration is linked with the colonial legacy and British imperialism. Ex-colonials were the first ones going to early Indian restaurants because it reminded them of their time in India and their power over servants. Thus, they expected an “exotic oriental” atmosphere with all the decorations and “native” waiters acting as domestic servants (149)—some even patronized Indian restaurants to further shape their experience to their liking. The consumption of Indian food can evoke a sense of nostalgia for the era of British colonial dominance and an immersion back to when they felt powerful. This early integration of Indian food into British customs demonstrates racism rather than acceptance and is even a form of colonialism celebration.
Second, the masculine practice of “going for an Indian” for which men gathered in curry houses and competed over spiciness (153) while being disrespectful toward waiters, often displaying racism, emphasizes the point about colonial legacies and thirst for domination. Male customers predominated because of the late opening hours and did not care about being drunk or rude. They used curry houses as places to exhibit their masculinity while they would not act this way in other restaurants. Thus, they disregarded the people working in the restaurants while making eating their food a social practice. On top of reinforcing social hierarchies, it shows that the integration of culinary practices is not necessarily related to multiculturalism.
Third, to be assimilated into British culture and attract white clients, Indian dishes have been adapted to fit British taste, often implying simplification of recipes. This rebranding of Indian cuisine to fit into the dominant culture does not demonstrate multiculturalism but rather the will of white people to whiten other cultures while “spicing” theirs through the processes of assimilation and appropriation.
Thus, seeing curry as merely a symbol of multiculturalism in Britain is overcoming the underlying dynamics of colonialism and racism. -
I meant overlooking not overcoming