Unpacking Internalized Misogyny

THE WAKE VOICES

The case for fusion food Food for Thought

BY KYLIE HEIDER

When we think of the experience of human culture, one of the first things we think of is food. Food, and the stories and memories associated with it, is central to the story of human life. It is an art form of versatility and spirit, able to capture a moment in time, a spark of joy or little epiphany.

In America, a nation bred from oppression and fueled by immigrantion, food is everything. For many immigrants, it is a lifeline of cultural preservation in a place where they are expected to assimilate. “Fusion” food is a result of this mix of a culinary environment. Dishes like burritos, kung pao chicken (and basically anything you can get from your typical Chinese-takeout place) and banh mi’s are among the fusion staples of American cuisine. But in many food circles, this fusion food is seen as a secondary to “authentic” cuisine.

While there is inherent value in the continuation of traditional methods and dishes within a culture, it is also important to acknowledge that dishes that result from a hodgepodge of migration, oppression, and hardship are just as valuable to the history of a culture as the dishes “traditional” counterparts. Some may argue that fusion food is assimilation—that these are versions of foods that have been diluted to suit the taste of the white American patron. And yes—fusion food does have the power to be culturally insensitive. When chefs— primarily white chefs—take credit for a dish or profit off kitschy recreations of culturally significant dishes, then, yes, fusion food can be problematic.

However, for many more, fusion food is a delicious way of life. While this claim that fusion food is merely assimilation does hold some validity, it does not credit generations of immigrant chefs and cooks who have revolutionized the way we eat food in America.

Unpacking Internalized Misogyny

A lesson in feminine strength

BY MADELEINE WARE

Misogyny is everywhere. It’s shouted at frat parties and hides in unwelcome stares. But, whether you notice it or not, it’s also in your disappointment when you step on the scale, or in your thoughts as you privately judge your friend for the number of men she’s slept with. Internalized misogyny, otherwise known as sexist behaviors and attitudes taken on by women, is hard to avoid in a society that pressures women to constantly compete for male attention.

We are all familiar with the “not like other girls” personality trope. In movies, you may know her as the mechanic who sexily leans over the hood of a car while explaining complex engine functions. These media tropes, ultimately, are all about male fantasy, and as much as women feel that we can look through the sexist messaging, we might sometimes overlook the possibility that these tropes live inside of us as well.

I, like so many others in middle school, tried to shield my insecurities about not being popular by hanging around boys, even when it meant they were talking about girls like they were objects. If I made myself likable to boys, I reasoned, I had more attention from them than the popular girls would ever get, even if it meant allowing myself to be minimized as a woman.

What I didn’t realize until later, however, was that by labeling myself as superior in some way to the “popular girls,” I was only enforcing the stereotype that girls are all alike and that they’re incapable of having complex thoughts and ambitions. Not only that, I was disowning the parts of me that were inherently feminine. Denying someone else’s feminine strength should never be an option. Be empathetic. Be kind. Embrace the femininity in yourself. And embrace the femininity in others. 1