UW–Madison's DelaRosa discusses Doja Cat backlash on NBC
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UW–Madison’s Tony DelaRosa was recently interviewed by NBC news about the criticism that rapper Doja Cat is receiving for her new song, “Balut.”
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DelaRosa is pursuing a PhD in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, and is a Filipino American race scholar. He was previously featured in the Capital Times and is the author of “Teaching the Invisible Race.”
Balut is a Filipino meal, in which a fertilized duck egg is cooked and eaten from the shell. Doja Cat, when commenting on the inspiration behind the song title, said, “it signifies a bird that’s being eaten alive.”
Many Filipino Americans feel like this statement misrepresents their culture, and contributes to the stigma against Asian foods that is prevalent across the country.
According to NBC, “DelaRosa said Doja Cat’s remarks triggered a flood of reactions because of the ways Asian food and culture have long been stereotyped as weird or thought of as barbaric.”
“Filipinos see it as a delicacy. Why is that not being conveyed in that way?” DelaRosa asks.
He explains that it is reminiscent of the “lunchbox moment,” when Asian children are teased for their cultural foods at school. “Our food is not accessible to the public,” he tells NBC.
DelaRosa, along with others, think Doja Cat has the responsibility to address concerns and offensive comments amid the situation. “It’s part of the repair that I would hope that she does, as someone who has a lot of responsibility, when using someone else’s culture to amplify her platform,” he states.
Read the full NBC story.