Toca Madera and Ballet Folklórico: A Glimpse of Cultural Misappropriation

By Cristina Canales

Before I hyperextended my back in high school, I knew what I wanted to do for a living. I wanted to dance for the Ballet Folklórico de México ensemble run by Amalia Hernández. I began to dance at the age of six and my passion for folklórico only continued to flourish the next twelve years. Sophomore year of high school I was invited to a “Mexican-themed” party. I needed some clarification on what “Mexican-themed” meant, so I asked the green-eyed American girl inviting everyone what she meant. I still remember the audacity she had when she looked me in my eyes and said “don’t worry, as long as you wear the ‘costume’ you dance Mexican music in and come to eat tacos made by the chef my parents hired, you’ll be fine.” I was taken aback, but I decided to attend her party (definitely not wearing my ‘costume’) in hopes that the chef would be a taquero (someone who makes tacos). Once at the party, I was repulsed by the sight of white girls in cheap floral shirts and long skirts (imitating folklórico dresses), a white chef handing out sliced chicken on blue corn tortillas (as if those were tacos), and banda music drifting into a dark sky. After a few minutes of stamping a fake smile on my face and saying hi to everyone, I left. I left that night feeling ashamed of what White Americans thought of my culture, a culture I felt even more proud to be a part of, after that experience. 

My sister, me, and a friend at a Ballet Folklórico showcase.

Fast forward six years, the blue corn tortilla tacos came back to haunt me this past weekend when I decided to go to Toca Madera, an “upscale, organic Mexican” restaurant. I specifically chose this restaurant after finding out that the co-founders were not Latino and that the executive chef was Chef Felix Garcia who is described as the Latino maestro making the food happen.

Although no customers were allowed inside the restaurant, the entrance had elaborate metal works on the doors and an immense bar with an assortment of imported tequilas, beers, vodkas, and much more. I was not surprised by the amount of high-class people dining outside, since the Chef Enchiladas are thirty dollars, but it was uncomfortable to see them all glaring at me as if they’ve never seen a Latina picking up food from a Mexican restaurant. From Toca Madera I got the Chef Enchiladas, an order of carne asada tacos on blue corn tortillas, and the Oaxacan chocolate cake. Although very delicious food, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the tacos I had six years ago, the blue-corn tortilla tacos that were cooked by a white chef, because although a Latino chef makes the food at Toca Madera, the non-Latino co-founders will always be credited with “taking their modern vision approach, pairing it with bold flavors, and creating an entire experience around it”; thus, cultural misappropriation still occurs even in kitchens led by Latinos (The Madera Group). 

The outside of Toca Madera.

The entrance of Toca Madera with its elaborate metal works.

Carne asada tacos on blue corn tortillas (left), Chef’s Enchiladas (center), and Oaxacan Chocolate Cake (right)

Cultural appropriation refers to members of one culture taking items, like recipes, clothes, and art, and adopting them for their own use. The complete opposite of cultural appropriation is cultural misappropriation which refers to items being taken from a depreciated culture and having them be mimicked by a superior culture (Springer, 2018). This is the case with Toca Madera because while the co-founders of the restaurant acknowledge their Latino executive chef, they still take credit for the modern vision and make a large profit out of the ideas of Latino culture and food. Although I believe that it is possible for chefs and restaurant owners from a different culture to prepare the food of a culture that is not their own, credit should be given where it is due. For example, if a white chef wants to make Al Pastor tacos, they should, but just give credit to the recipe that inspired the tacos because “recipes and generations of culinary work aren’t easy to come by, literally or culturally: [people should] try to be respectful of that labor” (Kim, 2017). 

Another very beautiful aspect of Toca Madera, which only adds to the reason it’s an upscale restaurant, is its menu. On Toca Madera’s menu, every item has a list of the ingredients that are used to make each food. For example, the vegan guacamole includes organic avocado, pomegranate seeds, lime pepitas, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro served with plantain chips. The co-founders of Toca Madera had to describe every item on the menu, like the guacamole, “in a specific way that made it appealing to white people who do not know much about Mexican food” (Sporkful Podcast). Most individuals of Hispanic descent know what tacos and guacamole are, but explaining every ingredient in a dish shows who the owners are trying to attract by making it easier for white people to understand what is in a certain food. 

A small glimpse of Toca Madera’s LA Dinner Menu.

Making Sense of It All

After reading all of the articles on what cultural misappropriation is, I have a better understanding of how cultural misappropriation applies not only to food, but also to how people can offend others with how they dress. I now realize that “‘ethnic’ and racialized costumes, as commodified stereotypes, perform another kind of violence that amounts to cultural co-optation, denial, and the gradual erasure of a history, culture, community, or a people” (Hidalgo, 2020). Although food, clothing, and art can be influenced by outside cultures, mimicking a culture will only depreciate that culture.

Works Cited

• Bragg, Courtney. “Hot Spot: Toca Madera Has Conquered West Hollywood.” The Madera Group, The Madera Group, 9 Feb. 2018, http://www.themaderagroup.com/new-blog/2018/8/7/hot-spot-toca-madera-has-conquered-west-hollywood. 
• Hidalgo, Melissa Mora, et al. “Did Alison Roman Dress Up As a Chola? The Difference Between Cultural Appropriation and Cultural Appreciation ~ L.A. TACO.” L.A. TACO, 2 Sept. 2020, http://www.lataco.com/cultural-appropriation-vs-appreciation/. 
• Kim, Dakota. “We’re Having the Wrong Conversation About Food and Cultural Appropriation.” Pastemagazine.com, Paste Magazine, 6 June 2017, http://www.pastemagazine.com/food/cultural-appropriation-food-justice/.
• “Other People’s Food Pt. 1: White Chef, Mexican Food.” The Sporkful Other Peoples Food Pt 1 White Chef Mexican Food Comments, http://www.sporkful.com/other-peoples-food-part-1-rick-bayless-white-chef-mexican-food/. 
• Springer, Devyn. “Resources On What ‘Cultural Appropriation’ Is and Isn’t.” Medium, Medium, 11 Sept. 2018, medium.com/@DevynSpringer/resources-on-what-cultural-appropriation-is-and-isn-t-7c0af483a837.