May 22, 2008
Good Idea, Bad Idea
Listening to KEXP the past few mornings, we heard an ad for 12th Ave's Trace Lofts that caught our attention, and not in a good way. Apparently, one of the establishments going into the condos' Trace North building is a Mexican restaurant. Named Barrio. Take it away, press release:
Barrio, pronounced "bä'rē-ō'," takes its name from the Spanish word for "neighborhood," a term generally used to describe a cohesive place. The food will take an innovative approach to regional Mexican cuisine by bringing a simple and seasonal Northwest style to inspired traditional Mexican dishes. Barrio is slated to open this summer, and will also offer well-crafted cocktails and serve dinner nightly until late. The restaurant is a new concept from Larry and Tabitha Kurofsky, who are also behind the successful Purple Café and Wine Bar restaurants.
Yes, "barrio" does mean "neighborhood," but this is a case of denotation versus connotation. When we think "barrio," we think of what the word has come to mean, especially on the West Coast--ghetto. Counterpoint, Wikipedia:
More commonly, however, in the United States, barrios refer to lower-class neighborhoods with largely Spanish-speaking residents, basically the Latino equivalent of a "ghetto." The word often implies that the poverty level is high in such a neighborhood, but this inference is not universal....In the United States barrios can also refer to the geographical "turf" claimed by a Latino gang; this usage is generally limited to the Chicano gangs of California.
We're not the first to have noticed this tasteless misnomer, but the restaurant is going forward as planned and as named. To which we say: No mi gusta.
Photo "on 12th Ave" care of Seattlest Flickr Pool user ascheele100.
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If Nas has to rename his N-word album, Larry and Tabitha Kurofsky (are they Latino?) should have to rename their offensively-named restaurant.
Im going to go ahead and place this name controversy non-issue into my file labeled "Who Gives a S***"
i'm gonna go out on a limb and suggest kurofsky is not a latino name, but i don't think that means they don't know mexican food.
Can't they name it something nicer like "Tortilla"? I think that's a cute name for a restaurant, and who can get alienated from a word like "Tortilla"?
This story smacks of someone having too much time on their hands, if not an editorial quota to fill. The name has a similar meaning to "arrondissemente" in France, or even "borough" in New York City, so let's strip the PC-"I'm-offended" bullshit away and be real here. It's a friggin' restaurant name. Ugh.
By implying that the word "Barrio" holds negative connotations, are you not implying that ALL hispanic neighborhoods are miserable, low rent places full of crime and poverty? (you know, since we have no term for a nice, middle or upper class hispanic enclave)
Maybe this place will be The One who shifts the cultural meaning of the word back from its negative implication to a positive one of "neighborhood" meaning community and togetherness.
Or maybe not.
I have to agree with Record Baby here. There are much more important things to get offended by right now.
For instance: The continuing Clinton primary campaign. Rising gas costs due to speculation. American asking for $15 for the first checked bag. etc. etc.
Discussion on connotation by region, ethnic group here.
Agreed Mike, there's definitely many *many* more things to be offended by right now. Comparatively, the restaurant's name (while not the wisest idea) is small beans. Pinto beans.
Seriously?!?!?!
One of the foremost museums of latin culture in the US is El Museo del Barrio in NYC. I think it's not always the derogatory term you all think it is.
Seattlites seem to be always looking for something to be offended by.
Just because Americans have attached a racist connotation to a perfectly fine Spanish word -- really, should a Spanish-speaking neighborhood always be assumed to be a "ghetto" -- doesn't mean the word should be assigned to the politically incorrect trash bin. In fact, I like the idea of restoring its original meaning by not being afraid to use it. Its use for a restaurant name is only offensive if you choose to see it that way.
i'm more worried that their food is going to be awful.
jesus people. Don't blame Audrey for giving the word barrio the connotation it has in our culture. No matter what it actually means in Spanish, here in this country, it generally does mean a poor Hispanic neighborhood. It does NOT mean all Hispanic neighborhoods around the world are poor and no one is saying it does.
That said, while I'm not offended by the name, I do think it is a bit tasteless or shows very little thought. At the least the restaurant's owners could admit the poor choice they made and do some kind of charitable work or make regular donations to an appropriate charity.
Having spent years living in primarily Hispanic areas, and having spent a long time working at a Mexican restaurant, I can tell you this is not at all tasteless, nor thoughtless. Most hispanic restaurants try to evoke a feeling of acceptance, a gathering place for all -- Barrio is a perfect name choice for such a restaurant.
Rather than trying to be nouveau-mex and create a restaurant that is above the common man, they've chosen rather to support the culture -- the clues here are how they describe their menu: 'simple' and 'traditional'. In the same vein as 'Barrio', note the 'Taqueria Jalisco' chain. South Texas also has a habit of naming all their taquerias 'Jalisco' despite the fact that the restaurants are not a chain, nor is the food typical of the Jalisco region -- so it's actually traditional to have a name that does not necessarily make sense to gringos.
The lack of knowledge in this article about Hispanic culture was made clear with the simple sentence "No mi gusta" [sic], which should be "No me gusta". This article should be submitted as another 'Uptight Seattlite' column.
i grew up in el barrio in los angeles. i just find it amusing that this restaurant is openning in one of the whitest neighborhoods around. not offensive, unless cap hill is offended by being called a ghetto.
What a bunch of fuckery this all is.
Nowhere in the post does the writer imply that barrio is offending anybody. To me, it seems implied that it's simple an ironic, and possibly poor choice in naming (think, expensive upscale restaurant with a name most people correlate with 'ghetto').
Now, I could be wrong here... assuming that tasteless = offensive. Well this is Seattle, so I guess some leftist fuckwit could draw such a convoluted correlation, as about five people in here have.
Can you stupid hippies even think for yourselves?
@1 No, they shouldn't.
@4 Agreed.
@5 About once a day I see some dweeb mention an "editorial quota" in a blog post. Usually this is an indicator that the commenter feels the post is pointless -- in this case, it's an indicator that you're trying to sound like you know what the fuck you're talking about.
@6 The line you've made between a) implying barrio == ghetto & b) implying all hispanic neighborhoods are miserable -- is so stupid I think I have a migraine.
@7 None of the other topics you deemed more worthy of our time have a fucking thing to do with Seattle. The Consumerist is where you should be.
@13 You may be correct, but it's hard to see how having a single typo in a Spanish sentence indicates the poster lacks knowledge. Very 'holier than thou' of you.
@15: You should have stopped at, "Now, I could be wrong here..."
@15: It makes me feel validated that you had something hateful to say to all of us... I feel so included!