4 ms·

I guess if you're a migrant, an ethnic restaurant (is that term politically correct?) is one of the most obvious businesses you can start. The Thai government

I guess if you're a migrant, an ethnic restaurant (is that term politically correct?) is one of the most obvious businesses you can start. The Thai government used to sponsor (not sure if they still do) Thai diaspora who want to open a restaurant in a foreign country, it was their way to market the country and attract tourists.

RajT88 2mo ago
Migrant is actually the wrong word entirely, I think. Migrants move around to follow the work. (Think more like "Nomad") Immigrants resettle in new places. I'm reading more about it, and probably these restaurants survive based on a combination of: - Family run, keeping labor low (labor always number 1 cost) - Central Asian and Muslim customers (much more than just Uzbeks) - Setting up in low-rent locations like strip malls So a few big nights a week can sustain the family business. I guess there's a way it adds up to a profitable business.
- knome 2mo ago
  >Migrant is actually the wrong word entirely, I think. immigrant, im- (variant of in-) ; migrant into your country emigrant, ex- ; migrant out of your country both are still migrants. there is no specific cause for migration required to be an migrant. you just need to move somewhere new to live.
  - RajT88 2mo ago
    You are technically correct. The best kind of correct! In terms of common usage though, it's as I said, especially in North America.
    - ComputerPerson 2mo ago
      I believe they were asking whether or not "ethnic" is the correct term. "Foreign food" or "foreign restaurant" seems to be the norm where I live, but maybe I'm uncultured. "Ethnic" wouldn't offend anyone I don't think.
      - RajT88 2mo ago
        Could be. "Ethnic" sounds to my ear a lot less possibly offensive than "migrant" given the current climate.
- frollogaston 2mo ago
  I did notice that the Muslim Chinese restaurants have a lot of non-Chinese Muslim customers, maybe because they want halal.
vector_spaces 2mo ago
OK, I'll bite. In this particular case I personally would have said "a restaurant of your national cuisine" or even omit the adjective altogether since it's somewhat obvious from the preceding conversation what you mean. My main qualm with this usage -- aside from being dated -- is that all cuisines are ethnic, but singling out the hypothetical migrant's as such implies that it is particularly ethnic. So in this sense it is a bit othering. To be clear, I don't write this to call you out for your usage or accuse you -- I'm just answering your good-faith question. RE your point, I don't agree that it's so obvious -- cooking and running a restaurant are pretty hard regardless of where you are from!
- goosejuice 2mo ago
  Here ethnic cuisine more or less means regional cuisine, where the region is outside of the speaker's own cultural identity. It goes beyond national, which is very broad. Therefore I think it's a fairly useful descriptor. For example Oaxacan and TexMex are ethnically Mexican, but seen as regional within their borders by the respective nations. There's deeper indigenous roots there too. Food traditions of the Jewish diaspora can't be said to be Israeli cuisine. Things that start as regionally unique become seen as ethnic over time: I dunno like rocky mountain oysters, fish and chips, buffalo wings, as they become more intertwined with the culture of those people and that culture is exported. Ethnicity was coined to avoid the racial connotations but in the US, ethnic studies brought it right back. If one wishes to avoid the word here maybe cultural is probably the best substitute but still a bit too narrow. You'll also see Global/International/Continental/Intercontinental as well, much like in music.. but I think that misses the point too.
  - vector_spaces 2mo ago
    Too bad. I considered pre-empting this exact response, and I did not, so here we are! The term "national" doesn't simply mean "having to do with a nation state". I promise that I do not mean to be condescending with this, but you can verify in Merriam-Webster's entry for "nationality" which is referenced by the entry for "national", or also the Wikipedia article on "national cuisine". The Merriam-Webster entries specifically give examples showing that my usage encompasses the examples you gave. The terms "ethnicity" and "ethnic" are not problematic per se. There are a few reasons people object to usages such as "ethnic cuisine", one of which I mentioned in the comment you are replying to.
munk-a 2mo ago
Thai cuisine is remarkably interesting due to Global Thai and both the funding for restaurants as well as the standardization of curry recipes that was led by the government to help spread cultural awareness of the cuisine.
dyauspitr 2mo ago
Well, you have to be an esoteric migrant. This technique doesn’t really work for a Chinese or Indians.
21asdffdsa12 2mo ago
The moment you ask yourself that- you are already poisoned. Because walking around on eggshells, makes you hate those who force you to be over considerate in time. Which results in buildup and release of tension.. just be yourself- and be kind intrinsicly..

RajT88 2mo ago

Migrant is actually the wrong word entirely, I think. Migrants move around to follow the work. (Think more like "Nomad") Immigrants resettle in new places. I'm reading more about it, and probably these restaurants survive based on a combination of: - Family run, keeping labor low (labor always number 1 cost) - Central Asian and Muslim customers (much more than just Uzbeks) - Setting up in low-rent locations like strip malls So a few big nights a week can sustain the family business. I guess there's a way it adds up to a profitable business.

knome 2mo ago
>Migrant is actually the wrong word entirely, I think. immigrant, im- (variant of in-) ; migrant into your country emigrant, ex- ; migrant out of your country both are still migrants. there is no specific cause for migration required to be an migrant. you just need to move somewhere new to live.
- RajT88 2mo ago
  You are technically correct. The best kind of correct! In terms of common usage though, it's as I said, especially in North America.
  - ComputerPerson 2mo ago
    I believe they were asking whether or not "ethnic" is the correct term. "Foreign food" or "foreign restaurant" seems to be the norm where I live, but maybe I'm uncultured. "Ethnic" wouldn't offend anyone I don't think.
    - RajT88 2mo ago
      Could be. "Ethnic" sounds to my ear a lot less possibly offensive than "migrant" given the current climate.
frollogaston 2mo ago
I did notice that the Muslim Chinese restaurants have a lot of non-Chinese Muslim customers, maybe because they want halal.

vector_spaces 2mo ago

OK, I'll bite. In this particular case I personally would have said "a restaurant of your national cuisine" or even omit the adjective altogether since it's somewhat obvious from the preceding conversation what you mean. My main qualm with this usage -- aside from being dated -- is that all cuisines are ethnic, but singling out the hypothetical migrant's as such implies that it is particularly ethnic. So in this sense it is a bit othering. To be clear, I don't write this to call you out for your usage or accuse you -- I'm just answering your good-faith question. RE your point, I don't agree that it's so obvious -- cooking and running a restaurant are pretty hard regardless of where you are from!

goosejuice 2mo ago
Here ethnic cuisine more or less means regional cuisine, where the region is outside of the speaker's own cultural identity. It goes beyond national, which is very broad. Therefore I think it's a fairly useful descriptor. For example Oaxacan and TexMex are ethnically Mexican, but seen as regional within their borders by the respective nations. There's deeper indigenous roots there too. Food traditions of the Jewish diaspora can't be said to be Israeli cuisine. Things that start as regionally unique become seen as ethnic over time: I dunno like rocky mountain oysters, fish and chips, buffalo wings, as they become more intertwined with the culture of those people and that culture is exported. Ethnicity was coined to avoid the racial connotations but in the US, ethnic studies brought it right back. If one wishes to avoid the word here maybe cultural is probably the best substitute but still a bit too narrow. You'll also see Global/International/Continental/Intercontinental as well, much like in music.. but I think that misses the point too.
- vector_spaces 2mo ago
  Too bad. I considered pre-empting this exact response, and I did not, so here we are! The term "national" doesn't simply mean "having to do with a nation state". I promise that I do not mean to be condescending with this, but you can verify in Merriam-Webster's entry for "nationality" which is referenced by the entry for "national", or also the Wikipedia article on "national cuisine". The Merriam-Webster entries specifically give examples showing that my usage encompasses the examples you gave. The terms "ethnicity" and "ethnic" are not problematic per se. There are a few reasons people object to usages such as "ethnic cuisine", one of which I mentioned in the comment you are replying to.

munk-a 2mo ago

Thai cuisine is remarkably interesting due to Global Thai and both the funding for restaurants as well as the standardization of curry recipes that was led by the government to help spread cultural awareness of the cuisine.

dyauspitr 2mo ago

Well, you have to be an esoteric migrant. This technique doesn’t really work for a Chinese or Indians.

21asdffdsa12 2mo ago

The moment you ask yourself that- you are already poisoned. Because walking around on eggshells, makes you hate those who force you to be over considerate in time. Which results in buildup and release of tension.. just be yourself- and be kind intrinsicly..