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Four white guys open a resto called Barkada, get blasted for cultural appropriation


Many Pinoys were incensed when they spotted a newly opened wine bar in Washington, D.C. with the name "Barkada."

Located on the cultural and nightlife hub U Street in D.C., Barkada was the brain child of Americans Anthony, Nick, Nate and Sebastian.

The name did not sit well with many netizens as they flood the restaurant's Instagram posts with "Change your name," accusing the owners with cultural appropriation.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Growing and glowing... but not open yet! . . . . . #winebar #ustreetdc #dcwine #dcdrinks #dcliving

A post shared by Barkada Wine Bar (@barkadadc) on

 

 

One Instagram user angrily wrote, "My culture is not a f*cking clutch for you to use to make an income! NOTHING about your restaurant doesn’t embodied the [Filipino] culture. It’s upsetting that you would take another cultures 'word' to benefit from it. IDC, CHANGE UR NAME!"

Another added, "Change the name. This is not filipino. And yes, it does matter if your bar name is in a different language if what you serve and present has nothing to do with the culture. Change your name.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The perfect little snack with a bottle of wine! . . . . . #dcliving #winebar #ustreetdc #dcwine #dcfood

A post shared by Barkada Wine Bar (@barkadadc) on

 

 

After the backlash, the establishment published an apology and explanation on its Instagram page.

"We hear you. We reached out to many people in the community to find a name that embodied a sense of friendship and bond between people. When we ventured outside of our own language to capture that sentiment, we missed the mark," the statement read.

"We apologize to all we offended, and to our community we hope to serve. It was never our intention to appropriate or capitalize on the Filipino culture and we recognize we fell short in engaging more of the Filipino community," it added.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Barkada Wine Bar (@barkadadc) on

 

 

The owners promised that they were "actively" looking to change their restaurant's identity and brand.

They also said they will donate proceeds from their opening to the Filipino community.

"Barkada is a beautiful word with a deep meaning of friendship. We want to honor that, and you, as we move forward," they said.

As of posting, the bio in Barkada's Instagram says, "We are changing our name."

—JCB, GMA News

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