Photo via Facebook
The word ‘barkada’ in the Tagalog language refers to a group of close friends in the Filipino culture. Four non-Filipino friends named their new wine bar Barkada, and it did not sit well with the Filipino community and other minority groups.
Restaurant owners Anthony Aligo, Nate Fisher, Nick Guglietta, and Sebastian Zutant received backlash on social media for naming their D.C. restaurant a Tagalog word. Critics quickly replied and posted on social media after Eater DC posted a feature story to introduce the restaurant.
In response to the story, people compared the owners to colonizers and said the wine bar is an example of cultural appropriation. Others commented on their lack of respect and sensitivity to the Filipino culture.
Filipino American bartender in D.C. Ernest Jay Apaga believes this is a “nuanced case of cultural appropriation.” He told Washington City Paper, “It seems fine, they’re not wholly misrepresenting a culture with decorations that are cultural artifacts or bastardizing Filipino food. But if you’re following this, you know that not all racism is saying the ‘N’ word or holding a Confederate flag.”
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The owners posted an apology on the restaurant’s Instagram and their website after receiving disapproval from Filipinos and others shortly after their wine bar made their debut.
“When we ventured outside of our own language to capture that sentiment, we missed the mark. We apologize to all we offended, and to our community we hope to serve,” said the owners in their written apology. “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.”
One user replied to Eater DC’s Facebook post of the new wine bar and said, “Four white guys using a Filipino word to name your bar is the 1990’s spiritual equivalent to getting tattoos of Chinese symbols on your triceps. This isn’t the kind of representation anyone was looking for but thanks for the appropriation!”
Another user replied to this comment and said, “I have an idea for their next restaurant. French bistro food. Call it ‘Gago,'” which is another Filipino term used to call a man an idiot.
One of the owners, Zutant, told Washington City Paper that he originally pushed for the name of the restaurant. Before the wine bar received backlash, he said, “It didn’t matter if our name was in a different language or not… I didn’t want to call it posse or homies or clique.”
The yogurt shop-turned-wine bar’s menu featured sandwiches, fish platters, charcuterie, and more. The restaurant had no plans to serve Filipino food or drinks, according to Washington City Paper.
Zutant and his fellow restaurant owners have not announced a new name for the wine bar, but said they are reaching out to their community to find a name that embodies the same sentiment as barkada.
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One of them should have asked their significant other.
What’s wrong with them using a tagalog word? I don’t get why so many Pinoys are offended by this. Pinoys use different languages in naming their restaurants as well….why can’t they? 🤦♂️
Filipino here. I noticed from the facebook comments that the kids who were born and raised in America are more offended but the rest of us who migrated here(and actually used the word growing up with our friends) feel more honored that “our word” was used. It’s a new way of thinking apparently – connect everything cultural appropriation as offensive, be offended in everything. There’s literally everything in the world that you can connect with some kind of oppressor and oppressed story. Seriously, what are they learning from schools?