Dear Grocery Stores: An Open Letter (cc1)

    Dear Grocery Stores of WNY,

      Being someone who literally looks forward to a meal once the current one is finished, I would say that for the average woman in the United States,  I know food. Grocery stores for me are happy, glorious, fluorescent mecca for comidas of all sorts. Sometimes, they make me proud in their selections and organizational skills. Sometimes....they don't. Here are the hits and misses of various experiences I have had within the grocery establishments of Western New York.
     Wegmans, a Northeastern grocery chain that is revered by many, always continues to be a wonderful source of Latin goods. Rice, beans, syrups, mixes, soda, novena candles: it's all there. Their downfall? An occasional lack of selection in their dry goods (read: sometimes they don't carry all of the flavors of my favorite cookies), and the somewhat small size of the Latin foods in general in the ethnic selections aisle is something to make one a little miffed.
    However, the experience at Wegmans is practically the land of Canaan compared to what my local Tops market has. Understandably, my community is predominately Caucasian. There are some families of Hispanic descent, but nowhere near a statistically large population. But the selections offered are quite literally Americanized taco seasonings, shells, sauces, salsa, guacamole, and perhaps some red beans and rice. I don't quite see how something as being labeled for a "taco" is inherently Hispanic. True, similar dishes do exist, but the taco as we know it is a highly Americanized food product. Truly, I don't think this poor and insensible categorization would bother me as much as if the aisle it were located in was not labeled as containing both "Hispanic" and "Mexican" food. Yes, "Hispanic" is an umbrella term, as is "Latino", which can mean different things to different people. But it is the intelligent idea in society nowadays to stick to the larger collective adjective instead of including both the largest and a random ethnicity. In simplest terms: it looks ignorant. This may sound harsh but it is the truth, and being in a rural community, we should be ever vigilant that we don't perpetuate the stereotypes we are often unfairly given. However I will say for both Wegmans and Tops that their Latin produce offered is somewhat expanded for the times, so credit must be given there.

    I propose a new idea: simply eliminate the idea of a "foreign foods" section. The idea seems xenophobic and strange. Why not simply put Asian and Hispanic forms of rice in a "rice and pasta" aisle, for example? Granted, the separation of these goods may help others to find them easily. Perhaps in another light, however, the small selection is unfair. I am sure the reality of foods offered is completely different in areas where a higher amount of the population is Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, or of another ethnic background with an average diet that is traditionally differs from that of mainstream culture in the United States, but for where I live, it is a miniscule amount. Let us remember that this is a land of many cultures, many people, and many tastes.

Sincerely,

              A concerned shopper who just wants to make authentic Latin food.