The Price of Perception: Why Ethnic Food Isn’t Valued Equally

In this thought-provoking episode, we dive into Michael Wong’s incisive article "Why Aren’t We Willing to Pay More for Asian Food?" to explore a broader conversation about how cuisine from communities of color—especially Asian, Latin American, and African diasporas—is often undervalued compared to food from European cultures in the American dining landscape.Using Wong’s work as a launching point, we unpack the historical, economic, and racial biases that shape how food is priced, perceived, and patronized. Why are French or Italian dishes so often associated with prestige and fine dining, while Chinese, Vietnamese, or Mexican food is expected to be cheap, casual, and "authentic"? What role do colonial legacies, immigrant labor, and cultural fetishization play in determining culinary worth?