Kooks Burritos in Portland has closed after being open for jst a few months, because PC scolds accused the owners of cultural appropriation.
Kali Wilgus and Liz “LC” Connelly, the two white women who started the business, were featured in a profile for a local publication.
They're accused of stealing their techniques from the "tortilla ladies" of Puerto Nuevo, Mexico. Connelly told the Willamette Week:
“I picked the brains of every tortilla lady there in the worst broken Spanish ever, and they showed me a little of what they did. They told us the basic ingredients, and we saw them moving and stretching the dough similar to how pizza makers do before rolling it out with rolling pins.”
She also claimed that when the cooks wouldn't give up their secrets, she and Wilgus:
"[Peeked] into the windows of every kitchen, totally fascinated by how easy they made it look.”
They then figured out the tortilla recipe back in Portland through trial and error.
Kooks had been open for several months, but the publication in the Willamette Week drew the ire of scolds everywhere. The Portland Mercury and Mic.com accused the owners of cultural appropriation based on the write-up.
“Because of Portland’s underlying racism, the people who rightly own these traditions and cultures that exist are already treated poorly."
They added that Kooks closing was a "victory."