Jamie Foxx, yes the American actor and singer, has recently posted on his Facebook wall a picture of a Filipino Restaurant owned by Negrenses (people from Negros Island) called Flavors of Negros with an ambiguous BooM comment from him.
I’m not sure what reactions he was expecting when he posted the pictures. However, some of his fans apparently interpreted the name as racist and insensitive.As of this writing, the post has been shared more than 38,000 times, liked more than 9,000 times, and has more than 5,000 comments.
Well, to those who commented negatively, the word “Negros” there is not about Black Americans. Although I do understand where you’re coming from, I hoped you bothered to use Google first before you commented. The word negro is used and have different meanings in different cultures.
Negros in Flavors of Negros refers to Negros Island where the owner of the restaurant hails from and whose cuisine they are serving. If you have a chance to taste the food in Negros, you might even like it.
Negros Island is the fourth largest island in the Philippines divided into two provinces namely Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. It was originally named Buglas but when the Spaniards came to the Island in 1565, they called it La Isla de Negros because of the black people or negritos who inhabit the island.
Philippines was a colony of Spain for more 333 years so there are Spanish words which became part of our own language and that includes the word “negro” for black. In modern day Philippines, we commonly refer to a black person as negro but not in a derogatory manner. It’s just the word we used ever since we were colonized by the Spaniards.
Unfortunately, racial biases also exists in the Philippines and biases based on skin color is a reality. It’s not so much as against those with darker skin than ours but more against ourselves. Blame our Western colonizers for instilling in our psyche that white is superior. There are a lot of Filipinos who wished they had fairer skin.
Flavors of Negros was already closed by the owners but I’m sure it’s not because of their business name. Their new business is now called Chicken Sarap with the same authentic Negrense menu of Flavors of Negros such as Chorizo Pudpud, Batchoy, KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, Langka).
Anyway, this is still free publicity for Negros Island and those who visited the wall of Jamie Foxx maybe wondering where this place is. Well, let me take this opportunity to invite you to come to our island, savor the different flavors of our food and Experience Negros! (no pun intended).