An Australian woman who recently opened a sushi bar in New York has been accused of ‘cultural appropriation’ by Americans who object to her not being Japanese.
The former lawyer, dubbed “Sushi Sheila” in online discussions, has been called a “colonizer” and subjected to one-star Google reviews simply because she is white.
After days of coming under fire on social media, Sushi Sheila has now found support from users of the same platforms who have launched a joint fight.
Sushi Sheila first gained attention on TikTok, where she documented quitting her corporate career earlier this month to open Sushi Counter in New York’s West Village.
The restaurant’s website promised Australian-style sushi, including teriyaki chicken, spicy tuna and avocado and cucumber, for the bargain price of $5 per roll or three for $12.
An Australian woman who recently opened a sushi bar in New York has been accused of ‘cultural appropriation’ by Americans who object to her being white. The owner of Sushi Counter (above) is called a ‘colonizer’
Sushi Counter was subjected to a barrage of online reviews with one star in a pile on social media
“We do one thing (and we like to think we do it well): Australian-style hand rolling,” the website says.
“We may have a small footprint here in the West Village, but we have a big dream: making fresh, delicious handmade sandwiches that you can afford every day of the week.”
That humble dream so infuriated Seattle chef Eric Rivera that he took to social media to accuse Sushi Sheila of cultural appropriation because he was white.
“There aren’t enough good sushi restaurants in New York, so it’s time to open one!” Rivera wrote on October 20 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
‘But it’s ‘stralian sushi’. Give me a break, colonizer. If you don’t see why this is a problem, you are part of the problem.’
Rivera, who has since deleted the thread, did not elaborate on his own plans announced last year to open a Puerto Rican/Japanese restaurant in North Carolina.
Deidree Golbourne, who describes herself as a financial planner, orator and “cultural historian” under the moniker “Queer Latifa,” joined the effort to shut down Sushi Sheila.
Sushi Sheila first gained attention on TikTok, where she documented quitting her corporate career earlier this month to open Sushi Counter in New York’s West Village.
Deidree Golbourne, who describes herself as a financial planner, orator and “cultural historian” who goes by the term “Queer Latifa,” joined the effort to shut down Sushi Sheila
“Why does someone who is not of Asian descent, but better yet from Australia, open a sushi spot in New York?” she wrote.
‘The contradiction and cognitive dissonance are maddening.
“She feels like she can’t ‘afford’ decent sushi in New York, a place with one of the largest and wildly diverse Asian populations? Instead, she funds her own sushi place.
“Colonization is white and quite scary to see in real time.”
Sushi Counter was subjected to a barrage of online reviews with one star in a pile on social media.
“The last thing anyone needs is blonde hair and Australian white women making Japanese cuisine their own,” wrote one reviewer, according to The Publica.
“We are tired of the disrespect white people are showing our cultures, enough is enough.”
The restaurant’s website promised Australian-style sushi, including teriyaki chicken, spicy tuna and avocado and cucumber, for the bargain price of $5 per roll or three for $12
Another wrote: ‘There are plenty of good AUTHENTIC sushi spots in this city and the prices aren’t crazy.’
‘I suggest you go to one of them. This is a sushi restaurant for settlers, run by a woman who thinks she can do it better than real Japanese.”
Much of the criticism ignored the fact that Australian-style sushi actually exists. Aussie sushi consists of larger rolls and uses ingredients such as salmon, tonkatsu, teriyaki chicken, tempura and avocado that are less common in Japan.
Sushi Sheila deleted the content from her TikTok account, but gradually the tables were turned on her detractors and other users of the platform began posting positive videos that hit back at the cancel culture warriors.
Soon, a flood of five-star reviews of the restaurant poured into Google, bringing the average rating to 4.8 stars.
Political commentator Matt Walsh weighed in on Sushi Sheila’s behalf, asking how a restaurant could be “maddening” or “scary” on the Daily Wire.
“As a sane human being, I can’t imagine how anyone could evoke these kinds of emotions in relation to a sushi restaurant,” Walsh told his audience.
“The first and most obvious is that this crazy standard is only applied to white people and would never go the other way – and never has.
“You’ll never hear of a pizzeria being bombarded with negative reviews because it’s owned by an Asian. Or against a hamburger joint that is being protested because it is run by a Spanish woman.
“You will certainly never hear anyone tell a black chef which dishes he cannot cook based on his race.”