NEWS

DeLand's Cress Restaurant spotlights Trump immigration slur with event

Katie Kustura
katie.kustura@news-jrnl.com
Three hundred people dine on Indiana Avenue in February 2017 during Cress Restuarant's meal where dishes from seven countries in President Donald Trump's initial temporary travel ban were served. [News-Journal file/Austin Fuller]

DELAND — A comment widely attributed to President Trump has inspired the latest Cress Restaurant event.

And no, Big Macs will not be served.

"Solidarity Sunday," a family-style meal featuring dishes from Haiti, El Salvador and Africa, will be offered on March 25, from 4 to 6:30 p.m., on West Indiana Avenue, outside of the restaurant, according to an announcement by Cress co-owners Jenneffer and Hari Pulapaka.

The president and some who were in the Oval Office meeting last Thursday deny he used the term "shithole countries" in discussing immigration from nations comprised of brown-skinned people, but U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and other sources insist he did use the phrase many found offensive not just because of the vulgarity but the racial implications.

Hari Pulapaka changed the name of the event Wednesday from "$H!THOLE: Celebrating Food & Culture of Shithole Countries" to "Solidarity Sunday" after hearing feedback that the original name might be offensive to the very people and cultures he's aiming to celebrate, according to a Facebook post.

The chef says the protest and the concept remain the same.

While the menu is still under construction, Pulapaka said in a phone interview Wednesday that guests should expect a lot of one-pot meals because these dishes aren't meant to be fussy.

He also aims to get as many of the necessary ingredients as he can from local farmers and sources. Guests may bring their alcoholic beverage of choice as Cress won't be serving or selling such drinks during the event since it's on the street.

"It's going to be full-flavored," Pulapaka said. "There won't be any subtle foods."

A portion of the proceeds from the event — tickets are $40 per person — "will benefit an appropriate cause that aligns with the theme of the event," according to the original annoucement. Pulapaka said he hopes to find the appropriate organization within Central Florida.

Last February, Cress served dishes from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen, the countries subject to Trump's controversial temporary travel ban.

"I just felt like that kind of insensitivity spoke to me personally as an immigrant," said Pulapaka, a permanent resident and a Stetson University professor who migrated from Mumbai, India, in 1987.

After sharing his plans on Facebook for the March event, Pulapaka's friends expressed excitement and amusement at the concept.

David Swoyer asked whether Norway would be included.

In the Oval Office meeting during which he made the controversial comments, Trump wondered aloud about why the U.S. wasn't receiving more "people from places like Norway," according to reports.

Russell Hamil of DeLand said he hopes to attend.

"I think it's a pretty creative form of, I don't know if I should say, protest," Hamil said, adding he likes the commitment to donate a portion to a relevant charity. "I think it's kind of funny, too."

Vic Baker, host of "Trump Talk Live," a radio show aired on Daytona Beach radio station WNDB radio, found humor in the name change.

"Solidarity Sunday sounds fine. Let him have a nice party. Now that they changed the name ... it'll be easier to swallow," Baker said.

The pro-Trump Baker said he wasn't in the White House meeting and can't say with certainty what the president said. But he believes the president's approach to immigration is lost in the "sideshow" about the language he used. Trump's goals are to secure the nation's borders and end the lottery system for selecting legal immigrants in favor of a merit-based system, Baker said.

The radio show host also noted that Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, is one of the world's largest cities without a sewer system.

With a laugh, Pulapaka attempted to give Trump credit where credit is due.

"He says he's good for business," Pulapaka said of the president. "It's a double-edged sword."

Staff Writer Mark Harper contributed to this story.