Oh, boy, you better be on the look-out for the 'Culture (amateur) Police' for your 'Cultural Appropriation/Misappropriation!' Like so many of these recent brew-ha-has, I think this grew out of a college bull session amongst the perpetually disgruntled / professional victims. Some delicate snowflakes got all twisted when their school's food service decided to have a "Mexican Night" (without their permission!) Oh, the hugh manatee of it all!
PS: I agree with you to the point that much of our ethnic-derived foods can be considered 'better' because it matches a different people's tastes (ours!) I have yet to see a food police that forced 'our' cuisine upon an unwilling native! Even (especially?) at Guantanamo, the Islamic murderers get their meals all kosher (oops) I mean halal!
To balance what I said, I’m always on the lookout for a good classic french restaurant. Some things you just can’t improve - you just refine. “Nouveau” isn’t necessarily “better” and with french cuisine often is not. Example: sublime duck a l’orange is hardly ever offered anymore as it is considered “old school”. Well often “old school” is “good school.”
Same with good taste in apparel. I told my wife the other day that good taste is a drive-by on fashion’s swing from the ridiculous to the absurd.
Nevertheless, all of the above and more is available in the freedom that is America and I love it.
:)