An influencer’s attempt to share a recipe for “bath water” has sparked a conversation about cultural appropriation after users pointed out that the drink shares the same recipe as the popular Mexican drink Agua fresca.
The trend started with Indiana-based influencer Gracie Norton, who boasts more than 550,000 followers on the app, where she shares health and wellness tips, and who posted about the drink late last month.
In the since-deleted videos, Norton touted the drink, made up of water, cucumber, lemon juice and sugar, as “anti-inflammatory,” packed with “antioxidants,” and can aid digestion.
“And personally it’s my favorite way to stay hydrated,” Norton said, before showing followers how to make the drink. Norton also created later recipe videos about the drink, in which she swapped out the cucumber for other fruits, according to today.
The videos quickly sparked reactions on the video-sharing platform, with many users noting similarities between Norton’s so-called “spa water” and the agua frescoes. Agua frescas, which translates to “fresh juice,” are found throughout Mexico and Central America.
“Girl made an agua fresca and passed it off as ‘spa water,'” TikTok creator @strawberrryc0ugh captioned a video of Norton’s “recipe,” while another user, @themadzness, noted in a video of theirs that ” they are now being gentrified. agua fresca”.
“They call it spa water. You know what I think of when I think of bath water? I think about it,” the TikToker continued as they showed a tub full of dirty water, before showing a photo of the centuries-old drink and captioning it as “this is agua fresca.”
Norton’s video also prompted some creators, like @erikangel_, to mock the influencer’s drink and pretend to order the bath water at an Agua fresca stand. “Hi, how much is the bath water?” Erika asked on stage, to which a Spanish-speaking woman responded with confusion as she asked what bath water was. “Spa water, the one with great benefits”, continued the TikToker, to which the “seller” replied: “Ah, agua fresca”.
Backlash over the bath water trend extended to Twitter, where users continued to condemn the recipe as cultural appropriation.
“Being Latina is like a trend right now…don’t get me started on the ‘bathwater.’ It’s pretty annoying, you can love what we have to offer but don’t take credit for it,” one person tweeted, while another said: “Calling agua fresca ‘spa water’ is the most greatest cultural appropriation I’ve seen so far. “
Daniela Rabalais, a TikToker who recently went viral for calling out rampant cultural appropriation on the app by jokingly referring to hot dogs as salami tacos, also shared her criticism of Norton’s recipe. She told Refinery29 that she thought the criticism received about the bath water was “valid.”
“Bathwater criticism is valid. It is definitely cultural appropriation as it is something that we as Mexicans and Latinos have enjoyed for generations that is being presented as a new idea by white creators,” she explained.
After the backlash, Norton removed the videos from her TikTok and shared an apology for her Instagram stories.
“I recently filmed a spa water series, which I titled incorrectly. The proper name for this drink is agua fresca, and the origin belongs to the Latino community,” Norton wrote, according to a screenshot. “Many of you have let me know that you would feel more comfortable if the videos were removed entirely, so I have done so.”
Norton then went on to note that her content is about “celebrating the many ways we can show our bodies love by trying new recipes” and that she is now “aware” that it is “the responsibility its to continue to educate myself about origins”. from those recipes”.
“I sincerely apologize to the Latino community and to those of you I have offended,” she said.
While talking to sunThe 24-year-old influencer also said that she is aware why many found the recipe offensive, but that she had “nothing but good intentions.”
“After talking to several people who commented on the situation, I now understand why I offended so many people. I had nothing but good intentions and hoped to share a recipe that I thought might help people with their PCOS [polycystic ovary syndrome] the symptoms,” she said. “However, upon reflection, it has become clear to me why this was so harmful to the Latino community.
“I hope that in time, everyone will understand how much I have learned from this experience and that I am truly sorry for the people I have offended.”
While she acknowledged the issue, Norton also said it’s important to give people who make mistakes the opportunity to grow and learn.
“I’m a firm believer in learning and growing from our mistakes, but people should be given the opportunity to do that,” she said, adding: “If we write off everyone who makes a mistake, we don’t give them the opportunity to corrected. and it really evolves, and I think that’s a shame.”
The Independent has contacted Norton for comment.
