AMHERST — The president of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce is apologizing for promotional videos for the annual Margarita Madness event that some viewers found culturally insensitive.
Peter Vickery said April 19 that once he learned people were upset by the videos, one of which depicted a person wearing a straw hat and the other showing a man donning a sombrero, they were removed from Facebook where the event is being promoted.
“This year people saw the videos and were upset by them,” Vickery said. “I then deleted the videos before causing anyone more hurt.”
“There’s enough sadness already (that I) don’t want to add to that.”
Comments posted on Facebook expressed displeasure with the videos. One commenter wrote that “appropriating and fetishizing people of color and their cultures is racist,” while another used terms such as “racist” “culturally insensitive” and “ignorant” to describe them.
Vickery said he was also contacted directly by professors at both the University of Massachusetts and Hampshire College about their concerns with the videos, and they helped him to better understand the problems.
Vickery said it is the first time he can recall any controversy over the event, held April 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Lord Jeffery Inn. Now in its seventh year, Margarita Madness has been popular with the community by bringing together numerous restaurants, including Mexican establishments, to serve margaritas, appetizers and desserts.
There has also been a performance by an authentic mariachi band, whose members wore sombreros during the band’s performance.
“The right thing to do is to simply accept responsibility, apologize for it and promise to do better,” Vickery said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.