To a certain extent. Del taco, Taco Bell, those aren't tacos. Those are chingaderas.
It's a humiliation to the food, specially when Americans try to "spice" it down.
I cackle when I go to Thai restaurants and Becky walks in wanting her food with zero spice, then why the hell you want Thai food then? You have to experience the food with all its elements.
That's cultural appreciation, there's a difference.
Well, it depends. The average Asian place we go to / Asian food we eat is appropriated for us Western consumers. You're gonna get very different food at an "authentic" Asian restaurant.
On one hand, you could argue that the big issue with cultural appropriation is that people take elements for themselves and don't cite their inspirations...so the fact we go to 'specialists' and order the named Chinese/Thai/Indian/Mexican etc. food means it isn't appropriating.
On the other, most of the foods aren't authentic and have been Westernised.
It should be considered as "cultural appropriation" just like clothing is. But of course the phat asses don't care because they only care about their phat stomach.
Personally I don't care. Meshing of cultures will only become more popular in the future.
educate yourselves.