Dear Readers,
It has been brought to our attention that one of the pieces published in Finifugal, the Spring 2024 Central Review Volume 18, was harmful and has since been removed from the magazine.
We deeply acknowledge that the portrayal of the consumption of dog meat in the piece inadvertently perpetuated and reinforced harmful racial and cultural stereotypes and ingrained prejudices, particularly regarding South Korea. Although the piece was trying to convey animal cruelty and the legislative battle recently fought in South Korea regarding the farming of dog meat, we now understand that the broader implications of the portrayal were unintentionally harmful. Regardless of the intention, we failed to recognize and address these implications. The matter of the consumption of dog meat is not just one of cultural difference; it is a form of racism and discrimination.
We sincerely apologize for the hurt caused by the publication of this piece, and we, as the Editors-in-Chief, take full responsibility as the ones who ultimately accepted this piece into the magazine. We are committed to learning from this mistake and taking steps to prevent similar harm in the future.
We do not condone the exclusion of any people or culture, and we will be more careful in the future about the pieces we accept, so Central Review can continue being the safe space people turn to. Starting next year, we will integrate a cultural review into our editing process, actively applying what we learn in our diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism trainings and courses to ensure greater mindfulness regarding the content of the pieces we accept and publish. We will have our faculty advisor look over all the accepted pieces before publication, as well.
We sincerely apologize again, and we hope you will support us as we continue to take action, seek ways to better serve our community, and move forward.
Sincerely,
Cam Miller & Liv O’Toole
Editors-in-Chief of Central Review
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