Faolyn
(she/her)
The problem with Volo's commentary is it uses the exact same language used to dehumanize actual people in the real world. It doesn't actually matter that orcs aren't real or aren't based on any one specific culture.Products like the aforementioned Maztica are problematic but Volo’s commentary on Orcs? Orcs aren’t real! Anytime I’ve played with someone who turned out racist they didn’t need fake fantasy races to express their prejudice. They just used human cultures to express their disdain for fellow humans.
So the options are, either the commentary is bad, or Volo himself is a racist. I actually like the latter as a concept, but it's not really supported by the text. At least with the Van Richten's guides, it was obvious that everything he was writing was his own beliefs and sometimes the actual DM's info sidebar contradicted him.