THE CT DAILY
ALL ABOUT THE BIG WORLD WE LIVE IN
Cultural Appropriation: A Call for Change
By: Abdul Repon, Habib Ullah, Allisa Hymon, and Shanell Calmese
The world we live in today is brimming with culture
and diversity. From ethnic restaurants to clothing
stores, there is something for everyone to share.
Culture allows for the celebration of history and
heritage, for the understanding of the past along with
the forging of the future. What happens when
somewhere along this exchange, one party steals from
another?
What happens when cultural appropriation occurs?
Cultural appropriation is defined as the adoption of
the elements of one culture by members of another
culture without respecting it or attributing credit to it.
A hand reaches out to steal African American hair.
Cultural appropriation is a major component of media
and society today, with members of dominant cultures
earning a living off stolen aspects of minority cultures.
One example is Woah Vicky, a Caucasian American
female internet figure who became famous by
claiming to be Black and using African American jargon
1
EXCLUSIVE NEWS TODAY
and traditions to her advantage.
Cultural appropriation is such a big deal because it is a
reminder of the imbalance of power and inequality
between the dominant culture and minority cultures.
A depiction of the struggles minorities had to endure and still do.
When minority cultures celebrate their culture, they are
ridiculed for it, but when majority cultures do the exact
same thing, they are praised. When black girls wear
their hair in cultural styles, they are called ghetto and
mocked for it, but when others do the exact same thing,
they are shown support. Cultural appropriation matters
because ethnic groups that are already marginalized and
left at the bottom of society continue to be overlooked
and ignored.
Everyone wants to reap the benefits of a culture, but
no one wants to go through the struggle. Everyone
wants to use the “n-word,” but the majority of people
that use it haven’t gone through the centuries of
oppression from the dominant culture that black people
have gone through. They don’t care to discuss the topic
with others; when they do discuss the topic, they feel
offended and say it is just a word. People fail to
understand that there is a double meaning behind
many of these words and traditions: the struggles
indigenous people had to endure, and a symbol of
hope.
A mural showing that there is beauty in the Yemeni culture.
There is a distinct line between appropriation and
appreciation. One can appreciate another culture by
wearing ethnic clothing, but it depends on the situation
and the way he does so; for example, non-Indian guests
at an Indian wedding can wear sarees or other ethnic
clothing to honor the culture and celebrate the
occasion; the guests are attempting to appreciate the
culture rather than commodifying it. Appropriation
occurs when people are too lazy to educate themselves
on other cultures, such as modeling hijabs in a
disrespectful manner or wearing ethnic clothing in a
way that reinforces negative stereotypes.
If you want to wear something from another culture,
we can’t stop you. We just ask that you take the time to
learn its significance and represent it in a respectful
manner and that you give credit where credit is due.
The truth is that in modern day society, many of the
things we do is a mix of various cultures; however, we
must ensure that we don’t misrepresent or disrespect
cultures in doing so.
From an African American perspective, we see cultural
appropriation in the discrediting of our culture. Some
perceived lenses of our culture include, but are not
limited to hair, clothing, and attitude. In the short story
“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, the character Dee is an
example of this type of person. Those connected to
their roots know that it’s deeper than that. True African
roots are shown through actual knowledge of the
culture, not just what the mainstream American
perceives as “black.”
Cultural assimilation is the process by which members
of a minority group take on the traits of the dominant
culture, be it through force or voluntary action, to be
accepted into society or for the purpose of survival.
Unlike cultural appropriation and appreciation,
assimilation is forced. When people are ridiculed for
their culture, it is common to adapt to the dominant
culture.
As minorities, we walk around every day representing
our culture and our history. It isn’t a costume that we
can take off if we wanted. We endure struggles daily to
hold on to what little we can call our own. When you
knowingly abuse and steal our cultures it makes it seem
like we aren’t important, but we know we are. Our
cultural creations are us, and even if we die, we will still
live on forever through what has been borrowed and
stolen from us.
As a society, we need to realize that there is room for
improvement. I believe in a world where all cultures can
live together peacefully. It may seem far-fetched, but
nothing is impossible. We can all push for this utopia by
building relationships with people of all cultures and
backgrounds and supporting each other, and by
educating ourselves to guarantee universal appreciation
and multiculturalism. That way, we can have true
cultural appreciation. So, what’s holding you back?
A powerful piece of art found in Hamtramck that portrays an
important message for all people.