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Original poster

Cultural misappropriation and hair

585 replies

meandthem · 03/03/2018 01:33

Am I being unreasonable to object to ethnicity being a factor in respect of what hairstyle choices women are "allowed"? I am pissed of that it now seems acceptable for some styles to be considered cultural misappropriation. What happened to the sisterhood and feminism and women's right to do what the hell we want with our hair!

OP posts:
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13
DieWinteresse · 07/03/2018 23:07

SpringHen But what if one of your Celtic friends starts accusing you of cultural appropriation? Where would it end? Wink

DieWinteresse · 07/03/2018 23:10

mirialis That is a shame, that workplaces use hair as a means to discriminate. Surely if hair is tied back or worn short then the company has no right to dictate how someone wears their hair anyway?

SpringHen · 07/03/2018 23:12

I think thats part of the problem. Some black people see pagan dreads as a bad messy interpretation of black styles which are usually neater, even rasta dreads are often all the same width.

And then deduce from that that these "imitators" are displaying their styles as messy/scruffy. And therefore giving black syles a bad name.

But the hair do was never suppposed to copy a neater black style in the first place!

The beauty in celtic dreads is often in the asymetry and non uniformity. Its not a poor unflattering imitation of anything elss

mirialis · 07/03/2018 23:13

mirialis That is a shame, that workplaces use hair as a means to discriminate. Surely if hair is tied back or worn short then the company has no right to dictate how someone wears their hair anyway?

Why don't you just read the thread???

SpringHen · 07/03/2018 23:15

SpringHen But what if one of your Celtic friends starts accusing you of cultural appropriation? Where would it end? wink

You cant often identify a celt by looks alone these days. Which may be part of the appeal of white dreads - to display your heritage.

If youre white and from western europe you probably have some celt in you

DieWinteresse · 07/03/2018 23:20

SpringHen That's good- I do like those Celt braids- they look lovely. My hair is very curly and textured so would not look the same on me though!

DieWinteresse · 07/03/2018 23:23

mirialis I have read most of the thread. I am just strugling to accept that most companies would care about hairstyles as long as hair is out of the way and not interfering in how you do your job? Unless they are just using any excuse to be racist? Seems like hair isn't the true issue here- just an employers' way of smokescreening racist attitudes Sad

mirialis · 07/03/2018 23:36

If you've read the thread you will realise that

a) "just tying your hair out of the way" or "wearing it short" is really not a simple option for the type of hair many black women have and

b) I don't think you really need to even read the thread surely - but would be useful to do so - to know racism is still a big issue in the UK and that this runs much deeper than simply "tie your hair up or wear it short".

SpringHen · 07/03/2018 23:38

I just wanna add that I do see the problem with appropriation.

I detest the current trend for "crafting" decorative dream catchers. Those mean something to people its so disrespectful to use them inappropriately.

I get that a white person wearing someone elses ethnic dress to be "quirky" is a kick in the teeth.

But braids and dreads are IMO too varied and widespread to be attributed to just one group in general. And thats @ people who say that white dreads/braids are never okay and always appropriation. Some types of braids/dreads are. But not all.

DieWinteresse · 07/03/2018 23:45

Mirialis What I mean is, any employer who is trying to trot out the ridiculous myth that black hair is scruffy or not acceptable is a racist jerk. But i do not see why white people not wearing their hair a certain way can change that? or am i being naive or pessimistic?

DieWinteresse · 07/03/2018 23:47

SpringHen Yes. braids are asociated with many cultures. Also if it is missparopriation to take braids from black culture, then the same is true of taking them from Celt/Nordic/Egyptian etc cultures, surely?

DieWinteresse · 07/03/2018 23:50

mirilais I sometimes feel as though just because a few people are racist shitheads then the rest of us white people have to be made to feel that all whites are responsible for racism. I guess that makes me feel alittle uncomfortable. Some of us are decent people, without a racist bone in our bodies.

SpringHen · 07/03/2018 23:59

Well even if its not appropriation, a white person choses braids.
With afro hair the "choice" is dangerous chemicals or afro or braids or dreads.

So it is totally different in the workplace.

Everyone has some prejudice or privilidge. To think you dont just means that youre not aware of it which often means youre probably quite a bit racist.

DieWinteresse · 08/03/2018 00:05

SpringHen Oh, I acknowledge I have white privelege and that I benefit from it. But that does not mean I am actually opressing anyone? You would have to be in a position of power to oppress someone?

So is using Afro products on my very curly hair ok then??? I need those products just as much as someone hwo is black does. I need oil on my hair to stop it getting tangled or frizzy

DieWinteresse · 08/03/2018 00:08

SpringHen I just think we are all mixed race if we go far back enough in our family tree. I conider myself 57 Heinz when it comes to race. A little mix of all sorts of things. That is why I think we should accept everyone's racial identity and what race they are.

DieWinteresse · 08/03/2018 00:08

consider, sorry.

SpringHen · 08/03/2018 00:09

Well lots of white people have recently gone wanky about "discovering" using coconut oil in their hair recently..
So I guess it depends on how you go about it.

Have you seen the documentary mentioned below?

DieWinteresse · 08/03/2018 00:11

SpringHen How is it wanky for me to use a product I need??? it is a need for me not a choice.

DieWinteresse · 08/03/2018 00:12

Have you seen the documentary mentioned below? I did not see any links, sorry

SpringHen · 08/03/2018 00:16

sigh have another read..

DieWinteresse · 08/03/2018 00:20

SpringHen What page is it on?

DieWinteresse · 08/03/2018 00:21

SpringHen It can watch if you link it.... might be interesting bedtime read :)

DieWinteresse · 08/03/2018 00:27

Well, I still will choose the Afro products and styles I need to suit my textured mixed hair anyway. Everyone has the right to their opinion and I doubt anyone cares much either way. Goodnight.SpringHen

DieWinteresse · 08/03/2018 00:29

I think any black buisness would be glad to have the money customers like me bring, wanky or not. Everyone in this situation, black or white, wins anyway. :) Mirialis I am sorry about your experiences with racism- I wish you all the best in finding employment with decent nice employers. You deserve it Flowers

ReanimatedSGB · 08/03/2018 00:41

That Celtic picture someone linked to - it wouldn't have occurred to me that the hairstyle demonstrated there was any attempt to appropriate traditionally Black hairstyles. Plaiting is a fairly universal way of styling long hair of any texture and has been for a long, long time.

Oh and the hoop earrings thing? That's definitely a US issue. I had a spat with some American virtue signaller on FB a while ago about hoop earrings - that person had the classic US-centric take on it and wouldn't believe me that big hoop earrings are a working-class signifier (rather than a Latina one) in the UK.

(Please note, I am not stating that the connection between hoop earrings and white working class women is a bad thing, just that this is the association people make in the UK.)