AIBU to ask you to explain cultural appropriation and why it is bad to me

[ConfusedWife1234]

So I am a white woman of mixed European ancestry and I think most of the things I typically wear are European or US American in origin, apart from polo Shirts and khakis (which I learned are Indian in origin, but I did not even know this until recently).

So I am not sure what cultural appropriation is. Is it cultural appropriation:

-If a rich person dresses down
-If a poor person dresses like a billionaire
-If a civilian wears clothes of military origin
-If a white European dresses like a white American
-If a white European dresses like a Afroamerican
-If a young person attends a re-enactment group and dresses up for a historical event that happened before he or she was born

Or is is just cultural appropriation if a person from another culture chooses to dress in a dress worn for special occasion... like this girl who wore a Chinese wedding dress for her prom.

Also why is cultural appropriation bad. Not asking to be snarky here. Really interested to learn.

Is it that the dress is seen as sacred, like maybe a Christian would be offended if someone wore a cross as part of his dress... or is it the idea that a certain style of dress must be earned.

and when worn by white people they are seen as fashion forward and cool.

Oh give over. Corn rows on white people are rarely seen outside Jeremy Kyle and are certainly not celebrated or approved of.

And I’ve never, ever heard of corn rows being disapproved of in the UK, they’re seen as a very conservative black hair style.

Remember Common People, by Pulp? About the rich girl who wanted to play at being poor because it was edgy and cool? And the line where Jarvis sings 'if you call your dad he could stop it all?' Its basically that. Read the lyrics and then apply that to cultural signifiers.

It's taking the bits from a culture that are considered cool or edgy or exotic, or adopting them as part of your lifestyle, when the actual people who have no choice in the matter about get discriminated against because of or disadvantaged by it.

For Black women in America hair is political because they've been told that their natural hair or braids is unprofessional so they need to chemically straighten it. But a white model braids her hair and it's edgy or cool. Native American women are some of the most economically and socially disadvantaged in the country, but dressing up a sexy Pocahontas is fun because at the end of the night you can take it off again and life goes on as before. In America race is a much more political and polarised issue and that's where the issue started being debated .

There's also the issue of how difficult it is for women of colour to find makeup that works for their skin for example. Look up some of Nyma Tang's 'darkest shade' YouTube videos or Jackie Aina's 'I don't see colour' film.

Well, not much fasting goes on these days!

Everyone seems to be fine with men appropriating from women, and drag queens like RuPaul are lauded, but when some basic white girl from Bumfuck USA wears a silky chinese dress people are having orgasms of outrage all over twitter.

Tom, I do agree that a lot of people are not fasting (or like me are only fasting the week before Easter) those days BUT if one is not fasting there is no need for a Fastenbretzel. It is a pretzel for fasting because it contains none of the things considered taboo during the time of fasting such as pig lard.
The Fastenbrezel symbolizes the cross with a gloriole with its form (okay most pretzels look the same, but that is how one tries to form this kind of pretzel). So it basically has a religious meaning.

Surely you can enjoy it without this meaning and I am not offended or anything. It is just that a part of the meaning is lost when people do not remember this or do not know this like in the case if my friend.

When people who are not part of a socially and economically dominant culture adopt elements of the dominant culture, that's not cultural appropriation. It might be assimilation or culture mixing. Cultural appropriation requires that the person taking on the trappings of another culture be from a culture that is socially and economically dominant.

It's definitely not cool to use the trappings of another culture to make fun of that culture. I think that's a case where you can make fun of your own culture, but not of other people's.

I would say it's not okay to dress up as a person from another culture, either, such as at Halloween. This is especially true if your costume incorporates negative stereotypes or stereotypes that people who belong to that culture find offensive. A lot of cultural Halloween costumes seem to incorporate negative stereotypes. A Muslim terrorist costume would be an example of this.

Some people are also bothered by costumes of people from other cultures that show ignorance of the culture. Indian princess (Native American, not from India) costumes are an example of this. Many Native American tribes didn't have hereditary leaders, so there was no such thing as a princess in that culture (just like there's no such thing as an American princess). These costumes also often blend together elements from many distinct Native American cultures- kind of like someone dressing as a European by combining elements from Russian and Spanish culture. I suppose it's probably pretty annoying to see people's ignorance of your culture on display, especially if you deal with that ignorance all the time.

I would say if something has a strong religious or cultural significance to members of a particular culture, it's not okay for people who have no connection to that culture (and who may have no understanding of the significance of that thing in its cultural context) to use them as decorations. This is especially true if you use that item in a way that is offensive in the original cultural context.

I’d just like to point out, despite what people commonly think. No culture “owns” dreadlocks.

Ancient Greeks were wearing them thousands of years ago and they have a history across the world.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas springs to mind.

Genuinely if you don't get it then you need to read a book.

Another thread about how white people are victims of racism🤦🏾‍♀️

@maggiecate gives the best answer here! It is not as simple as someone being offended by another culture enjoying or being influenced by their clothes / foods / appearance etc - it is the constant taking of elements of a culture which when exercised in their original way are not appreciated - but when white people (or let’s say the non minority) exercise the same element it is seen as acceptable / fashionable etc and they receive praise for it. It’s as simple as that - when a black woman wears her hair in cornrows it is neither celebrated or applauded. Kim sodding Kardashian pops some in and it’s suddenly like she invented them - Black women (and other cultures) have been wearing them for years and no one put them on the front of vogue did they??

I do think the UK and US have very different race relations and things which aren’t such an issue in the UK are much more of a big deal in the US - which is where the majority of appropriation talk comes from.

You can appreciate culture and enjoy the amazing aspects that diversity brings but you MUST recognise and appreciate the origins. When people claim these aspects for their own without respect or consideration of the importance of culture and heritage, that’s when it gets messy.

I hate to see people at parties or walking about the streets of a weekend dressed as Arabs or Native Americans or dreadlocked wigs etc.

Where I live is so boring.

I read the NPR article, and 'get' that it's seen as dodgy for the oppressor to 'take' from the oppressed culture.
So how does the girl in the US wearing a cheongsam fit in? - the US is not the oppressor of Chinese people (that would be the Chinese state surely!)
In China you are offered these dresses everywhere; and at an official ceremony while on a work trip in China a colleague wore one and received many compliments - not one person seemed offended, and it was her photo that ended up in the local paper.

And re: dressing as an Arab - does this mean I should stop wearing a jelibiah to friends' weddings and parties?

Today I'm going to a mosque so will wear hijab - is that not on? (...but I won't be let in without covering my head)

And should I shop wearing the kurtis that a colleague brings back for friends from India every year even though they are great for the climate here? (Middle East)

I can see how it's confusing for some but it's just manners.

If you go to a wedding of another culture where you know people well, and wear clothes from that culture then you are fine. However if someone, particularly an OAP, says the item is wrong and you need to take it off immediately then do.

If you are invited to a party of people you know at least quite well or are invited to a public religious ceremony with people you know then dressing in clothes from that culture is fine. They may adjust your clothing to ensure it looks right and you need to accept this.

However if you don't know the people well at the party you are invited to, or are going to public religious ceremony on your own then don't bother dressing in clothes from that culture but do obey instructions like you must cover your head. In the latter case use a small hat or scarf.

Was watching channel 4news and they interviewed a couple of people who were Jamaican I think. Anyway they explained it was exploiting a culture not taking inspiration from it. Or using it for their profit without understanding.

For example, cultural music that came from oppression then being used by other cultures who don't care about the history ect.

They said the girl is the dress was fine.

I think some people are overly sensetive for example I think it was Nike or addidas using the Indian holi festival as inspiration for their line and used pharell as their model. There was so many people screaming cultural appropriation. I feel CA divides people rather than uniting people together and irradicates basic human rights and to a certain degree freedom.

Jessikita
I didn’t know about dreadlocks. Cornrows were apparently also worn in Ancient Greece. Hair in the us appears far more politicised there than in the uk.

When I was in my 20’s, a little over 20 years ago, my company had a fancy dress Xmas party with the Wild West as the theme. Many people dressed as “red indians“. I didn’t. But how times have changed.

I've been to traditional Indian weddings before and I wouldn't dream of turning up in a sari. It makes me feel embarrassed just thinking about it. That seems to be the kind of scenario that gives rise to accusations of 'cultural appropriation' (justifiably so, IMO) - it's the unthinking, insensitive nature of people who can't be bothered to consider how their actions might affect other people's sensibilities. They seems to live in their own little bubble, totally clueless about anything other than me, me, me.

Everything, but everything is politicised in the US Mummy

Are you for real? A german techno or metal fan would understand play and feel bach more than a japanese who dedicated his life to classical music? So insulting and ignorant. There is nothing about your german, no doubtedly also mixed dna that makes you automatically superior at classic music. By the same concept of having someone influential in your history does that also mean you are a nazi because you just get it more than other nationalities? Of course bloody not!

Hair is just as politicised here, a friends child bought home a guide to smart hairstyles and an Afro was on the banned list. So a child could not wear their hair naturally if that is how it naturally grew.
Cultural appropriation isn’t listening to a certain style of music or dressing in Khakis, it’s taking a traditional hairstyle or traditional dress and then claiming it as new and fashionable.

I understand that the haka is performed by some Welsh/English rugby teams - purely hearsay, but if true, not appropriate, imo.

Some things have cultural or religious significance. Using them for something other than their purpose by someone in another culture is cultural appropriation.
You do not wear military honors and battle ribbons that you did not earn. Because that would be cultural appropriation and quite disrespectful.

daisy
True . The latest is America has guns but we have knives wtf. Talk about gaslighting. 😱

I do understand the cultural appropriation anger over hair in the us though due to history, recent history and current attitudes to race over there.