Cultural appropriation

[Londonerlove]

AIBU to be totally annoyed by cultural appropriation.
I read this today and though wtf!

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/newsbeat-44572555

I’m not a fan of kim but if she wants her hair in braids she can have her hair in braids?

Shouldn’t this be praised rather than attacked?
Is eating pasta cultural appropriation?

Oh so if you culturally appropriate braids and your friends admire you, then it's okay if your friends aren't racist towards black people?

m.youtube.com/watch?v=0pXotxxYFlk

Here are some actual Japanese people giving by their thoughts on their culture being appropriated in the West.

But don't let their approval get in the way of righteous indignation on their behalf

Many many things annoy me and I could also write all these instances down but it doesn’t make my feelings and thoughts so powerful that I have the right to stop other women living the lives they see for regards dress abs hair.

I’m certainly not trying to stop anyone doing anything. But, I hate that people try and stop me from discussing my thoughts and feelings about this. I don’t mind that others have a different opinion, but I will argue against it if I disagree.

@C8

The hair thing is real but it's not exclusive to people with afro hair types. I am a scientist and blonde and have been told on more than one occasion that my hair undermines me and makes me look 'unprofessional' in my field.

Out of interest, where does the following stand in terms of cultural appropriation... this is a genuine incident, I was thinking about it the other day. Ashamed to say I found it funny at the time, but I don't now...

Some years ago, a group of female students in the (UK) city I lived in decided to have a party where they would dress as "local" women. They actually called it a "[city name] girls party". These students were mainly from South America, a couple from Spain. They planned to dress in tiny miniskirts, crop tops etc., big hoop earrings and lots of orange fake tan, big false eyelashes, tons of makeup. They clearly ridiculed the way local women were dressing.

Was it cultural approriation? Classism? (Incidentally, why is racism and cutural stuff considered so much worse than classism, disablism, etc?) Just plain nastiness? Something else?

Ancient greeks, the Norse people all wore dreadlocks and these people were white as you could get....

Cultural approctaion is when you take a cultures symbolic item and disrespect it aka the plain people of north America on chiefs would wear a full head garb of feathers and only at important religious times. But people now wear it at pop concerts in The USA and that is so disrespectful its insane. That is what i save my ire for not using normal hair styles that have used across all races and cultures grom recorded time.

"I will not be blamed for something that uncle John did hundreds of years ago"

I don't think I should be blamed either. But an awareness of the fact that the oppression happened, and people like me benefitted from it and people not like me are still affected by it is the very least I can do surely?

Delta yes that’s crap too. But, so is black women getting told their hair is unprofessional.

Notmeohno I guess that’s not what I mean but there’s nowhere in your example that has people looking down upon Thai people. The berating or looking down upon the one culture is one of the main components of cultural appropriation, in the way that I see it.

Any incidences of racist or sexist behaviour in the work place should be reported to the appropriate people.

Try being the subordinate, when you don't have a direct contract or 2 yrs employment rights, who reports your LM for racism when they have told you your appearance needs to be "more professional".

Its the old problem with Dog Whistle language - the individual incidences can be passed off as "who me, no guv, they are just being too sensitive" but the accumulative effect and culture is a massive problem.

Looking "more professional" is coded language to "whiten" hair styling and appearance.

The Sikh in the kilt looks fab and even if he didn’t, his appearance is none of my business so I don’t see why it is important to point out that he’s Scottish. For me, he’s having fun. Chinese dresses and kimono style tops/ dressing gowns etc will be a fashion statements again as they have been in the past so why the outrage now? People wore their hair braided in Ancient Greece and before (corn rows). Was that also cultural appropriation?

poirot

They just sound daft to be honest.

I just can’t conceive any woman being told their hair is unprofessional without kicking up one hell of a stink at their work place.

Wtaf is wrong with you? You have to call out this bollocks and stand up and complain.

Right. My white son making money playing a didgeridoo decorated with symbols he has no understanding of in an English market town.
Offensive or not?
Does it make a difference that he is directly descended from people who undoubtedly contributed to the genocide of Australian aborigines?

I am a scientist and blonde

Oh I'm not denying sexism is a major issue. I've not heard of a blonde man being told they look unprofessional but I've certainly seen it occasionally with women.

I was talking specifically about racism though and the relationship with cultural appropriation.

I guess that’s not what I mean but there’s nowhere in your example that has people looking down upon Thai people. The berating or looking down upon the one culture is one of the main components of cultural appropriation, in the way that I see it.
But Kim K hasn't berated or looked down on black culture. This is all completely illogical. Someone earlier thought that Kim K should have told the public how much she'd learned about her husband's culture FFS.

C8H
I just saw your comment on “whitening” someone’s appearance. This is vile vile vile of and manager or indeed any human. I would have thought the more people wearing cornrows, dreads the better to force these styles to be societally accepted. For me, wanting these hair styles to be only worn by a certain section of the population ie black and mixed race is counter productive to this goal.

I just can’t conceive any woman being told their hair is unprofessional without kicking up one hell of a stink at their work place.

I’ve been told it numerous times, but it’s hard to push back when you know it can hold you back from moving up the ladder. These are the decisions that people are making and some will decide to just go with the flow and relax their hair. I have in the past. I also got a wee bit fed up of people saying snide comments like “I just can’t get used to your natural hair”. “So, have you decided how you will be wearing your hair for the event?”.

I just can’t conceive any woman being told their hair is unprofessional without kicking up one hell of a stink at their work place

So you have never been in a situation where you lacked power and really needed to hold a job?

Delta yes that’s crap too. But, so is black women getting told their hair is unprofessional. So the answer is getting offended at other peoples hair choice and guilting them into changing it. Its a bit Im not allowed my hair like that so no one else is . How about taking a stand against the racist idiots that are saying any hairdo/type/style is unprofessional for one person and not the other (due to race). Stop making divisions when there doesnt need to be.

downthestrsda

Of course you have every right to your thoughts and feelings but you have no right to feel these trump other people’s rights to dress how they want without ridicule or hate.

As Jo cox said we have more to unite us than to divide us.

Just seems a sad way to view the world and other women.

CBH

Yes I have I was an 18 year old student nurse when a senior consultant pinched my arse. I slapped his face.

I guess that’s not what I mean but there’s nowhere in your example that has people looking down upon Thai people. The berating or looking down upon the one culture is one of the main components of cultural appropriation, in the way that I see it.
You're wrong anyway. The "cultural appropriation" stasi disapprove of many things worn or eaten through admiration. Look at the baby wearing wars. Look at those white women in North America hounded out of business for opening a Mexican eatery.

So. My white son busking in a English town on a didgeridoo decorated with ritual symbols he has no understanding of.
Offensive or not?

Does it make a difference that he is directly descended from people who undoubtedly actively contributed to the genocide of Australian Aborigines?

NotMeOhNo no she hasn’t and I think she’s just fine wearing her hair like that. It’s other people that look down on black women wearing braids, it’s part of what we’re used to seeing. The “wearer” doesn’t have to be the one doing the berating for cultural appropriation to be happening.

I don’t think wearing braids is necessarily CA however I think Kim K is a problematic person. Some of my black friends feel her & her family are responsible for making traditional black body shapes more acceptable & desirable but only on white women if that makes sense.