Cultural Appropriation (n): adoption of elements of one culture by members of another culture.
I attended an event on Wednesday, October 30th in the Houck House lobby to learn about and discuss cultural appropriation in the United States. This fulfills my academic requirement. The discussion surrounding cultural appropriation relates to International Affairs because it consists of cultures globally, and their interactions with one another.
With increasing media influence, the exaggeration and sexualization of cultural elements is becoming a controversial topic in society. This cultural appropriation can be offensive to the misrepresented cultures, as the portrayal is misleading and displays their people and customs in a negative way. This appropriation is of particular importance when members of a dominant culture adopt elements of minority cultures.
In the Houck house lobby, a group of about fifteen students gathered to enjoy tacos while watching TED talks over cultural appropriation. The videos highlighted the controversy, how cultural appropriation is defined, and current examples. The topic was especially relevant with Halloween around the corner, a day where it is extremely common to see people of one culture dress up as another, exaggerating certain aspects. Several costumes were brought up as examples of cultural appropriation, including Native American princesses, mariachi bands, gypsies, and Day of the Dead outfits. I was shocked, since these costumes are so common each year, most of the dressers oblivious to the distress they may be causing to people of other cultures. Cultural appropriation is also especially prevalent in the fashion industry, where designers are inspired by the apparel of other cultures. Another example is Kim Kardashian, a fashion icon, wearing her hair in cornrows at the MTV Movie and TV Awards, a publicized event.
Going into this event, I had no idea what cultural appropriation was or the effects it has on the cultures involved. The videos and discussion made me much more aware of current events and why the misappropriation can have such negative consequences. I am extremely glad I am now knowledgeable on the topic and what it entails, because before, I saw nothing wrong with the cultural Halloween costumes and other borrowed elements. I will now be aware of the mistake when I see it, and be sure not to make it myself. Although I am in agreement with the potential effects of the misappropriation, I was not completely on board with the strictness and negativity of the videos and discussion. I do not believe it is right that one has to limit themselves to dressing and acting as their own heritage. I think that these specific videos have blown issue of cultural appropriation out of proportion, and the elements it entails have become too broad. Especially in the fashion industry, the designers are clearly not attempting to shame the other cultures, but instead are appreciating them as they are inspired by the works. It should not be “wrong” for a person to wear their hair a certain way if that is what they like. It is important for cultures to progress rather than remain stagnant, and that progression is possible by means of sharing cultural elements and building upon one another’s ideas and customs.