The Differences Between Cultural Appropriation, Appreciation and Assimilation
The Kardashians have on multiple occasions wore cornrows in their hair, deciding instead to call them ‘boxer braids’ or ‘Bo Derek braids’ after the [white] actress who wore them for the movie ‘10’. There are market stalls and storefronts that stock as many tie-dye dresses as Native American headdresses. Selena Gomez performed ‘Come & Get It’ at the 2013 MTV awards with a red dress on and a red bindi on her forehead. I could name numerous people I’ve seen wear Ankara to festivals in the same way you would iridescent fabric. Nicki Minaj has an Asian alter-ego named 'Chun-Li'. I could go on and on, but I won’t because I don’t want this to be about naming and shaming. The point I’m making is that appropriation is common. It's also complex. Before I continue, I want to take a moment to say cancelling every offender takes away a learning opportunity and may do more harm than good in the long run. Don’t get me wrong, some people NEED to be cancelled but it shouldn't be our response in every situation because there is the possibility that you or I could naively make that same mistake.
cultural appropriation [kuhl-cher-uhl uh-proh-pree-ey-shuhn] | noun
‘the adoption or co-opting, usually without acknowledgement, of cultural identity markers associated with or origination in minority community by people or communities with a relatively privileged status.’
The globalisation of our society has meant that there are many aspects of 'western culture' that have roots in other cultures for example jeans, tea, espresso, espadrilles and so on. All these elements were at some point "appropriated" from their culture of origin and normalised into western culture. So technically we could argue that appropriation [or what is sometimes translated as appropriation] can be a positive and enriching thing. However, any time we actively participate in another culture's customs, we must remain respectful and sensitive. I don't want to live in a world where the only cultural inspiration I'm allowed is my own, so as people living in culturally diverse environments, I think it's vital that we learn to navigate this uncharted territory with grace and humility. Especially because it's almost guaranteed that we're going to make many mistakes. I'm not starting this conversation, only taking a moment to recap the points that have already been made and to provide a place from which we can continue it. Each of us has our own understanding of what the appropriation of our cultures looks like, but we have blind spots when it comes to everything else. Don't let my voice be the only one you listen to and don't let your own voice be the only one you listen to.
Many years ago, I helped my little sister make a Hawaiian costume out of a [plastic] grass skirt and a dollar store rainbow lei for her school’s cultural day. Not my proudest moment and it serves as evidence that I can be problematic, but I think this moment provided an important learning opportunity for both of us. What I didn’t know as a 12-year-old was that the lei is a centuries-old cultural symbol of social status and class, encompassing feelings of respect, love, welcoming and appreciation. At traditional ceremonies, the newlyweds exchange leis to symbolise their love and the significance of their new commitment. The 'lei' we bought was meaningless, cheap in every sense of the word and had no purpose other than being an accessory to the 'costume' we were making.
Cultural appropriation not only oversimplifies important aspects of culture, it can also help perpetuate the harmful stereotypes associated with that culture. For instance, dreadlocks have come to be regarded as dirty, matted and unclean but somehow these comments only apply when black people wear them. At the 2015 Oscars Zendaya sported some beautiful faux locs, in her own words " to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of colour that our hair is good enough." Regarding this look, a Fashion Police host commented “I feel that she smells like patchouli oil . . . or weed. Yeah, maybe weed.” That same year, Kylie Jenner graced the cover of Teen Vogue with long black faux loc extensions, and that look was praised for its ‘edginess’ and 'urban elegance'. The thing about the appropriation of black culture is not just that the meaning behind these hairstyles is completely ignored, it’s that black people receive backlash and criticism whilst non-people-of-colour are given credit for being 'edgy'. Society seems to love elements of black culture and not black people themselves so much that there is an increasing number of white influencers/ celebrities who 'blackfish' as a way of securing their popularity or because they see the culture as nothing more than an aesthetic. One example is Swedish Emma Hallberg, shown in this post’s cover photo.
blackfishing [blak-fi-shing] | noun
‘shares a similar meaning to catfish - it refers to someone who uses things like hairstyling and makeup to create and enhance certain features to make it appear as if they have black heritage or are racially ambiguous’
I know that being black is about more than hairstyles or speaking in ebonics but I’m sick and tired of seeing people care more about adopting these elements for their own amusement without any thought or regard to the wellbeing of the guardians of that culture. A lot of 'blackfishers' get hair extensions, lip fillers and extreme fake tans, these elements working together to cement their racial ambiguity so they can achieve that ‘mixed black girl’ look. I would love for people to be able to engage with other cultures on more than an aesthetic level – my impression of many of these ‘blackfishers’ is that their interest starts and stops with the melanin and curl pattern. I've used black culture as an example here but this goes for all cultures. Along that same train of thought is this statement from Nicki Minaj - ‘‘Come on, you can’t want the good without the bad, If you want to enjoy our culture and our lifestyle, bond with us, dance with us, have fun with us, twerk with us, rap with us, then you should also want to know what affects us, what is bothering us, what we feel is unfair to us. You shouldn’t not want to know that.’’ Whilst this comment was directed at Miley Cyrus, these words apply to all of us.
The Kardashian-Jenners may be the most notable perpetrators. They have close black friends, black partners and black children, and like so many in similar situations, they think that absolves them from committing appropriation. My problem is not that they want to participate in black culture, I think as the parents of black children they should participate in it, but they seem to do so in a way that negates the significance of those cultural elements. Having black children doesn't mean you're allowed to appropriate elements of their culture for your own amusement and having black friends doesn't mean you can say n****. Appropriation is not black or white - there's a lot more grey than I think I first realised. For instance, I read about a Caucasian mother who wore box braids to help her black daughter see the beauty in her own box braids. Whilst this may look the same as appropriation, her intention and the way she approached the situation prove that it was more an act of cultural appreciation. In the same way, donning the cultural dress of the nation you're visiting respectfully is an important part of engaging in cultural appreciation, though some may call it appropriation without reviewing the context.
Now, appropriation is in the hands of the beholder, meaning it’s not up to you to decide if what you are doing is offensive to another culture. Additionally, differences in opinion mean that not all members of a culture will agree on whether something is offensive to their culture. The way forward in situations like these is not crystal clear, but I think caution should always be exercised and that listening only to the side that justifies your actions isn’t helpful. For instance, a *white* Salt Lake City teen wore a traditional Chinese garment to her prom in 2018. She received a lot of backlash from many Asian Americans – with one saying that for the culture to be “subject to American consumerism and cater to a white audience, is parallel to colonial ideology.” Contrarily, the majority of Chinese nationals reacted very positively to the teen's choice of prom dress, regarding it a victory for their culture. Having read comments from both sides, I was exposed to a lot more of that grey area. Though I still believe that this was appropriation [though that's not my call to make], this is a perfect example of how people can read the same situation very differently. The line between appropriation and appreciation can sometimes be very thin but both sides present an opportunity to have important conversations and to learn something.
cultural appreciation [kuhl-cher-uhl uh-pree-shee-ey-shuhn] | noun
‘taking the time out to learn about different cultures and their traditions. to become more open in understanding the truths about a culture and embracing them in a respectful manner.’
Like most, this definition is not all-encompassing but it sums up the idea nicely. Appropriation is the co-opting of culturally significant details by those not brought up in that cultural context. Appreciation, on the other hand, is characterised by a willingness to learn and a desire to admire other cultures. Sometimes we appropriate in a bid to show our appreciation, or just out of ignorance – I don’t mean to say it’s inevitable, but mistakes like these are easy to make. So, before you get those braids, or put on that sari – it’s important to reflect on whether you’re trying to appreciate that culture, or if you might be guilty of appropriation. The travel website Passion Passport has several guiding questions they recommend people ask themselves before participating in another community’s culture:
Do I understand the significance of this attire/ tradition/ custom?
Am I honouring this culture, or simply imitating it?
Will my participation result in a cultural exchange, or will it perpetuate stereotypes and hurt people who belong to this culture?
Am I doing this as a personal opportunity to interact with and experience another culture, or am I doing this for the photo I’ll post on Instagram later?
If your defence for your appropriation (or the appropriation by others) is pointing the finger elsewhere, that doesn’t absolve you of your responsibilities and depending on who you’re pointing the finger at, it could be very misled. In 2016, fashion designer Marc Jacobs came under fire for appropriating black hairstyles during his New York Fashion Week runway show - a show which included hardly any black moders by the way. When called out for his appropriation he retorted, “All who cry ‘cultural appropriation’ or whatever nonsense about any race or skin colour wearing their hair in any particular style or manner — funny how you don’t criticize women of colour for straightening their hair. I respect and am inspired by people and how they look. I don’t see colour or race — I see people.” He’s not the only one who’s made this argument and he won’t be the last but the phenomena he’s describing is not the same as cultural appropriation, it’s actually cultural assimilation.
cultural assimilation [kəlch-rəl ə-ˌsi-mə-ˈlā-shən] | noun
‘when a minority group takes on traits of the dominant group as a means of survival’
Having set out to define some terms and outline some boundaries, I’m a little surprised that writing this article has shown me just how much grey area there is when it comes to the subject of cultural appropriation. I’m not at all here to tell you what you can and can’t do in regards to participating in cultures that are not your own but I hope to encourage you to be aware of your intentions as well as how your actions may be received whenever you act on inspiration from a culture that is not your own. These are things we can all do to become more culturally aware, mindful and compassionate global citizens.
The Sources :
*all definitions from dictionary.com and the urban dictionary
** cover image from reddit
New York Times | The Many Messages of the Lei
Passion Passport | The Difference Between Cultural Appropriation and Cultural Appreciation
The Washington Post | Zendaya blasts ‘Fashion Police’ host Giuliana Rancic’s ‘ignorant’ red carpet diss
Femestella | No, It's Not 'Just Hair': Why We Need Laws to Protect Us Against Black Hair Discrimination
The Sheaf | More than a night of harmless fun: Hawaiian cultural appropriation
The Scotsman | What is blackfishing? Meaning of the term explained as Rita Ora accused of taking advantage of fans thinking she’s black
W24 South Africa | A quick timeline of Kim Kardashian's cultural appropriation antics
The New York Times | Teenager’s Prom Dress Stirs Furor in U.S. — but Not in China
The Atlantic | The Dos and Don’ts of Cultural Appropriation
