Appropriation vs. Appreciation
cul·tur·al ap·pro·pri·a·tion
1. the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.
cul·tur·al ap·pre·ci·a·tion
1. Cultural appreciation is when you earnestly seek to learn about or explore a different culture. You learn. You listen. You strive to understand. You seek to honor its beliefs and traditions.
Is borrowing someone’s culture wrong? Is cherry-picking someone’s authentic background fundamentally faulted? These are the dilemmas we are faced with when we investigate the concept of cultural appropriation and appreciation. In theory, there is a distinct line drawn between appreciation and appropriation, one between respecting another’s culture and stealing and mocking another’s. Nowadays, that line is becoming more and more blurred.
The History Of It All
The global cultural hodgepodge that encompasses the world’s customs, cuisines, and traditions are purely a product of borrowing other cultures. Through global trading networks like the silk road, merchants brought foreign products back to their homeland, and customers would buy these products, slowly these goods became distinctive parts of their cultures. Meaning that all cultures and cuisines are gifted and borrowed in some way or another. Take Vietnam for example, due to colonialism, the Europeans introduced bread into the Vietnamese diet, this bread quickly rose in popularity and is now part of one the most distinctively Vietnamese dishes: Banh Mi (a baguette sandwich with savory fillings). From India, comes traditions of henna (a dye based tattoo), and paisley designs, now present in every local department store in America. Black culture is responsible for urban street style as we know it today and hip hop as a genre of music.
Thanks to cultural appropriation, we have Italian pizza in our bodegas, Japanese denim in vintage consignment stores, German S.U.V.s in our garages, Gregorian calendars hanging on refrigerators, and even the Greek democratic political system in our own government.. The world we know today is a product of blatant cultural appropriation, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Yet still, we watch hundreds of celebrities and people in the public eye get dragged across the coals for shallow “transgressions” like wearing a bindi to Coachella. They’re attacked by self-proclaimed guardians of culture who live on twitter, for being a racist. This petty finger-pointing and puppy-guarding prevents cultural exchange, artistic inspiration, and the trading of styles, cuisines, and traditions, which is one many delights of being a multicultural society in the 21st century. As JENNI AVINS , a writer for The Atlantic said, “cultural appropriation—like globalization—isn’t just inevitable; it’s potentially positive. We have to stop guarding cultures and subcultures in efforts to preserve them. It’s naïve, paternalistic, and counterproductive.
So does the “appropriation” of French bread mean the Vietnamese are inherently unappreciative people? Non-Indian people constantly get henna tattoos done at their local beaches and buy paisley covered blouses, but does that mean these people are appropriating Indian culture? If a consumer wants to participate in streetstyle or listen to rap music, are they appropriating black culture?
The answer is no- in theory. The reality is, that cultural appropriation is something that must be determined on a case by case basis. So how can we walk the line between cultural appropriation and appreciation? How can we live harmoniously with borrowed cultures and at the same time be culturally sensitive? Well here are some pointers.
Don’t Belittle Sacred Artifacts Into Mere Fashion Accessories.
Karlie Kloss in Victoria’s Secret’s disrespectful “sexy Indian costume”.
Reducing sacred artifacts and deeply rooted accessories into seasonal trends is disrespectful, insensitive, and downright wrong. Take the infamous incident with Victoria’s Secret for example, they sent Karlie Kloss down the runway in a tasseled suede bikini, Navajo turquoise jewelry, and a tribal headdress. The “sexy Indian costume” enraged various audiences, and rightfully so. The outfit made a mockery of Native American traditions, clothing, and sacred artifacts. The Indian headdress she strutted down the runway in was specifically a war bonnet. A headdress was reserved for Native American war generals who had proven themselves worthy of the bonnet through various acts of bravery and leadership. One critic, journalist Simon Moya-Smith, has even said, “ This is analogous to casually wearing a Purple Heart or Medal of Honor that was not earned”
Pay homage and recognize the origins of the culture you have borrowed.
Kim Kardashian in her “Bo Derek” inspired braids. (Kardashian on the left, Derek on the right.)
When borrowing another’s culture it is of utmost importance that you directly recognize and actively appreciate the origins of the aspect of borrowed culture. Take Kim Kardashian’s incident with cornrows (which wasn’t the first time celebrities haven’t credited the black community with various hairstyles), she had her hair braided and then claimed the braids were inspired by Bo Derek, a white actress who had worn cornrows in a movie. She refrained from acknowledging that cornrows have been part of black culture since about 3000 B.C. To instead credit a white actress for the ancient hairstyle was tone-deaf and insensitive. These braids became rebranded as “boxer braids” which are actually cornrows on non-textured hair. Hundreds of “boxer braid” tutorials flooded the internet. Seeing that natural hair is such a large part of the black community, rebranding their hairstyles with a different name and hair type in order to be more “digestible” was disheartening to say the least.
The history of cornrows extends far beyond Bo Derek.
Engage with the borrowed culture in more than it’s aesthetic.
We mustn’t cherry-pick aspects of borrowed culture. If you love to enjoy various aspects of celebrated black culture, like hip-hop and street style, you must be aware of the black community’s struggles and needs. If you have henna on your hands, you must be willing to appreciate and not mock Indian culture. If you love anime, you should try to understand the meaning of it in Japanese culture. Essentially if you are willing to engage with a certain aspect of borrowed culture, you should be willing to engage in the rest of the aspects.
Olsken drew clear inspiration from the Asháninka tribe, for their spring collection.
One example of cultural appropriation done right is how Osklen, a popular Brazilian fashion wear brand, dealt with the Asháninka tribe, who was the source of inspiration for their 2016 Spring collection. According to a tribe representative, the tribe will be receiving royalties from the revenue of the collection, and the tribe will receive increased publicity and awareness for the tribe’s movement to stop illegal logging and environmental destruction. After learning about the tribe the brand’s designs were centered around animals native to the lands of the Asháninka tribe, the Amazon rainforest in which they inhabit, and the traditional dress of the tribe. Both parties got something out of the appropriation, and remained respectful in all aspects of the exchange. “Sharing values, sharing visions, sharing the economics, I think it’s the easiest way to work,” said Metsavaht (brand designer). “This is the magic of style. It’s the magic of art. It’s the magic of the design.
And it’s the magic of cultural exchange.