Cultural appropriation vs. Misappropriation vs. Ignorance

Post Reply New Topic

I have long hair which I haven't brushed much recently except for with my fingers and the strands are clumping into....prepare yourself, dreadlocks.

Yes, dreadlocks are forming naturally on my predominantly caucasian head, and as I looked in the mirror today, I started to wonder how many people would feel offended if I walked out of the house like this.

There is a such thing as cultural misappropriatiin. Cultural misappropriation is when an often, but not always, sacred aspect of one culture, is adopted and misused by another culture. For example, when clothing designers printed sacred polynesian tattoos on stretch pants and used them as a fashion statement, that was cultural misappropriation because those tattoos were specific to a particular culture and used in a way in which they were stripped of their meaning.

The insult of cultural misappropriation is often compounded when the culture being misappropriated from is a culture that has been subjected to oppression or exploitation and the culture doing the misappropriating is the one that was the oppressor and exploiter, for example, the wide spread misappropriation and misrepresentation of native American people and cultural aspects by the mainstream American public...powows and invented dances with no actual meaning, Indian Maidens, and the misuse of ceremonial head dresses.

This differs from appropriation, which is the adoption of elements of other cultures that are not sacred or are used in their intended ways. For example, if saris were to catch on as regular clothing in the U.S. or Japan or Zimbabwe. Or the widespread adoption of blue jeans, t shirts and tennis shoes. The wide spread adoption of coffee and tea. These things have been appropriated to such an extent that they are no longer specific to or strongly identified with their culture of origin.

Then there is partaking in or honoring a culture. This is what white Rastafarians do, non Indian siddhus do, converts to Ashkenazi hasidic Judaism do, and non Asian Buddhist monks do.

And then there is just waking up in the morning and not brushing your hair and people being offended by it because they didn't know that straight hair can dreadlock itself naturally.

Long ago I went on a school trip with a girl who was model beautiful, and had a thicker texture to her hair. While we were on the trip, she stopped brushing her hair and it naturally dreaded. It looked simply beautiful. She was a white person with blonde hair, so the effect was striking, especially since her face was so perfect. In fact, she looked a lot like the actress who played Seven Of Nine.

Since you mention tattoos, there is actually protocol in where and what you have tattooed, even in America. You are supposed to start your tattoos in certain places, such as your biceps. Places that cannot be hid, such as your hands and neck, should only be done when you run out of space. It’s a big decision to get those places tattooed, and it’s supposed to be reserved for people who have decided to openly represent tattoo culture-such as an artist.

It mildly irritates me that young people are starting with their lower arms, necks, and hands. Also that teenagers are stretching their ears. These are breaches in protocol. It’s like jumping to the end without paying your dues.

That being said, I don’t revel in being offended, so I just focus my attention on other things. What other people do isn’t my business.

If we don't have "cultural appropriation," we don't gain knowledge.....that's it!