Cultural Appropriation

Cultural appropriation is when elements of a culture are adapted by a different cultural group to the point where the elements of that culture are claimed by the foreign cultural group. Culture appropriation mainly occurs in areas like music, food and clothing.
Cultural appropriation in clothing is has always been a controversial topic. What is the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation? Where is the common ground for the reconciliation of two cultures?
Âpihtawikosisân, author of the article “An Open Letter to Non-Natives in Headdresses,” goes over the fine line between appropriation and appreciation. Using the Native American Headdress as her primary example, she states that knowing the culture and history behind a traditional article of clothing will help lessen instances of cultural appropriation. She classifies the headdress as a restricted item because traditionally, the headdress is worn mainly by men in the community that have earned it; a non-Native man or woman wearing it without having earned it is where she draws the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. She goes on to further explain clothing articles in her culture that can be acceptably worn; such items include: flags, most clothing, and food. Âpihtawikosisân also went further to say that wearing an unrestricted symbol or item in the Native American culture would be more acceptable if it is sold and crafted by First Nations people.

The author of “Culture is Not Costume: Why Non-Africans Should Not Wear African Clothing,” also shares her frustration with the appropriation of African print. She notes that clothes that are seen as exotic and trendy only for a season are clothes that her people have always worn. She speaks about the rich African heritage and diversity behind many of the tribal clothes, and feels like putting them all in a label of “tribal” or “ethnic” clothes, ruins the traditional unique values behind the articles of clothing.

The topic of culture appropriation being discussed in the viewpoint of Aboriginal and African women shows that culture appropriation is more than just buying a design from another culture, but it shows the effects it has on the people of that culture and it also shows the ways it effects that culture.

Many people argue that although minorities always complain about culture appropriation, they too participate in it when they partake in aspects of European culture. The difference between cultural appropriation and cultural assimilation is the center of many debates.

Cultural assimilation is “where a minority ethnic group loses traditional cultural elements while gaining cultural elements from the ethnic majority over time, often for personal, economic, and political reasons.” People who are culturally assimilated do not go out of their way to borrow aspects from other cultures, but are so enveloped in the dominant culture that it takes over their original culture. Cultural assimilation can also be the only way minorities can prosper in society. Black women with natural hair can be used as an example of this. It is against many work place dress codes for women to wear their natural hair because it is deemed as wild and unprofessional. Many school students have been suspended because they refuse to alter their hair from its natural state. Assimilation is the only way they can be accepted in society.
Cultural appropriation is a touchy topic that really has no straight forward answer because each case and culture is treated differently. As mentioned earlier, knowledge about a culture is what is needed in order to stop cultural appropriation. When one is aware of the meanings of certain cultural pieces are, they would know whether it is okay to engage in that aspect of the culture.

-noname

Footnotes

[1] Nittle, Nadra. “What Is Cultural Appropriation and Why Is It Wrong?” About News. About. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. <http://racerelations.about.com/od/diversitymatters/fl/What-Is-Cultural-Appropriation-and-Why-Is-It-Wrong.htm&gt;.

[2] “An Open Letter to Non-Natives in Headdresses.” Pihtawikosisn. 10 Feb. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. <http://apihtawikosisan.com/hall-of-shame/an-open-letter-to-non-natives-in-headdresses/&gt;.

[3] Okona, Nneka M. “Culture Is Not Costume: Why Non-Africans Should Not Wear African Clothing.” Culture Is Not Costume: Why Non-Africans Should Not Wear African Clothing. Mycoloures, 28 Oct. 2014. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. <http://www.mycoloures.com/2014/10/culture-is-not-costume-why-non-africans.html&gt;.

[4] Callahan, Kat. “Why Assimilation Is Not Appropriation.” Groupthink. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. <http://groupthink.jezebel.com/why-assimilation-is-not-appropriation-1062057775&gt;.