Cultural Appropriation in the United States

By: Sneha Subramani

The United States of America is filled with many citizens and residents that come from different backgrounds, all around the world. The culture among the immigrants in the United States is very rich and bountiful. However, with so many different backgrounds cultural appropriation can be very common. The textbook definition for cultural appropriation is “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one person or society by members of another and typically more dominant person or society.” What does this mean? And how does cultural appropriation present itself? The answers to these questions are not as black and white as you may think.

In simpler terms, cultural appropriation is the taking of traditions that may hold significance to other cultures, for your gain. This is more common than most people would think. Companies selling clothing with Hindu symbols to gain profit, non-Black Americans wearing cornrows, Causcasian teenagers wearing traditional Kimonos to their prom to be “cool” are all examples of offensive cultural appropriation.

What people fail to understand is that these traditions are not “trends.” They are a part of the culture and rich heritage that over time, have faced some type of oppression. Cornrows are not “just a hairstyle” and never were. In the 1800’s when slavery was admist in America, cornrows were a way for slaves who were stripped of their identity to retain their African culture with their new American culture they were forced into. This was the first trace of the merged African-American culture that had faced a treacherous and horrifying past, so how are you able to say it is “just a hairstyle?” Indian and Hindu symbols are constantly used as a way to attain profit. The sacred Om symbol, which symbolizes reality, is slapped on t-shirts because “it looks cool” but, again, people do not realize that is a part of our culture that was passed down generations to us. It is not “aesthetic” to gain a profit off of. Kimonos are a part of traditional Japanese culture that has been a part of generations. They distinguish wealth and beauty between Japanese women; not a prop that should be imitated and mocked.

But what draws the line between cultural appropriation and appreciation? That is a very complicated answer that may look different among different people. Personally, as an Indian American, who grew up in America, struggling to accept my culture was a daily struggle. I was ashamed to be different from my peers and was constantly made fun of for my heritage. Therefore, seeing someone using my culture, which I fought hard to accept, as a way to get money or picking and choosing what to love and what to ridicule is disheartening and frankly, disgusting. You do not get to pick and choose from cultures. You have to educate yourself and realize that these cultures are sacred and hold meaning to others.

I talked to young teens around Madison, Alabama, a suburb of Huntsville, to see what they constitute as cultural appropriation and appreciation. 16-year-old Vietnamese-American Sophia Le said she finds it disrespectful when people take traditional Vietnamese clothing and wear it as a trend. “I see people wearing a sort-of spin off of a traditional Vietnamse gown I wear for Vietnamse New Year and it’s honestly disheartening. They sexualize the gown and wear it thinking it’s a fashion statement. But it’s not. It’s my culture that they know nothing about. That is cultural appropriation. If they really wanted to appreciate my culture, they could come to me to learn more about it, research it, or even wear the gown in the way they are supposed too. That would be cultural appreciation.” 15-year-old African American Makenna Barnett does not mind when people of other races wear hairstyles or styles in general. “To me, it’s not that big of a deal. However itt bothers me when I get called ghetto for wearing braids or my natural hair, but people of other races wear their hair the same way they get praised.”

“Cultural appropriation and appreciation exist on a fine line. I think one of the most important differentiating factors is respect. When one appropriates, they disregard the historical or cultural context. They assume an important aspect of a culture and trivialize it or use it for monetary gain.” Quincy Bowie, a 16-year-old African American says, “Appreciation starts with understanding. Those who understand and respect other cultures, have the necessary context and empathy to deter them from appropriation.”

I also talked to Connor Douglass, a 15-year-old who is an affluent member of the Christian community here in Madison. When asked if wearing a cross without recognizing the significance and cultural history is disrespectful, he replied with “Although most Christians may not agree with me, personally, I don’t get offended because yes, it is very important to me, but I don't see it as part of my culture. Christians have been oppressed but not in recent years and if anything, Christians are actually privileged for many reasons. You can’t appropriate ‘white culture’ because it doesn’t exist and white people have never been oppressed or ridiculed for their ‘culture’.”

Although people may have different views on what counts as cultural appropriation and appreciation, one thing remains the same: the Culture of any race/ethnicity should be treated with the utmost respect. Minorities who come to America often get prosecuted or flee from their homes just to protect their culture. It is not a trend or a way to be seen as “cool” it is the livelihood of people.

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