Holy Slippery Slope, Batman!

And so what if white people do want to wear dragons and chopsticks? Here’s a picture of me, wearing what I usually wear — western clothes.

(Disclaimer: This is all strictly personal (ie limited) opinion, which is constantly changing, as I encounter new information.)

I’ve thought this before, but then my mind conjures the argument that Western appropriation by other cultures is a means of survival and not vanity. The old argument that only those who are privileged with power (a broad, flexible term when you actually try to break it down) can be racist. And for the most part, I agree with that sentiment.

And yet.

To see the world through that one scope is cynical at best and downright destructive at worst, because we (humanity) have gained so much by looking beyond our own perspectives for insight.

Perhaps it comes down to give vs. take. For example: colors! We take those for granted, being able to have goods in every color imaginable. But, a century ago, that was not possible, as our capabilities to produce pigments cheaply were severely limited. Such as shades of violet, that color would still be limited to only the rich in the West were it not for a chemist synthesizing ‘Prussian Blue’ from the indigo plant, found in India, who had been producing thousands of pigments since well before the 5th Century. However, that also came with exploitation of the indigo/henna/amla farmers ground under imperialist heels.

Or the Samurai class learning the superior mounted archery style of the Emishi people, who resisted their rule in the Nara Period.

We all know the Emishi, from that one movie.

This list could get much, much, much longer.

Giving and taking.

All of the best stories that take place in the future tend to feature a blend of all cultures and languages, viewed as equal in value. This isn’t fantasy or fiction, this is the future, this is the present, this is the past.

Growth and evolution don’t happen in a vacuum. Every smart society knows that it must borrow and adapt from others to survive. This is nothing new. The only difference (that I can see) being is that some societies are only just now realizing that they can do this without being murderous, conquering motherfucks about it. That if they wish to borrow and appropriate, they must respect that culture and give something of equal value in return.

(But for real though, if someone’s only goal for the day is to listen to music, get drunk, and suffer heatstroke, then they should probably pass on the war bonnet/bindi in favor of something more practical?)

PS
Kinda sorta related, and way funnier than I am.