Cultural Appropriation or Cultural Appreciation?
White Dominance Over Other Cultures
During the 19th century, a form of entertainment known as Black Face Minstrelsy emerged. Black Face Minstrelsy was a show in which white men painted their face black and gave a show in which they acted like a black person. This was supposed to be a comedy show to entertain white people. After painting their faces black, the white men would act as if they were stupid and did not have any sense. In the white community’s eyes, these comedians were borrowing black culture and representing it simply to provide entertainment. Clearly, the fact that they would make themselves look black and act as if they were stupid meant that they were making fun of the black community and depicting them as being inferior as well as lacking mental capabilities. Because of this, it is clear that black face minstrelsy was not an act of cultural appreciation towards African American culture, but rather cultural appropriation.
Cultural appropriation is an act of war because it is used to assert dominance over another group. The way in which white men used black face minstrelsy directly represents the way in which whites were proving their superiority over blacks. Although this was an 19th century occurrence, we still see many forms of cultural appropriation today.
It is not uncommon in today’s day for one to see certain cultures being borrowed from people who do not identify with that culture themselves. Cultural representations that were once seen as taboo are not borrowed by outsiders.
For example, ethnic hair was once seen as a representation of being tainted with blackness. Braids and cornrows, along with all other representations of black culture, used to be seen only on people of color. In today’s culture, we see representations of blackness with white people or people of other cultures and ethnicities. The issue with culture borrowing is that when the dominant culture embraces other cultures, it is OK for them to do so. While on the other hand, when a member of that culture embraces their own culture, they are judged by others and those cultural representations are seen as a symbol of being an outsider. The image above shows a visual depiction of this occurrence. The image shows two white girls with ethnic braids and they use it as a fashion style. This brings up the issue of cultural appropriation.
We can see how celebrities engage in this borrowing of culture and get away with it. For example, some celebrities (and non-celebrities) wear cornrows and hijabs and it portrays a different meaning than when the people of that culture wear them. When people not of color wear hijabs or cornrows, they do so to be fashionable. It’s an accessory to their physical appearance and does not have any symbolic meaning for them. On the left we see a picture of Kim Kardashian wearing a hijab. For her, this has as much meaning as wearing a scarf or a hat. She could go to any public place and not be discriminated against for wearing this hijab. She could go to an airport and not even be considered for inspection. However, if a Muslim wore this same article of clothing, the meaning would suddenly change and the person wearing it will likely be discriminated against as well as subject to inspection at an airport.
Cultural appropriation takes on many forms and does not only entail borrowing of hair and clothing. A rising theme in today’s society is something that Bell Hooks refers to as “Eating the Other”. “Eating the Other” refers to the process of acquiring culture through sex. This idea states that people try to get a taste of other cultures by sleeping with someone from a different cultural group. For example, it is not uncommon to see white men dating Asian or Latina women. This interracial dating is a way for white men to get a taste of something new and exotic. It is a way for them to dominate a different culture. Just like one could take off a hijab and the meaning attached to it, one could also sleep with a member of a different culture and then be done with them after. Through this, it is like enjoying a meal from a different culture.
Some people believe that borrowing culture is simply appreciating other cultures. However, when white women and men borrow other cultures, they further assert that they are the dominant group in society and they also prove that they have a unique freedom to take over any culture they wish to. Furthermore, if this borrowing of culture was cultural appreciation then it would mean that the culture they were borrowing from would also be respected. Which, as we often see, is not the case. Although black culture has been widely borrowed, white people still discriminate against it. Some white people wear hijabs as a sense of fashion but still do not respect its meaning or culture of the people who wear hijabs. Therefore, when white people borrow other cultures it only proves their dominance and shows that they engage in cultural appropriation (not appreciation) and therefore, in an act of war.
