Indulging In A Culture…The Right Way
LOMÉ Inc. is on the verge of establishing the first West African Cafe and co-working space in NYC. We value and appreciate the African Experience and want to share a part of it with you! Appreciating a culture that is different from your own is very simple; all it involves is open-mindedness and respect. With the rise of social media and new trends we seem to be on the cusp of a cultural awakening. People have begun to increasingly use the culture of others in order to show their appreciation for human difference. However, when does this appreciation begin to cross over into the territory of appropriation?
We see celebrities like Kylie Jenner sporting “Boxer Braids” (corn-rows) while celebrities of color like Zendaya are scrutinized in the media for wearing faux locs, everyday people dressing up in various cultural attire for Halloween, and reaction videos as people try ethnic foods that often result in ignorant comments about a specific culture. There is nothing wrong with wanting to learn about a culture, but it is important to recognize when one has gone from respecting something to disrespecting it. So here is a brief “how-to” on not appropriating a culture that does not belong to you:
- Don’t encourage or take part in the appropriation of indigenous designs: The fashion industry is notorious for incorporating designs from various cultures without crediting where that inspiration comes from.Try frequenting retail stores and designers who do not take the credit for designs that did not originate with them but who give credit back to the communities in which they come from; or better yet, try frequenting retailers and designers who are of the communities that these designs come from. Also it never hurts to educate yourself on the significance of the attire you choose to wear if it comes from another culture…don’t just wear it because it’s “trending”…or for Halloween.
- “I tried it and it wasn’t for me”: There is no doubt that everyone has their own taste for the food they eat and there is nothing wrong with not liking the different kinds of food you may try. However, it is never okay to disrespect an entire culture simply because you happened to not like a particular dish.
- “Corn-rows, Locs and Afro’s OH MY!”: Nowadays, there are countless tutorials on how to achieve certain hairstyles. But it shouldn’t be so hard to believe that certain styles are off limits! Too often people of color who choose loc their hair, wear it naturally or in corn-rows are thrown straight into stereotypes and are even told we look dirty or unprofessional. Yet people who are not of color are constantly praised and beautified in media for achieving styles that originate from people of color. Even if a style is “trending” people of color are still subjected to the same snarky comments about our culture and stereotypes of our person-hood.
In summation, cultural appropriation is disrespectful. Too often people become willfully ignorant when they begin to appropriate because they don’t want to be told that they shouldn’t do something. The last tip I have for you is to speak up when you see appropriation happening; it isn’t always productive to turn the other cheek.
