Definition Essay: What Is Cultural Appropriation?

It is a term that has dominated the media; from Halloween costumes to NFL mascots, headlines across the nation blare the words: “cultural appropriation.” Yet, many still are not quite sure what the term means. To put it simply, cultural appropriation is the exploitation of a culture that is not one’s own.

The use of the Kimono as fashion is seen by many as cultural appropriation too. In March of 2017, the magazine “Vogue” had a photography session titled “Geisha Photoshop.” They used the model Karlie Kloss, to wear the kimono, hairstyle, and makeup as a Geisha. This session was labeled as “racist” and “yellowface” shoot by the critics. The magazine thought they were celebrating diversity by dressing the models in the Japanese outfit, but the reaction was the opposite. People didn’t think that the “Geisha Photoshop” was a cultural appreciation but cultural appropriation (Wang,

Racial and cultural appropriation has become increasingly significant in society within the past 30 years. “The idea of “cultural appropriation” has recently entered mainstream

Cultural appropriation is not seen exclusively in dance but rather a multitude of pop culture. For example in fashion. Fashion is a huge part of today's culture, and many designers created their clothing through the inspiration of other objects and or culture. Appropriation begins to

In Western culture, people seldom realize the amount of cultural appropriation that occurs around them. Westerners are blinded by cultural mockery and cultural appropriation without realizing its offensive effects to minority groups. During the Halloween holiday, in Western culture, people of all ages dress up in a variety of costumes such as horror themed, fairy tale themed, job themed, cultural themed and much more. Harvard University members have argued that a cultural themed costume is a form of cultural appropriation. Also in Western culture, in the music industry, white artists have utilized and exploited aspects from minority cultures to boost their fame. Costumes, props, ideas, music, and others considered as cultural appropriation is often overlooked but it is apparent when closely examined.

As our country evolves with different cultures from around the world, people are unaware of the fine-line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. So, what is cultural appropriation? Cultural appropriation is when members of a dominate culture, mainly white, borrow from the cultures of minority groups without their input. While there are many people who feel disrespected by others using their culture, there are still people who appreciate and value ones culture.

According to Oxford Dictionary, cultural appropriation is defined as the inappropriate adoption of the customs of one people by members of a more dominant people. This can be especially dangerous due to the distortion and disconnection of a culture’s custom from its roots. However, at the same time, cultural appropriation can lead to cultural exchange which is beneficial to the overall development of the world because different cultural groups can connect to others through cultural similarities. An example of this is when former President Barack Obama, in 2016, held the first ever Diwali celebration in the White House. Although this was an attempt for America to appropriate Indian culture, at no point did I feel offended or mocked. As an American Indian, this made me garner a feeling of great pride for both my country (USA) and for my ethnic background. Therefore, cultural exchange/appreciation is the act of sharing cultural practices between different groups of people. Nonetheless, there is a fine line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. The issue of this boundary can be explored in the rap industry which is dealing with an influx of multicultural attention. Rap, historically, was an artform founded and pioneered by the African American community. Recently, there has been a surge in the participation of whites in rap. Robert Clift's 2010 documentary, Blacking Up, investigates the issues of cultural exchange and appropriation in the hip hop

In America, cultural appropriation has been a prominent topic in the media. From the afro in the 70’s and perms in the 80’s, some ethnic groups see some ethnic groups culture fashionable and “aesthetic.” Though not intended, those specific groups (mostly African American and Native American cultures) see this as a form of mockery and feel discredited when someone with power in the media takes a certain style and profits. I believe that if you take a specific item out of it’s original context it is cultural appropriation by using certain items in the media as everyday

Cultural appropriation is a huge topic, within today’s society, many question what is cultural appropriation and what is not. The definition of cultural appropriation is, “....the use of ideas, symbols, artifacts, images, objects, etc., derived from contact between different cultures. It often implies a negative view towards the minority culture by the dominant one and is often culturally insensitive”(Biron). Examples of cultural appropriation would be portraying a culture through stereotypical depictions of them or wearing a culture as a ‘trend’. Another example would be wearing a headdress to portray a Native American or wearing a sombrero and a poncho to depict a Mexican. Just those words sound degrading and racist each of these ethnicities. Many think it is socially acceptable to be insensitive to a culture, because they classify the appropriation as them appreciating the culture. Cultural appropriation shows only the stereotypical view of culture and has no regards to the actual culture. Many look at the cultures as inspiration for ideas, but that does not mean to steal the ideas completely. Cultural appropriation is not only insensitive, but also racist. Blackface, for example, was used to portray an African American by painting the face of an non-black actor black. The NFL team Redskins uses an offensive and racist word to label their team; their mascot is a “Native American” wearing headdress. First and foremost, not all Native American cultures wear headdresses, these depictions of Native culture show natives as all the same. Minorities have faced appropriation for decades, but why did this problem only recently come about?

Cultural appropriation defines as someone from one culture taking or borrowing aspects of another culture that is not their own. “Appropriation occurs when a style leads to the racial [assumptions and] generalizations…where it [may have stemmed from], but is deemed as high-fashion, cool, or funny when the privileged take it for themselves” (Stenburg). In spite of the slight confusion, cultural appropriation is far more than the idea of pizza merging from Italian immigrants, and eventually becoming a food many people label as American. Cultural appropriation does differ from cultural appropriation, there is a fine line between the two, but nonetheless, they are two different things.

What is cultural appropriation? It’s a term that has been used a lot in the past few years but also not enough. It’s lack of usage in everyday conversation leads to many misconceptions about what it really means. When you hear those words, you may think of angry social justice warriors who want to tell you want you can and cannot do. And while you have the right to do what you want, those “SJWs” have every right to be angry about appropriation. Though you may think we’re being “too sensitive” about what classifies as appropriation, it’s important that you know why we’re so upset over it. So, what is cultural appropriation?

1. Amandla Stenberg defines cultural appropriation as a rampant phenomenon, which it occurs when the appropriator does not have a deep understanding of the significance of a certain culture. Then use this culture as a part of their artworks. 2. The widespread appropriation of hip hop culture rises the movement called “Black Lives Matter”, which is an institutional racism, when the time the police department as an institution brutality against black people.

The term appropriationism reflects the overproduction of reproductions by copying, imitating, repeating, quoting, and adapting pre-existing names, concepts and forms. Often this becomes unavoidable when multiple cultures come together, cultural appropriation can include using other cultures traditions, fashion, symbols, language, and cultural images without permission. For example - a well-known appropriation artist Richard Prince, altered and incorporated a number of Carious photographs into a series of paintings and collages titled Canal Zone, which Prince exhibited in 2008 at New Yorks Gagosian

Cultural appropriation is, ‘the ridiculous notion that being of a different culture or race (especially white) means that you are not allowed to adopt things from other cultures” (urban dictionary). A majority of whites feel this way but that is because they do not have a full understanding of the topic. Cultural appropriation is the adoption or use of the elements of one culture by members of another culture, however cultural appropriation typically involves members of a dominant group exploiting the culture of less privileged groups and usually with little understanding of the history. The united states is made up of hundreds of different ethnicities and some cultural groups rub off on

Americans interact with cultures every day. For example, as a young boy goes shopping with his mother at the mall, he becomes intrigued by a decorative blanket in one of the store windows. Its creative designs and unique patterns, he’s never seen before. When he asks his mother about the blanket, she explains to him that it is Native-American and that all of the tribal art has significance to their culture. This and many other interactions with culture can be described as cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is the taking of aspects of a marginalized culture for one’s benefit without offering recognition to the culture. This is a controversial topic for society, and people have various opinions on the issue. However, if people in the United States accurately portray and offer recognition to cultures from which they are borrowing, cultural appropriation can significantly benefit society.