South Asian Culture

Cultural appropriation is something that is starting to become a very big epidemic in America’s society today. Appropriation occurs when a style or high fashion is developed from racist generalizations or stereotypes of other cultures. Many see no problem with this appropriation and some might take it as paying homage to a race, but others may see it as a sign of disrespect.

Over the course of history, South Asians have been mistreated and undermined within American society. This is especially evident after the terror attacks of 9/11 in which Americans shunned its South Asian Population, and reduced them to devastating stereotypes. This has created tension and hostility within the South Asian community, thus pressuring them to being more Americanized, and further creating a fixation towards becoming more white. The obsession with American culture has caused many to conform, leaving behind cultural and religious parts of their identities. It is necessary to explore the history behind the mistreatment of South Asians to understand why the change in identity such as those portrayed with Changez in The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Amir in Disgraced have occurred. These main characters of South Asian descent make it is clear that the American dream for immigrants creates a constant struggle between national and transnational identities as racism and hostility are being thrust upon them by American society.

Appropriation allows those people who are appropriating to remain prejudice and/or ignore the racism the black community is dealing with. Maisha

Madonna has stated her identification as a “queer” supporter, and has publically aligned herself with gay culture and politics. Many of her truest fans are a part of the lesbian, transgender, and gay community. Even amongst her more vocal support and greater understanding of the queer community, Madonna’s use of gay subculture is appropriation because of the place of power and privilege she comes from as a straight, white celebrity. Musical critic Carol Benson states that “Madonna’s individual economic and social power removes her from the conditions and struggles of subaltern groups so that her appropriation of the subcultures and stereotypes, no matter how well intentioned, can never be more than a form of subcultural tourism.” Due to her position of agency, Madonna masks the powerlessness of this subcultural group and benefits from the use of their exotic identity without having to deal with the lived reality of being queer. Additionally, Benson makes a compelling case about the effects of Madonna’s cultural appropriation. Even taking into account all the identities Madonna has worn, her celebrity is ultimately constructed as a

Cultural appropriation is the adoption or theft of icons, customs, beliefs, or styles from one culture or subculture by another. McWhorter argues,“But what began as a legitimate complaint has morphed into a handy way of being offended by something that should be taken as a compliment.”(McWhorter 1)A multitude of people may believe when there is adoption of one culture it should be seen as a compliment as well because they are appreciating the culture by imitating it into their own. “It used to be that we said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But now there is new way to see the matter: Imitation is a kind of dismissal.” But if not fully understandingthe significance of what is being adopted then to the owning culture it is seen as appropriating and not appreciating. If it was indeed appreciating, time would be taken out to fully understand what and why the culture indulges in the custom or belief and so on. Just noticing a particular act of item in a culture and putting it into your own without the proper

Cultural appropriation is disrespectful to those belonging to the minority culture. A blatant example of cultural appropriation shown in

In a recent discussion of the media, an issue has been whether Hollywood writers and directors have a social responsibility to avoid stereotyping ethnic characters. On the one hand, some argue that the Hollywood writers and directors should not have a social responsibility to avoid stereotyping ethnic characters because they make movies that their audiences enjoy, connect, and relate to. The audiences cannot make a purchase if they do not feel interested in; therefore, it is the audiences’ personal responsibility. On the other hand, however, others argue that the Hollywood writers and directors should have a social responsibility to avoid stereotyping ethnic characters. According to the article “Asian Women in Film: No Joy, No Luck” by Jessica Hagedorn, the author discusses the stereotypical portrayals of Asian women in the movie. By analyzing movies, she shows that the women are seen being as victims in so many ways, such as sexual and physical because of their gender. The reason is the Hollywood filmmakers and directors create their films in that way through stereotypes. It is true since the media plays role in the society. Therefore, the Hollywood writers and directors should have a social responsibility to avoid stereotyping ethnic character because their products have a significant influence on children, adults, and colored actors.

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

From news coverage to entertainment, the media shapes, reflects, reinforces and defines the world in which we live. In publishing, theatre, films, television and popular music-industries largely controlled by white men--Blacks continually struggle for both a voice and representation. Many scholars write about the stereotyping of Blacks in the media (Meyers, 1999; Davis, 1989). Light skinned Black women with classic European features predominate in beauty pageants, music videos, and in the world of modeling. It is with respect

The United States of America has four distinctive regions, the commercial Northeast, the rusty Midwest, the entertaining West, and most of all, the hospitable South. As a Southerner myself, I feel like the region is very unique compared to the other three regions, which they feel the same, while the South seems very special in a certain way. It might the the history behind the region, the music that comes from here, the religious subculture, the rather heavy ruralness in an rapidly advancing world, or maybe even the people here. As someone that has lived in the South all my life, I’m aware of the practices many Southerners do, the products the South creates, and the perspectives of the people here. This will focus on the inclusive features of the South, and how much that impact the region.

important characteristic in the overall makeup of the culture. Status is a key element in the success of a person in the region.

The cultural changes and continuities that were driven by political shifts that occurred in South Asia from 600 b.c.e to 600 c.e were the caste system, leaders using religion to form unity, and the widespread acceptance of dharma. Although the Caste System was always present in South Asia, it was not as active during the reign of Buddhism as it was during Hinduism’s reign. This was a result of Buddhism rejecting the Caste System entirely. Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of the belief, did not believe in the Caste System.

Art is a form of expression that lives on for centuries but changes in interpretation over time. What may be relevant in this time period may make no sense to the upcoming generations. Nina Paley’s film "Sita Sings the Blues" brings two cultures, traditions, values and time periods together to convey her message and bring relevance of her art across many cultures and generations. The Ramayana by Valmiki on the other hand is a very traditional epic which depicts the ideal of every relation, one ideal example being the wife of Rama, Sita. Idealistically, a wife in Indian culture is to stick to her husband no matter how harshly she is treated by him, she should be calm in every situation and

‘Sita Sings the Blues’ is an animation movie created by an American woman, Nina Paley. The three strands that make up the warp and woof of the narration are: the personal story of Nina Paley’s betrayal by her husband; heartfelt- blues, the sentimental songs of Annette Hanshaw; and the larger-than-life canvass of the epic Ramayana. The movie, prima facie, is the story of the Director’s failed marriage as is evident from the official tagline of the movie ‘the greatest break up story ever told’. But the overarching depiction of Sita’s plight in the Ramayana, parallel to her own, assumes great significance. The portrayal of the travails and tribulations of Sita in the movie instead of the usual glorification of Rama, lends this movie

“Assemble the monkey warriors!” A substantial portion of the Ramayana tends to deal with hostility between Rama and Ravana. Rama is an avatar of Vishnu who is commended for being a follower of dharma, and is shown as the protagonist of the poem. The antagonist of the story, Ravana, completed reparation to Siva, allowing himself to take control over most of the planet. Nina Paley, the prolific cartoonist and animator of the film “Sita Sings the Blues,” portrays a twist to the retelling of Ramayana by setting the epic poem to jazz music, and integrating moments of her life with her significant other to create an important