Photo courtesy crimsonnewsmagazine.org
Being someone who appreciates culture and is on a mission to help individuals honor and respect every culture there is one question I get asked frequently. What is the difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation? This is a very important question for todays cultural climate and I appreciate the individuals who ask me this question, because I know it comes from a heart to educate. I have thought about this question a lot and have had to really dig deep inside my heart, and study some facts to clearly put into words the fine line between cultural appreciation and appropriation. This is a very important topic of culture.
There is a fine line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation and I hope you want to be on the side of appreciation. It is so easy to land on the side of appropriation without even knowing that you are. Cultural appreciation is when you earnestly seek to learn about or explore a different culture. You learn. You listen. You strive to understand. You seek to honor its beliefs and traditions. Not for your own personal gain—money, fame, or the Instagram photo. But to simply honor the culture and its people. Appreciating different cultures like this is a fantastic part of being alive today.
There’s a fine line between appreciating a culture and appropriating from it.
Appropriation is where you take from others and then put yourself in a position of authority. A lot of the time, this goes unnoticed. When you use the word “tribe” to describe your friendship group, you don’t actively going out of your way to hurt Native Americans. You may not mean to cause any disrespect, yet taking from another culture for your own gain is a form of stealing, just as taking someone else’s words and using them as your own is plagiarism.
Cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation often come down to one thing: intention. Wearing henna for a summer music festival can quickly turn into cultural appropriation. But wearing henna to your Indian friend's wedding may be a sign of cultural appreciation and respect.
Cultural appreciation is the respectful borrowing of elements from another culture with an interest in sharing ideas and diversifying oneself. Examples would include learning martial arts from an instructor with an understanding of the practice from a cultural perspective or eating Indian food at an authentic Indian restaurant.When done correctly, cultural appreciation can result in creative hybrids that blend cultures together.
Learning about the context of cultural appropriation is important for understanding why it is a problem. While you might not think twice about adopting a style from another culture, such as wearing your hair in cornrows, the non-dominant group has historical experiences that make your actions insensitive to their past and current suffering. A person of color might be discriminated against because of a hairstyle that relates to their culture, while you as part of the dominant group can get away with appropriating that same hairstyle, making it trendy, and never understanding the experiences that contributed to the invention of the hairstyle in the first place. In other words, you've jumped on a trend because it seems cool, but in doing so you show insensitivity to the people for whom that trend is their life and not the latest fad. Cultural appropriation is the social equivalent of plagiarism with an added dose of denigration. It's something to be avoided at all costs, and something to educate yourself about.
In addition to watching your own actions, it's important to be mindful of the actions of corporations and be choosy about how you spend your dollars, as that is another way of supporting members of the non-dominant culture. Do what you can when you can, as you learn to do better. Be an advocate for cultural appreciation and diversity.
How to Avoid Cultural Appropriation
How do you avoid cultural appropriation? Below are some steps to take.
- Ask yourself the list of questions above to begin to explore the underlying motivation for what you are doing.
- Give credit or recognize the origin of items that you borrow or promote from other cultures rather than claiming them to be your own original ideas.
- Take the time to learn about and truly appreciate a culture before you borrow or adopt elements of that culture. Learn from those who are members of the culture, visit venues run by actual members of a culture (such as restaurants), and attend authentic events (such as going to a real luau).
- Support small businesses run by original members of a culture rather than buying mass-produced items from big box stores that are made to represent a culture.
Ignorance isn’t bliss. Apologizing later won’t help. So before you do anything, think about what you’re doing and who it may impact.
Ask yourself:
- Do I understand the significance of what I’m doing here?
- Am I honoring this culture or simply imitating it?
- Am I perpetuating a stereotype that might hurt those who belong to this culture?
- Am I doing this as a personal opportunity to interact with and experience another culture, or am I doing this for a photo I can post online?
Imagine you’re attending a party and want to celebrate your love of Japanese culture. Will the clothes you wear honor or hurt people? Are you playing to a certain stereotype? Do you really understand the culture you’re trying to honor, or do you just have a basic knowledge of it?
Why are you doing all this? What’s your intention? Take the time to ask yourself the hard questions.
That alone can be enough to make you step back and think. After all, cultural appropriation often comes more from ignorance than hate.
We live in a beautiful and diverse world. We should celebrate and enjoy the many different and contrasting cultures. They help give texture and creativity and diversity to our world. But as we appreciate other cultures, let’s be sure we’re doing it with the right intentions—to learn, to gain understanding, and to ultimately show honor, love and value.
Timbrel Chyatee
Timbrel is an entrepreneur that is passionate about culture, empowerment and inspiring the world to live better. She is the founder of The Cultured Workshop a workshop focusing on educating individuals in culture and community. She is also the lead designer and founder of Lush Bazaar a sustainably made, into-fusion fashion label. Timbrel is an avid explorer, writer and connoisseur of teas. Her mission in life is simple, inspire one another to create a world of empowerment and acceptance for all. Follow more from Timbrel at: @Cultured.Workshop | @Timbrel.Chyatee | timbrelchyatee.com | culturedworkshop.com
