The term ‘cultural appropriation’ has garnered a lot of attention in the past few years. I remember first hearing the term and thinking that it made a lot of sense. Finally there was acknowledgement for the deep-seated unease and anger I felt that customs from my South Asian heritage were now seen as ‘cool’-whereas growing up it was the complete opposite. As I’ve entered my late teens and early 20’s, I’ve seen a massive cultural shift. Henna, bindis, even bridal-style jewellery such as naths and tikkas are all things I have seen adorning non-brown bodies on social media. This is almost exclusively at festivals or raves, which is rather telling of the fact people view these things as edgy, hippy accessories to be put on and taken off at whim, rather than inherent parts of a marginalised person’s culture.
It’s not just South Asian culture being appropriated, though. Recently, Adele came under fire for wearing a Jamaican flag bikini top and styling her hair in Bantu knots. While many leapt to Adele’s defence, many were also offended. It’s obvious that cultural appropriation is a grey area, even among members of affected communities. The whole saga has brought up the age-old question: How do we distinguish cultural appreciation vs appropriation?
I personally feel that the term has now become a buzzword that people throw around blithely, without actually considering the context of the situation. I’ve noticed many white people are quick to label things as cultural appropriation when they haven’t spoken to people from the communities in question about how they feel. Similarly, while our feelings as people of colour are always valid, we need to see the situation with nuance sometimes.
One way I tend to separate appreciation from appropriation is by looking at context. Running with the theme from earlier, seeing henna donned at a festival by some drugged-up idiot seems to me inappropriate and almost disrespectful. However, if you were attending an Asian wedding or celebration then it’s always welcome and seen as appreciation.
The second question to ask (imo) is who is benefitting from this? Since henna became a 'trend', many white girls have created businesses out of this. There are many, many talented South Asian (and other POC for whom henna is a cultural staple) henna artists out there so if you’re determined to wear it then support independent businesses of colour! Not your mate who bought a couple of cones off Amazon for £20 and decided she’s a hashtag artist now.
The final thing I’d say is that POC aren’t a monolith. Everyone I’ve spoken to has a different opinion so don’t assume just because one person said something it’s the absolute truth. It’s all dependent on your life experiences. It stands to reason that if you’re from a more multicultural area then you might have a more relaxed outlook as opposed to someone who has grown up being mocked for their cultural garb. It’s a hurtful experience to see people who’ve previously been racist suddenly grab the pretty, shiny aspects of your culture without dealing with the everyday struggles that come with belonging to it.
At the end of the day, determining what qualifies as appreciation vs appropriation can be tricky. We do live in a multi-cultural society so ultimately there is going to be some level of cultural exchange which is a beautiful thing. At the same time, we need to be careful of overstepping the mark. As a final note, I’d say ask questions and don’t be afraid if you make a mistake. People can’t learn if we keep ‘cancelling’ them for every single thing. At the same time, wilful ignorance isn’t cute. Admit you’ve fucked up, change your ways and keep it moving.
Words by Sarah Nabi
Featured Image courtesy of Robert Stokoe via Pexels
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