Appropriation in Asian Culture
How do these images make you feel? (Need Images referenced in the article)
When it comes to the topic of “cultural appropriation,” many people come to a mixed consensus of what it is and whether or not if it is offensive. Before heading into any form of debates, let’s all define what this term means. Cultural appropriation is the adoption of elements from a minority culture that’s being used by a dominant culture. This often comes with the theme of “colonialism” and power imbalance. That does not mean that this is the same as cultural exchange, where people educate one another on their respective cultures in a non-mocking fashion.
1. The image on the left represents a former high school student wearing a modernized qípáo to her high school prom. She claims that she meant no harm and wanted to simply wear a beautiful dress.
2. The second image portrays a little girl in a kimono while wearing white face paint — trying to appear as a Geisha in Japanese culture. The original post stated that the girl wanted to host a traditional Japanese Tea Party and wanted to fit the part.
3. The third image shows us a Korean artist (Taeyang) with cornrows and a fade. In his music video, he raps, dressing in baggy streetwear. This is common amongst Korean pop and rap.
4. The final image has a couple — a Chinese man and a Mexican woman. Just like the first image, the woman is wearing a qípáo but, instead of a prom occasion, she’s wearing it as a wedding dress.
Below I have a table where people gave their own examples/definitions on how they feel on cultural appropriation and whether or not if these images above are examples of this issue.
Here are some questions to keep in mind:
1. What are their intentions?
2. Did they mock or “white up” the culture in any way?
3. What could they do to make this “non-offensive”?
4. Should people only stick to their respective cultures when it comes to certain things or should things be shared?
High School Prom Dress
Not Cultural Appropriation
- Historians believe that the dress itself is a form of appropriation. During the Qing Dynasty, the Han population forced people to wear loose one-pieces. The qipao came after that period — a dress appearing more shorter, slimmer, and as a sign of feminity.
- Many believe that it took its form from Western Influences and women often wore this dress with gloves and heels.
- “Prom” isn’t just an American event. Many countries around the world celebrate a similar event under a different name.
- She does not fetishize or exploit the dress for her own personal gain.
- If the girl was a different race, would the topic still matter? And if she claimed she did her research and respected it, should she not be able to wear it and educate others of another culture’s beauty?
- How is this any different from a white family going to Japan and wearing kimonos and yukatas?
- If we’re going to use origin and tradition in our argument, then what makes it right for others to have a “white” wedding instead of having a wedding based off their own ethnic background?
Cultural Appropriation
- Just because you find something beautiful doesn’t mean, as someone with white privilege, you can just take it from an underprivileged culture and make it yours
- There is history behind this traditional dress and it’s not for an American event worn by an American to wear at prom
- We must really question: Did this girl actually know the history and culture behind it? Finding it beautiful doesn’t equate to respect. In addition, is she affiliated with Asian alliance groups? Or only found interest in Asian culture once it applied to her?
Japanese Tea Party
Not Cultural Appropriation
- The little girl has taken time and effort to carefully organize the event judging from the image.
- She doesn’t seem to treat the materials with any form of disrespect and wanted to share the cultural experience with her friends.
- Kimonos are not strictly for Japanese people to wear as a lot of foreigners who travel to the country often get kimonos or yukatas as souvenirs.
Cultural Appropriation
- The Geisha face paint is something sensitive and shouldn’t be casually used.
- After being influenced by the West through World War 2, many Westerns saw that Geishas were “sexual” beings.
- Did they do extensive research on how a traditional tea ceremony went? Or did they just put in bare minimum effort and just dressed up for the “exotic” look of it?
Korean Rapper’s Hairstyle
Not Cultural Appropriation
- Hairstyles have been adopted from multiple places around the world – it does not belong to a group of people.
- The artist himself might love and appreciate r&b and rap culture – which doesn’t mean he’s not allowed to dress the part.
- White American artists (Post Malone, Justin Bieber, Lil Pump, etc) had dreads in more than one point in their lives but they seem to have a “pass”.
- Are Black people not allowed to straighten their hair or get extensions?
Cultural Appropriation
- The Korean Music Industry is a clear example of appropriation. The rapper didn’t have to change his hairstyle in order to convey the same message.
- PoC tend to have a negative stigma in Asian countries due to their dark skin, but this music industry is using their hair and making their artists dress like them (e.g. baggy clothes, changing their posture to appear more aggressive, etc.).
- They are also using this to raise revenue.
Wedding Photo
Not Cultural Appropriation
- The image symbolizes a joining of two different cultures.
- Like the prom image, the woman does not change the dress to make it appear any different from what it is.
- Meaning that she has respect for the attire.
- She is culturally appreciative rather than appropriative.
- The qipao has been reimagined by fashion companies for years (Urban Outfitters, Zara, etc
Cultural Appropriation
- If it was joining of two different cultures, then why did the woman only dressed for the part?
- We don’t know if she knows the exact history of this dress just because her husband thought it would look good on her.
- Just because a Chinese person thought it was okay for her to dress up doesn’t mean that it was right.
Now here are some other examples that may or may not fall under “Cultural Appropriation”. This is entirely up to your (the readers) opinions:
1. A White American family opens up a Japanese Sushi Restaurant. Would it be any different if a Hispanic family opened up an Italian Restaurant?
2. Is it okay for non-Blacks to be producing rap and r&b music?
3. How would you feel if a Brown girl wanted to be Mulan for Halloween? A White girl as Moana?
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