It is the 21st Century and cultural appropriation is more present than ever. However, this does not come as a surprise considering how the question and problem of cultural appropriation is fraught with little to no solutions. Cultural appropriation is almost always let loose or turned a blind eye to because people call it cultural appreciation.
Be it in fashion, workplaces, kitchens, or popular culture, appropriating other cultures happens like it is an extreme sport. It is not rare to see top-range models wear cultures as fashion and strut along to the beat of cultural appropriation. It is nothing new to spot t-shirts that have indigenous cultures printed on them. Such situations have been happening across generations and will continue to happen.
This is mainly because many are in the dark about what cultural appropriation actually means and assume that they will be penalised for using French words such as connoisseur or eating pad thai noodles. Cultural appropriation is deeper than that and much more serious.
What is cultural appropriation?
A topic in conversation these days is how pop singer and ‘The Voice’ coach Gwen Stefani has been invited to headline a reception hosted by President Joe Biden for leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. Concurrently, this is happening amidst the backlash that she is facing over being accused of cultural appropriation. The complaint that was lodged against her was that Stefani, during a January promotional interview for GXVE Beauty, claimed to be Japanese despite her Irish and Italian heritage. She faced criticism for perpetuating stereotypes of Japanese people in her marketing and use of backup dancers. This remained an unresolved controversy. She mainly received backlash because of her past actions and statements related to Japanese culture.
As mentioned in the San Francisco Chronicle, Paul Osaki, the Executive Director of the Japanese Cultural and Community Centre of Northern California, expressed uncertainty about Gwen Stefani’s invitation to the APEC event. While he acknowledged no current concerns about her past behaviour, he expressed hope that her appearance is not connected to her vexed “Harajuku Girls” era or any claims about being Japanese. Osaki suggested that if organisers aim for representation of Japanese culture, there are more authentic options available, such as Japanese cultural performing arts groups with genuine ties to Japanese ancestry, avoiding stereotypical portrayals. Stefani denies any claim of having been a part of this offence. However, as a pop culture icon that has influence and reach, haphazard behaviour is not something that should be practised. Perhaps her intentions were not malicious but we cannot ignore the fact that she is the one from the dominant culture and the culture that she commodified is one that has been traditionally marginalised at some point in history.
The reason why cultures are made redundant and into gimmicks is because of the ambiguity and diverse interpretations surrounding the concept. The term ‘appropriation’ is broad and has multiple dimensions. As per an academic article penned by Jaja Grays (from the City University of New York), appropriation is broad and has multiple dimensions. According to legal scholars Bruce Ziff and Pratima Rao, authors of “Borrowed Power: Essays on Cultural Appropriation”, it involves taking intellectual property, cultural expressions, artefacts, history, and ways of knowledge from a culture that is not one’s own. For cultural appropriation to occur, a dominant group must establish its superiority or entitlement by adopting elements from a subordinate group. Ziff and Rao assert that appropriation takes place when a privileged group, possessing economic, political, and institutional power, appropriates or steals from an oppressed or marginalised group. This definition elaborates on how it is all about power dynamics stressing the imbalance between those who exploit elements of another culture and those whose culture is being appropriated. It is basically how a culture with power and an upper hand rules over a culture that is made subservient by the ones who make the call.
Blurring the lines
A question that many ask when told ‘My culture is not your fashion’ is, ‘Do we not have the liberty of appreciating a culture?’. Of course, you do. In fact, this world should be all about appreciating cultures. This is why most of us travel, to learn and be a medium via which two cultures can meet and merge. But not in a harmful way. Travelling to India to live and love their bhajans (prayer services), enjoy their masala chais (masala tea), and learn their traditions is commendable. That is precisely how you appreciate a culture. However, sitting cross-legged, dressed in a kurta, and meditating to summon a strand of spirituality, without fully understanding the core of it, is how one can (unintentionally) reduce cultures to trends. The very aspect of placing another country on the opposite end of what your motherland is not is how you bifurcate the world into the two halves of “us” and “them”. This is a very dangerous way of creating binaries which ultimately leads to cultural appropriation as well.
As mentioned by Brian Johnston in The Sydney Morning Herald, engaging in cultural practices like a tea ceremony in Japan with an understanding of its ritual importance is acceptable, even encouraged. What is problematic, however, is casually adopting elements like getting a Buddhist tattoo, purchasing fake Aboriginal artwork, or wearing a sombrero to a party. The distinction lies in the context and motivation behind these actions. Wearing a sari for an Instagram photo in a Hindu temple without understanding its cultural significance is considered tactless appropriation. On the contrary, if you’re invited by the bride to wear a sari at an Indian wedding, it becomes a clear invitation and an opportunity for genuine cultural appreciation. The key is being mindful of context and motivations, and respecting the cultural significance of the practices or symbols involved.
While this may be confusing on so many fronts, there are a few questions that one can ask themselves if ever found in the predicament of deciding whether it is an appropriation or not. Consider what your intention is, whether what motivated you was a genuine need to honour the culture, or whether it was to unintentionally feed into stereotypes. Demonstrate an understanding of why you are doing this. That is, to ask the question of whether an ample amount of time was taken to grasp the complete narrative, acknowledging the influence of the dominant culture on it. Subsequently, probe into whether what you are doing is redundant, misrepresents the cultural elements involved, or is not giving enough credit to the culture and individuals involved. While this may come off as a cookie-cutter measure, at least one will be aware of the raw nerves that should not be hit and avoid committing blunders.
(Sandunlekha Ekanayake)