I hear a lot of fancy terms in the English language coming out these days and Cultural Appropriation is one of them. This phrase has been circulating around the internet lately and to be honest, it still baffles me. I know it has always been there but recently been made popular by these so-called guardians of culture. So much time in their hands I guess. There seem to be a lot of gray areas but in my limited understanding, I think it all boils down to what is disrespectful or not, right? But it seems that in the realm of internet sensitivity and outrage, most of the things "borrowed" from another culture is deemed pretty much offensive these days. As someone from a "different culture", cultural appropriation is quite unheard of and probably because this is just a normal part of our daily lives. Besides, we have a million other more important things to be worried about than getting hurt by the littlest of things.
I get up I dress up, cultural appropriation starts there. I am probably gonna wear a pair of Billabong boardshorts, and put on a nice comfortable shirt and a surfer cap. Because those are just one of the more appropriate and practical things to wear in these hot and humid days. I mean you know, as a recently civilized savage, I have progressed from being naked and wearing a headdress to actually wearing something. It just makes sense to adapt to the ways of modern society. Then I am gonna sit on a chair (who invented this?) and I'll probably curse this thing because it is a bit wobbly. Then I'll eat some pancakes with maple syrup because those are just delicious. And later during the day, I'll probably order some Chinese takeaway then watch a movie in English or Spanish. And I'll probably wonder if the food is clean or not - because I've seen a lot of dirty restaurant kitchens in my life. Then tonight, I'll probably drink this cheap French wine I bought the other day. But naaaa, I remember it tastes so bad. So I'll just go for a bottle of Chilean because I can't go wrong with it.
Now did I offend anyone there? Well, of course not. Someone said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I don't see anything wrong with borrowing. I see it more of as an appreciation of another culture. It just happened that I am open-minded enough to adapt ways that turned out to be better than my ways. And the good thing is that I've traveled enough to appreciate other cultures.
I live in a touristic region and we have all sorts of souvenirs for sale. Those artisanal dresses and handcrafted accessories are actually meant to be worn. You don't buy these to let it rot in your closet because that would be such a waste. And I would probably feel happier if I see you wearing these things in your country. For me, it just means you appreciate the place where you bought it. The problem is not me. The problem is when your people see you. When you go back to a place where this cultural piece you bought is not part of the majority, the situation changes. Living or staying in a place where this cultural piece originated from is a different story. I don't know, I guess people just like to pick on anything that can be considered offensive these days. And that's only because people are becoming more ignorant as hell.
I think that sometimes, Cultural Appropriation is just fussing over little things. There was this person who got deeply offended and took it on social media just because one word from our language was used for business. Oh my Gawd, like come on, I see everywhere around me and most of the businesses used another language, be it in English, French or Spanish. I guess this person just had nothing else better to do during these pandemic times, and to be honest, I am yet again deeply ashamed for being "misrepresented".
I get it, Cultural Appropriation probably emerged because the lines have been crossed at some point. But we have to think critically about what is deliberate disrespect or not. We have to draw a line somewhere sure. If I start randomly wearing a Schnitzel mascot or a funny Cowboy hat because it is just a fun thing to do on Youtube, will you guys be offended? Of course not, I'm sure you'll just find me ridiculous. Anyway, I am not significant or popular enough to make a statement. Besides, I won't even do that. It should be a rare case for someone to go out there and intentionally offend another culture. Because that's just a mental case. And it probably has to come from someone in power for things to be outright offensive.
I learned the hard way that being easily offended means you acknowledge a weakness or insecurity, or in the case of cultural appropriation, you proclaim that you are from a "lesser culture" or something. And sometimes, if people are legitimately being offensive, it would have been better to just leave things alone instead of calling out. And let people be ignorant AF. Because what can we do about that? I guess I am an alpha now. I am no longer in that narcissistic mood to give a group of people more power by making a big deal out of nothing, because in reality, there is nothing. Some people in this world don't deserve more power by giving them more attention and significance that they crave.
We don't own cultures. We can embrace it and preserve it but we don't have to put a fence around it. As humans who are constantly adapting and evolving in this modern world, attempting to reach our highest potential in many ways possible, it's time to open our minds to cultural diversity. And appreciate the beauty of it all.
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