What Exactly Is Cultural Appropriation?

From+top+left%3A+Selena+Gomez%2C+Sarah+Hyland%2C+Kylie+Jenner+and+Vanessa+Hudgens+wearing+bindis+and+headscarves.+Bindis+are+staples+of+Hindu+culture+and+headscarves+are+worn+by+Muslim+women%2C+particularly+in+the+Middle+East+and+South+Asia.

From top left: Selena Gomez, Sarah Hyland, Kylie Jenner and Vanessa Hudgens wearing bindis and headscarves. Bindis are staples of Hindu culture and headscarves are worn by Muslim women, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia.

You may have heard of the term “cultural appropriation” around the Internet without really knowing what it means, and that’s not uncommon. Cultural appropriation essentially refers to the usage of elements from a culture that is not your own, without permission. This may sound relatively harmless, but in reality, it’s a very subtle yet extremely harmful method of discrimination.

Cultural appropriation, while it’s been commonly seen as a buzzword rather than a genuinely concerning facet of how we treat each other, is a concept that is difficult to clearly delineate. Most of those who attempt to do so, however, agree that it involves some degree of taking important parts of one culture and incorporating it into another without regard for its original meaning.

"Haati Chai Patha Clip-On Nose Ring," available at Forever 21 for $32. Nose rings are much more than just a fashion statement in Hinduism as well as some African and American tribal cultures.
“Haati Chai Patha Clip-On Nose Ring,” available at Forever 21 for $32. Nose rings are much more than just a fashion statement in Hinduism as well as some African and American tribal cultures.

To get a better understanding of how people feel about this issue, I interviewed a few Westside students and posed a few questions on my Twitter:

Q: How do you define cultural appropriation?

Bryn McCardle, Westside sophomore: I think that cultural appropriation involves taking someone else’s culture and representing it badly or inaccurately.

Amy Hanna, Elon University junior (@aimzeee on Twitter): Cultural appropriation is instances in which people utilize elements of other cultures for base or aesthetic purposes, disregarding [their] actual cultural significance and meaning.

Q: How/when/where have you seen cultural appropriation?

Andrea Chavez Mendoza, student in Lima, Peru: I’ve seen it at Coachella. I used to think bindis were cute and I wanted to wear them until I learned what they were.

Ray Kneeshaw (@raytalities on Twitter): I have seen it in people profiteering off cultures that aren’t theirs while those who it belongs to are rejected, harassed, or even threatened for their own use of their own culture.

Q: Do you think cultural appropriation is a genuine issue that needs to be addressed or is it something you feel is irrelevant?

Madison Kerley, Westside sophomore: I think there are bigger issues to focus on, but it’s something that people should know about either way.

William MacNeil (@Nikose_Tyris on Twitter): It is absolutely something that must be addressed; however, a firm understanding of respect vs. taking advantage must be clearly defined and taught across many cultures.