Mica Newberry

Prof. Barnes

English 1201

March 18th, 2019

Cultural Appropriation: Deconstructing Cultural Discourse

The subject of this paper is one that I am passionate about, which is a very complex

discussion about cultural appropriation. And, I think that this paper would be the best medium to

do so. To start, cultural appropriation is defined as “a term used to describe the taking over of

creative or artistic forms, themes, or practices by one cultural group from another” (Oxford

2019). However, even though there are many negative connotations that are associated with

cultural appreciation, I do not believe it is an inherently bad practice. It is just a sensitive topic

with a lot of unexplained gray area. I believe the sharing of cultures encourages tolerance,

respect, and discourages ethnocentrism.

The spark that created my interest in the whole concept of cultural appropriation was

when my husband and I decided to travel to Japan for our honeymoon. We both have loved the

country’s history and culture and thought it would be a perfect place to spend our romantic

weeklong getaway. We visited temples, local restaurants, museums, and other attractions. The

most memorable experience during our stay was the summer festival that was taking place in

Fukuoka, the city we were currently staying in. We decided it would be a great experience to

take part in. We decided to buy our own kimonos, so we could dress in the traditional style. The

owner of the store who assisted us and taught us how to wear it correctly and was so excited

because of the simple fact that we were foreigners wanting to experience her culture. She asked
us all sorts of questions; like what we liked or disliked about Japan, and what we thought of the

local village we were in. Although, not once during our stay or during the festival where we

criticized for appropriating their customs. In fact, they were ecstatic that we were interested in

and participating in the local traditions. While walking around the festival, taking in the sights

and the smells of the delicious food, the locals were not shy in asking us if we were enjoying the

festival and how we celebrated the summer season back home. The best part of the festival was

how welcoming the natives were, they seemed to love to share their culture with us and even

gave us a few souvenirs to take back home with us. Overall, it was a very wholesome and

fulfilling journey. But, I was baffled at the reaction we got from our friends back in America.

As we arrived back in the United States, we were showing pictures to a good friend of

mine who is of Japanese descent. What had shocked me was when she told us we were being

very disrespectful and dressing up in “yellow face”. I couldn’t see why how we were in the

wrong. The locals in Fukuoka were not offended, so why was she? I believe this is because of

post‐colonial criticism of Western expansionism. This caused a generalization that people who

are Caucasian are literally stealing away and killing off other cultures by adapting it as their own

without giving credit to the original source. This sort of broad stereotype leads me to the

question of what is crossing the line between stealing and discrediting, and appropriation? As an

artist myself, I am familiar with the boundaries of plagiarism. And, cultural appropriation and

plagiarism have a few things in common, however, they are not the same. Plagiarism is taking

one’s intellectual property and using it as one’s own without giving credit to this inspiration of

source.

Those who oppose cultural appropriation usually discuss how privileged cultures use art

and fashion from marginalized cultures for inspiration. This discussion brings me to the works of
anthropologist George Nicholas. George Nicholas is a professor of archaeology at Simon Fraser

University and wrote “Confronting the Specter of Cultural Appropriation” on October 5th, 2018.

He writes about the difference between “appropriation” and “appreciation”. He states that

intellectual property issues have increased since the industrial revolution and the rise of

technology. Nicholas also delves into how western society has, for centuries, turned to other

cultures for inspiration. And while that might not be inherently wrong, claiming it as your own

is. He emphasizes that giving credit to the source is very important when appropriating culture.

This supports my point of appropriating respectfully when partaking in another culture’s custom.

Artists also experience backlash. However, ever since art has been created artists have

been using other cultures and styles for inspiration (Nicholas 2018). Michael Ruth, a writer for

the Salem Press Encyclopedia published an article about how culture appropriation ascends

through art. He talks about the term of cultural appropriation, cultural imperialism, and cultural

diffusion. He discusses famous public figures like Picasso and how art is being appropriated

worldwide (Ruth 2018). Other forms of art discussed are music and fashion. He expands on the

fact that the famous use other cultures to promote themselves without giving credit to the source,

more than any type of sub-group Ruth explains that this is an unethical practice and that they

should be held responsible because it is disrespectful and offensive. However, using other

cultures for inspiration is not overtly erroneous. Artists and writers have been using other works

for inspiration for hundreds of years. Impressionist artists like Monet, Matisse, and Degas have

all used other artists’ paintings to inspire their own work. My most favorite Sculptor, Auguste

Rodin, had often use Greek mythology as an inspiration for his work. But, most would not call

that plagiarizing Greece’s culture. So, what the difference between an American girl wearing a

qipao to her prom and a French artist sculpting Polyphemus? They are not disrespecting the
culture but appreciating its stories and customs through art and self-expression. However, it all

boils down to the people who are offended by these practices. Which surprisingly, are not people

who live in the cultures’ nation.

While researching this topic I was surprised by the type of individuals who were against

cultural appropriation. This group was mostly made up of people who were born and raised in

the United States but identify closely with their ancestral heritage. This includes my friend I had

mention previously. While asking her why it had offended her so much she had stated: “I am a

minority and you are taking advantage of my culture for your own enjoyment”. At first, I thought

her words came from a place of jealousy. I understand wanting to connect with your heritage, but

what is so wrong with out-siders enjoying it too? Nevertheless, just because I visited the country

does not mean I want to soil the integrity of that country’s culture. Those who were born and

raised in that culture do not see cultural appropriation as a threat to their livelihood and customs.

But then again, to my friend, I was practicing racism. To her, I was using my white privilege to

explore insert myself into other culture’s society. The most ironic, and hypocritical, was that she

and I were enjoying Spanish food and music at my house the next day. I am half Hispanic, so am

I privilege to exclude her from my customs? No, because eating the food and experiencing the

music and other cultural items were not necessarily harming me or my family’s culture.

I had observed that most people from this group do not believe in others appropriating

their culture, but what about mixed ethnicities? Is there a limit of how much of a culture you are

allowed to appreciate due to your skin color or the level of native blood you have in your DNA?

I am half Hispanic, am I only allowed to enjoy half of my ancestors’ culture? Sounds ridiculous

right? This leads me to discuss an article called “Cultural Appropriation: Whose culture is it

anyway, and what about hybridity?” by Sonny Hallett. Hallett starts off by describing her
personal relationship with the issue of cultural appropriation and her identity. She describes her

alignment being “anti-cultural appropriation” when condemning disgraceful acts against other

cultures. Yet, the top highlight of this journal was that she found that insisting that certain types

of food, clothing, and activities being limited to one specific culture is meant to alienate others. I

personally agree with this statement. She explores the topic that racism is different from

appreciation. Hallett also explains that the sliding scale of racial ambiguity contributes to the

level of participation in a culture (Hallett 2016), which is inherently wrong. Like Hallett, I

believe in participating respectfully in a culture. When following common sense of respect for

others cultural appropriation is not a bad-mannered practice. This opens the door for all types of

cultures to share and partake in other cultures, and therefore brings understanding and acceptance

to all those who are culturally different.

In the United States, many ethnicities and races segregate themselves off and create a

mini version of their countries back home, like China Town. Why are ethnicities and races

allowed to do this in the melting pot of the world, but it is frowned upon in other countries?

Subsequently, I have a theory that cultures are self-segregating due to the ignorance of

America’s values. The United States was founded on the premise of personal freedom, this value

extends across all cultures in the country as well, and I am a strong believer in this value too.

Still, segregating yourself off because you don’t believe in mingling with the natives of that

culture cultivates ignorance, and ignorance breeds ethnocentrism. I believe this is why cultural

appropriation has become such a hot button topic today. Cultures in America are having a hard

time intermingling and it is because they rather focus on their differences than the similarities. I

am not commenting on the systemic segregation that happens in the United States like project

housing and government segregated communities, that is a whole other issue. These people
choose to live in an area that is dense with their own race or ethnicity. This is normal human

behavior, but this encourages individuals to not branch out and meet different people and

encourages ethnocentrism. In addition, this self-segregation is perpetuating racist behaviors in

the United States that should have died out years ago (Maher 2012). This is because they are

separating themselves from the rest of the country and making it seem overwhelming clear that

out-groups are not welcome; whether they be White, Black, Asian, Mexican, etcetera. This

cultural tension only further pushes the racist rhetoric about other cultures because there is no

basis to prove their ingrained stereotypes to be incorrect. Therefore, when the targeted group sees

their customs being appropriated they are automatically on the offense.

When cultures intermingle, they educate and cultivate a new culture of tolerance and

respect. As per research by educator, scholar, and psychologist, M.J. Maher, the mixing of

cultures, and subcultures within one society provides an environment for positive social change

(Maher 2012). M.J. Maher was born in Zimbabwe and graduated from Mutare Teachers’ College

and taught at Chitsere Government School in Mbare, Harare. She published a book of her

findings called “Racism and Cultural Diversity: Cultivating Racial Harmony Through

Counselling, Group Analysis, and Psychotherapy”. This book was published in London in 2012.

It explores the psychology behind racism in multicultural and multiracial communities. The most

important aspect to note from this book is how people within her own society interact. Maher

observed that introducing individuals with different cultural backgrounds in an encouraging and

safe environment will positively impact their interactions with other people from different beliefs

as well.

Cultural appropriation was a term coined back in the 1980s when the integration of

politics and social issues became prominent in the media (Oxford 2019). Other political social
issues during this era, for example, the Black Power movement and the Women’s rights

movement in the United States, could have contributed to the rise of the counter-argument

against the western appropriation of cultures (Frum 2018). Today, I believe that the rise in

“politically correct” culture has made this issue come into focus once more, which is also aided

by the massive interconnective network that is social media. The rise of social media has also

brought a group of people who are particularly interested in social issues, also known as “social

justice warriors”. As with all types of groups, there are extremists that take the argument to

unnecessary lengths and personally attack and abuse the ones they believe are in the wrong. The

minority subgroup of this political movement and a picture of a teenage girl wearing a traditional

Chinese dress, called a qipao, caused an explosive argument about if cultural appropriation was

disrespectful and racist. Which was a similar situation to mine.

The argument about the dress piqued interest from a writer named Graham Daseler, who

was a writer for the magazine American Conservative. Amused by this debate he wrote an article

called “Steal This Article’s Culture: What the Social Justice Warriors Get Wrong”. In this article

Daseler points out the underlying racism that “social justice warriors” perpetuate when attacking

those whom they see wrong. However, the most compelling argument Daseler states that racism

is being redefined not by physical and cultural attributes but the level in the hierarchy of power

that each group has (Daseler 2019). I agree with Daseler’s conclusions, there was nothing wrong

with that teen wearing the dress. I can personally understand why she chose this dress. It is a

sexy dress, its form fitting, made of beautiful silk, and accentuates the female figure. So why the

heated debate? I believe at its core it is about the long line of the systemic power struggle

between ethnicities. The whole argument is a pseudo-catalyst for political power. Which refers

me back to Daseler’s statement about how racism is being redefined. Nevertheless, social justice
warriors are grossly over exaggerating the issue to prove their theories about racism between

cultures. Thus, creating a stronger divide between races and ethnicities. Opponents of cultural

appropriation claim that they are not against to cultural engagement, but to racism itself. They

want to protect marginalized cultures and ensure that such cultures speak for themselves, not

merely be seen through the perspective of more advantaged groups, which is reasonable. Also,

movements against cultural appropriation expose the changing meaning of what it is to challenge

racism. Once, it was a demand for equal treatment for all. Today, it demands cultures to be

fenced off and boundaries of cultural appropriation to be regulated. This discourse further

perpetuates the separation between cultures and doesn’t allow others to engage in the customs

without backlash.

An additional point that the anti-appropriation group brings to the table is the stealing of

a culture’s customs for the inspiration of art style. While researching this perspective I believe it

is the context of appropriation that changes the discussion. This is especially prominent in

mainstream media today. By “context” I mean the discussion of public figures like artists and

celebrities and how they use other cultures to promote themselves. I do agree with the opposing

sides’ argument on this issue. Famous personalities should be held responsible for plagiarizing a

culture’s intellectual property. Especially if they are profiting from it. This is reasonable because

they are usually appropriating artifacts and customs from marginalized communities who

otherwise would be condemned for their practices. Celebrities and other public figures could

possibly use their fame to encourage the acceptance of the culture rather than claiming that

culture’s style as their own. This brings me back to my point of respecting a culture while taking

it for personal or public use. Just like a formal paper, we must cite and give credit to our sources

of influence and inspiration.

 A study was conducted by Hsiao-Cheng Han, who studies art education, technology,

semiotics, visual culture, cognitive psychology, found that diversity in the classroom encourages

the tolerance of other cultures which brings us closer to the ideal of racial harmony. She found

that diverse classrooms are more likely to harbor children with higher IQs (Han 2018). This

information correlates with the idea that melding is beneficial to international relations. During

this study, children of different backgrounds shared their culture with one another. These

interactions lead Han to believe that promoting diversity at a young age will lessen the

probability for those children to exhibit racist behaviors in the future. As mentioned previously,

M.J. Maher also came to a similar conclusion as well. Another important point Han has observed

is that cultural socializing also opens the discussion of unethical practices within a culture.

Examples could include suppression of a group’s rights within a society, or unethical practice

within rituals, like child marriages. This open discussion brings to light how harmful these

practices can be. This promotes a theory of how culture melding can be a positive step towards

racial harmony throughout the world. Though it may bring discourse at first, change usually

meets disagreement.

In conclusion, cultural appropriation can bring racial diversity and promote the tolerance

of culture. This is because cultural appropriation is essentially culture sharing with a negative

name. But, this practice must be used respectfully and appropriately. If operated humbly, the

melding of cultures and their custom can promote racial harmony throughout society. This

practice can also weed out harmful practices within a culture as well. Thus, promoting a more

accepting and ethical international society.

 Works Cited

Daseler, Graham. “Steal This Article’s Culture: What the Social Justice Warriors Get

Wrong.” American Conservative, vol. 18, no. 1, Jan. 2019, p. 37. EBSCOhost,

sinclair.ohionet.org:80/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=

f5h&AN=133543058&site=eds-live.

Frum, David. “Every Culture Appropriates.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 4

Sept. 2018, www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/05/cultural-appropriation/559802/

Hallett, Sonny. “Cultural Appropriation: Whose Culture Is It Anyway, and What about

Hybridity?” Medium.com, Medium, 17 Nov. 2016, medium.com/@sonyahallett/cultural-

appropriation-whose-culture-is-it-anyway-and-what-about-hybridity-3d3398a6d9d6.

Maher, M. J. Racism and Cultural Diversity: Cultivating Racial Harmony Through Counselling,

Group Analysis, and Psychotherapy. Routledge, 2012. EBSCOhost,

sinclair.ohionet.org:80/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=

e900xww&AN=398840&site=eds-live.

Nicholas, George, et al. “Confronting the Specter of Appropriation.” SAPIENS, Wenner-Gren

Foundation for Anthropological Research, 5 Oct. 2018, www.sapiens.org/culture/cultural-

appropriation-halloween/.

Ruth, Michael. “Cultural Appropriation.” Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2018. EBSCOhost,

sinclair.ohionet.org:80/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=

ers&AN=100259230&site=eds-live.
Han, Hsiao-Cheng (Sandrine). “Moving from Cultural Appropriation to Cultural

Appreciation.” Art Education, vol. 72, no. 2, Mar. 2019, pp. 8–13.

“Cultural Appropriation - Oxford Reference.” Cultural Appropriation - Oxford Reference, 16

June 2017, www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095652789.