I’m not sure exactly how this unfolded … but somewhere in the last few years, the term “cultural appropriation” escaped the rigid confines of academic jargon and made its way into the mainstream. And from there, several incidents later (such as this, this and this), Internet know-it-alls or those who found themselves doing the appropriating, argued that it’s b*******, a load of rubbish to be filed under “useless identity politics”.

But rage as you like, the discussion of cultural appropriation is here to stay, firstly because we live in an increasingly globalised world, and secondly because we live in an increasingly capitalistic world.

However, before sharing my thoughts on this topic, we need to make an important distinction which may benefit us here onwards. “Cultural exchange” happens all the time. It’s the inspiration artists share with one another; the inspiration they draw from places they visit and the people they see; and it’s the natural exchange of ideas between everyday people about everyday things. But, what tends to draw the backlash of many minority groups isn’t this, it’s what may be better dubbed: Cultural Appropriation

Now I’ll borrow a definition from Jessica Metcalf’s article in The Guardian as she’s far more articulate at concisely describing this complicated difference:

 “(It) is a place where one culture (most often one that has an historical record of oppressing other cultures) engages in the unauthorised taking of some aspects of another (most often a minority) culture.”

As Metcalf says, the issue isn’t the inspiration, it’s the power dynamics that cause the outrage, and rightly so. Think of it this way: two parties sharing resources where both are on equal footing is fair and just. Now, say the two parties share the resources but one has considerably less power and has been historically oppressed by the other. Is the exchange still fair and just? Likely not.

Exchanging culture makes the world go ‘round, and it is, without a doubt, a wonder thing. In fashion for instance, motifs, oriental prints, handcrafted embroiderer and fabrics from around the world make our wardrobes a little bit more beautiful. 

But stealing from a culture doesn't do the same and the two shouldn’t be conflated.

I’ll draw upon my personal experiences now to give this a little context.  I have no issue with someone wearing a saree to a wedding for instance. They are wearing a garment in the setting it was meant for and that’s okay. I do however have an issue with Indian bindis at music festivals. I recall explaining this to a peer a long time ago and was met with a very obnoxious: But why? Me wearing a bindi to the festival is me showing appreciation for your culture.

Nope, wrong, very wrong.

Bindis weren’t designed for festivals. So, what you’re doing is cherry-picking a part of a culture and putting it in a completely unrelated context without doing any research whatsoever. But where you go really really go wrong, is that back when I was growing up and wanted to wear a bindi outside the safe confines of my own home, the only “compliment” I would get is: “Nice curry dot”.

The same artefact on the body of an Indian woman, the body it was meant for, is made into a mockery to the extent that people don’t even know it’s called a bindi. Yet, a few years later the same artefact, purchased from a random jewellery store, worn on a foreign body, at a music festival, is termed “exotic” and “beautiful” and sparks articles like “Ten Bindi Designs for Festive Goddesses” on the front page of a fashion website.

The power dynamic becomes a little clearer in these scenarios, no?

Then there’s the second stem of this whole argument: forget the artefacts, what about the people?

Personally speaking, I can think of countless people I know who proudly do Yoga now, blabber on about “Karma getting you back” and flaunt bindis at festivals. Every single one of those things has been derived from India, yet I can say for a fact that those same people were some of the most xenophobic people I have encountered to date.

Can you honestly “appreciate” a culture yet degrade the people, and the makers behind it? Once again, nope.

The critics will be quick to jump and say, “Well you shouldn’t wear jeans or dresses or skirts as they originated in western countries.” But I refer once again to my earlier keyword: POWER DYNAMICS. That stuff makes a difference, and a big one.

Asians, Hispanics, Indians, or Africans didn’t take western clothes and elevate the status of those artefacts simple by wearing them. White people were never ridiculed for these things to begin with. And when they wear them, it’s done to fit in, not to stand out. No one will go out of their way to applaud a Black person for wearing jeans where they’d ridicule a White person wearing the same pair. Sorry, but that simply doesn’t happen.

At bare minimum, people should understand where these things and practices that seem exotic come from and what are their significance. I’m not writing this to attack you for wearing a kimono in the morning or cooking pasta for lunch. It’s the beginning of a new year so I’m simply saying: You can be inspired by other beautiful cultures in the world, absolutely. But there are rules to this thing, and by now you have to learn them.

If you choose to ignore the cultural and historical context that surrounds your everyday choices, fine. But the folk on the internet who take rightful offence aren’t just going to shut up for your convenience either.