Recently, I’ve noticed many people mistake cultural appreciation for appropriation, and even vice versa. It’s time to clear the air and relieve all cultures of ignorance. Being arrogant, in this case, means adopting fundamentals of one culture by members of another culture, in a way that is not respectful. Those who arrogantly adopt ideals of another culture may only be interested in what they have to offer so that they may gain from it, selfishly adopting their values. Appreciating a culture is slightly different. In this practice, you understand that this culture is not of your own, and that you may learn those elements respectfully. Although sometimes it’s hard to decipher whether or not you are appreciating a culture or adopting their values in an offensive way, the more we talk about this issue, the more people will become aware of what they’re doing.
Cultural arrogance is not a highly discussed topic, yet writer Tamara Winfrey Harris notes that “a Japanese teen wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the logo of a big American company is not the same as Madonna sporting a bindi as part of her latest reinvention. The difference is history and power.” This quote cleared skepticism for me when I first engaged in learning about cultural appropriation. Obviously, the teen wearing the shirt and Madonna wearing a bindi are for very different reasons. The teen is wearing a shirt with a US company’s logo because he most likely appreciates and uses the product they sell. Madonna is perhaps wearing the bindi as a fashion statement, to make her look “cool.”
Contrary to arrogance, I truly believe that there is a healthy and beneficial way to admire and support other cultures and their values. It’s not necessarily appropriating if someone is representing a culture in a respectful way. For example, for some Hindu weddings it is suitable for guests to dress in saris. Wearing a sari at your friend’s Hindu wedding is a great example of cultural appreciation. You are showing your respect for a culture's values and beliefs, and dressing appropriately for the occasion.
Most cases of cultural appropriation may occur without any awareness. It’s hard to decipher whether or not you’re appropriating or appreciating a culture, and my rule of thumb is that if you cannot tell, it’s most likely offending someone.
These simple examples of differences between cultural appropriation and appreciation are easy to follow for everyone to be exposed to the variance between these two prominent actions. If people would take the time to swallow their pride and rid themselves of ignorance the world would be a more respectful place.
