It’s that time of the year again—the time when everyone is in search of the perfect costume for Halloween. From your all-time favorite superhero to matching outfits with your best friend, there are various options to choose from. If those aren’t your style, then you can’t possibly go wrong with a classic vampire. However, you can go wrong with wearing a poncho and sombrero, or wearing a dress comparable to the cheongsam, just to name a few. What’s so wrong about that, you may ask? Well, if you were being oppressed for doing something that is a part of your culture and someone just did it for fun without understanding all the hardships behind it, wouldn’t you be offended? This is what cultural appropriation is about. It’s about taking something that isn’t yours without even bothering to understand the history behind it.
You may wonder why people are so insensitive that they continue appropriating others’ cultures. This can be attributed to all the misinformation that the media spreads regarding cultural appropriation. An example of this is Finding the Beauty in Cultural Appropriation, an article written by Connie Wang. In this article, she talks about how, in some instances, cultural appropriation should be justified. Yet, this way of thinking is very much flawed. If a little boy steals some bread because his family is living in poverty and can’t afford to put food on the table, he wouldn’t be pardoned from theft. Because no matter his intentions, it’s still against the law. So, even if your reason for appropriating is to get a message across or to make a statement, it is still wrong, and we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to this.
Celebrities are often caught in cultural appropriation scandals. Despite this being a serious issue, one shallow explanation somehow automatically justifies their actions. For instance, Selena Gomez wore a bindi, a Hindu symbol that shouldn’t be taken lightly, in several performances back in 2013. When confronted about this, she states that she thinks their culture is beautiful and that she finds it fun to incorporate it into a performance. Another case is when Zac Efron posted a picture of him donning dreadlocks with the caption “Just for fun.” Now, there may be no way of knowing what their intentions really were, but the fact that these celebrities established that they did these things “for fun” is a red flag in itself. Others’ culture is not meant for you to use solely to play dress-up.
Though cultural appropriation may never stop, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to spread awareness and educate the ignorant. Cultural appropriation is hurtful and should never be justified for people who use it for their enjoyment, especially when they blatantly disregard the history behind it. Instead, take the time to study other cultures while respecting the limitations of someone outside looking in. “Borrowing” said aspects of a culture that isn’t your own and turning it into a costume or fashion statement is incredibly disrespectful.
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