Cultural Appropriation

Editorials

Normally it seems we'd want to share artifacts from other cultures. Other geographically distinct peoples have had centuries and even millenia to develop aesthetics, culinary arts, technologies, musical styles, and cultural practices that any other given culture would never dream of creating. That is the beauty of culture: its creations are born from vast chains of organic historical flows of events, and any given culture is impossible to fake or synthesize. It bears its own character. To truly understand a culture and create authentic works within is to be part of it.

​But to take and enjoy a cultural artifact from another culture, and derive wealth from that culture, while actively seeking to exploit and oppress members of that culture and deny those members their deserved wealth is a form of stealing, or appropriation. And this is the thorny problem underneath our diverse, multicultural society.

​There is a serious power and wealth imbalance between cultural groups, both in the United States and in the world. In our media for example, other cultures are celebrated and paraded about, and even Americans are happy to partake in different cultures when it suits them. But this is far from actually respecting a culture and giving members of a culture a share of the domestic and global wealth.

You share with someone you trust, or someone whom you want to give the benefits of your culture. But why put up with someone who takes without asking, and without giving back?

Identity

Jasmin