Before I write this article I honestly do not care about people “appropriating” my culture. I am writing this because I am annoyed at how I believe young American society honestly only judges appropriation based on if we like that person or find them annoying, and largely if that person is white, and honestly that young Americans are really big complainers on things that do not matter in life. I am Filipino and a South-East Asian, but in America’s society I will still be associated with Rice hats, and called Chino, so I will identify as simply Asian in this case.
Let me start with someone both popular and disliked on social media platforms, Kim Kardashian. Her and her family are disliked for many other reasons, but in this example she is the center of attention of much backlash when she braids her hair in what is deemed “Black Culture”. My question is why is it called appropriation? Maybe she honestly just likes the hairstyle, shes not racist either as it is clear that her and her family are very close to many black people.
My second example is Jeremy Lin. He was called out for having a corn-row/braided hairstyle by a former NBA player, Kenyon Martin. Martin told Lin through social media that he is not black and to not forget his last name is “Lin”, implying that Asians should not wear the hairstyle. Lin responded to the Martin’s comments by reminding him that he has Chinese letters tattooed on his body. No popular claims were called against him for appropriation or such. My reasoning for this is because honestly as an Asian who did not largely grow up in American I honestly do not care as much for what celebrities do their bodies.
My Third Example, is is Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada. He is being called out by Indians (yes, I know they are Asian, however they are different from South-East Asians in mindset) for wearing their cultural wear and posing with his hands in some sort of prayer form. I honestly do not believe this is appropriation of any sort. For a smart man like him, I honestly think he was just being dumb and did not think that one through, simple as that.
Lastly, Migos named a song Stirfry and are obviously wearing Chinese-culture clothing in the video. Why are there no popular cries out of appropriation on social media for this? I believe this is because Migos is socially-liked music group, and secondly East Asians for the most part do not care about such petty matters like people wearing things of our cultural. In my opinion I think its great for people to wear other cultures clothes if you honestly like them.
Take it as you will. In conclusion, I believed the basis for cries of cultural appropriated usually come from American Media sources, and if we like the so called “cultural appropriator”
#culturalappropriation #socialmedia #socialjustice #millennials
