A breakdown of cultural appropriation

The relationship that racial injustice has with history has always been a rocky timeline in multiple settings. Nevertheless, it has progressively shown to be better than it was decades ago. However, lately, there have been a few setbacks like cultural appropriation (CA) that has become more prominent in recent years. Cultural appropriation is when people take aspects of a culture and call it their own without giving any credit back to them. This practice is rightfully controversial and has a very long, complicated record.

The term cultural appropriation was coined in the 1980s in academic spaces when discussing issues such as colonialism and the relationships between majority and minority groups. A derivative of CA is blackface, in which a person paints their face and body brown or black to pass off as a an African American. The earliest examples would be in the 1830s when white performers did it during minstrel shows. Back then, this would pass by as entertainment or some form of a “joke” as the masses were not inherently aware of its degrading meaning.

The cause for this uproar now is celebrities openly doing it without facing any consequences. One of the most common ways they did this was through blackfishing. Instead of just mimicking the pigment of black people, celebrities adopted their speech and style. Along with doing

everything in their power to appear black. Even going as far as copying protective hairstyles not meant for their hair, risking damage and hair loss. Ranging from the Kardashians to Iggy Azalea, these icons have been rocking box braids, faking accents, and promoting harmful stereotypes.

After seeing how much backlash and damage this does to their life, but also to the whom they are still stealing from, it begs the question as to why they do it. Most people think it’s because of the success they can get from emulating a style of dress and speech that’s seen as “cooler” and “trendy.” This is evident from the social media popularity that many celebrities have received from doing it. Are alarming topics simply used for views? And is it worth the short-term fame?

Blackfishing is not the only form of this act. Within any culture, there seems to be a group of people eager to mimic it. For example, wearing a qipao dubbed as a symbol for proud Chinese nationality is now used as a costume, tearing away at the significance of the gown.

There are more and more people getting called out for cultural appropriation, so it’s crucial that they must know what exactly counts as such. Wearing headdresses, kimonos, and hairstyles that hold cultural significance (cornrows, box braids, etc.), bhindis, changing your speech and skin tone in order to pass off as another race are all examples of this. It’s important to hold these people accountable for disrespecting and harming those who come from different cultures. Yet also to educate and alter mistakes without holding on to the past. Accountability is the first step in making change.

Written by Mackenzie Cobbler | Graphic Designed by Julianah Cha Pit

Published March 1, 2023 | ePathfinder | Perspectives