Have a Cultural-Appropriation-Free Coachella!

So I thought that after all the hub bub and social media around white people appropriating indigenous headdresses last year at Coachella that we would be passed this. But it looks like white people still don't fully understand what cultural appropriation is and the negative effects it has, as seen by this year's trend of white girls wearing bindis.

But is this really cultural appropriation? What even is and isn't cultural appropriation? Isn't America a melting pot of cultures? If we say wearing indigenous headdresses is cultural appropriation then can I not drink green tea anymore? Can I not get Thai takeout? Where do we draw the line? These are all questions I've asked myself because cultural appropriation is difficult to understand, especially as a person of the dominant cultural, or simply, not of the culture that is being appropriated, or even, someone of the culture being appropriated who doesn't know the significance of something in their culture or has been socialized to internalize racism.

So I'm going to explain cultural appropriation in terms of the power dynamics that are present between various cultures. I believe that an unbalanced power dynamic, a history of (and continuation of) oppression, and a lack of consent are the key factors of cultural appropriation. So let me break it down for you.

1. What is cultural appropriation? 

Kick ass little Rue from Hunger Games gives a great explanation of cultural appropriation of black culture, so check out that link. But essentially, cultural appropriation occurs when a style/part of a culture leads to racist stereotypes yet when the dominant/more privileged culture takes it, without consent, and usually for profit, it is deemed high culture/fashionable without them having any awareness of its significance to culture from which it came, especially when there is a history of oppression by the dominant culture of that original culture.

So the main components of cultural appropriation are:

• The thing leads to racist/negative stereotypes of the original culture.
• But the thing is high fashion when the dominant culture takes it.
• The thing is taken without consent.
• The thing is generally taken to make money off of. 
• The dominant culture isn't aware of the thing's significance, importance, reverence, etc. to the original culture.  
• The dominant culture has a history of oppressing, stealing from, and committing ethnocide against the original culture. 

So no, me drinking green tea is not cultural appropriation because green tea has never been used to oppress API communities. It has not been used to create negative and racist stereotypes against API communities. The origins of green tea in America goes back to trade between China and America, not forceful taking without consent. And although there are negative stereotypes against Asian cultures and the US has a history of oppressing the API community, none of this revolves around green tea. 

But yes, me wearing corn rows is cultural appropriation because this hairstyle is used to create negative stereotypes against black women and men. It is still deemed as a "unprofessional" hairstyle by some which leads to an economic oppression of the black community. Corn rows are also significant to the black culture in that it protects their natural hair. If I were to choose to wear cornrows, I would be taking part of black culture I considered quirky and fashionable while that community is still being oppressed and stereotyped for that same hairstyle. 

So think about the history of something and the relationship between two cultures before you decide to take it for your own. 

2. How can a culture be appropriated? 

Any part of a culture can be appropriated if it possess the characteristics I've just mentioned. That includes clothes/hairstyles, vernacular, food, music, rituals/celebrations, etc. Cultural appropriation doesn't just occur at Coachella by rich white girls. I see you, white boys, I see what you do.

Particularly problematic is white teen's (or anyone's, really) appropriation of AAVE (African American Vernacular English). AAVE has a huge significance in the black community in that it originated out of the African diaspora and has been historically considered a "less intelligent" or "less professional" dialect of English. The black community was and continues to be stereotyped for their vernacular and it is used as an excuse to further oppress this community.

For white teens to think it's trendy and comedic to appropriate words such as "slay", "yaaas", and "werk" which were created by the black community is a gross example of cultural appropriation and white privilege. These words gain traction via social media and become part of "teen" culture when they really originated from the black community who is still being negatively stereotyped for this vernacular.

3. Who can appropriate a culture? 

Listen here kids, only the dominant culture in a society can appropriate something from another culture, which must be a subculture with a history/current condition of being oppressed by that dominant culture.

For a marginalized group to "appropriate" something from the dominant culture would be considered assimilation. That dominant culture in America is that of patriarchy, capitalism, white supremacy, and Christianity. Those belonging to this culture have the most rights, experience the least (basically none) discrimination/oppression, and are idealized by the media and consumerism. So for a subculture to take parts of that culture would not be stealing anything from it without consent. And it surely wouldn't be based on a history of oppression. Assimilation is done to appear more part of the dominant culture for reasons of economic stability, physical safety, emotional health, etc.

So in the US, ONLY WHITE PEOPLE CAN APPROPRIATE CULTURE FROM MARGINALIZED GROUPS. Not vice versa. Never. It doesn't happen. It literally is not physically possible to happen.

4. What is the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural exchange/appreciation? 

First off, exchange is consensual. It is a mutual giving and receiving. For my green tea example, it would go something like this:

United States: "Hey if we give you some silver, can we have some of your tea?"
China: "For sure bros, thanks for the silver, here's your tea."

Second, appreciation is done with the awareness of significance and reverence for symbolism. Another example would go something like this:

White Person: "Damn, I just really admire and respect Buddhism. I truly believe in it's teachings and traditions. With utmost reverence I practice meditation, yoga, and taking refuge. So I think I'm going to get a tapestry of Buddha to remind me of Buddhism's core values and ethics that I practice in my daily life."

Like I said, appropriation is done WITHOUT consent so it does not involve an exchange of cultural things. It is also done without awareness of, or with complete disregard to, something's significance so it does not involve appreciation.

You are not appreciating or paying homage to Indigenous culture by wearing warpaint for one night to a music festival to seem artsy or "bohemian". You are completely ignoring and trivializing its cultural significance and spiritualism. You are participating in the stereotyping of a culture. You are contributing to the United State's history of committing ethnocide against Indigenous culture. You are also aiding the same capitalistic system that was used in justification for stealing from Indigenous cultures.

*So remember, contemplate before you appropriate*

Appropriation of Pain: White Guilt & LGBTQ Allies

So I have a hobby of hanging out in graveyards. I think they're beautiful and a poignant connection to the past. I also fully recognize the part of myself that finds it cathartic to borrow other people's pain for a little bit and then continue on my merry way. I think we can all relate to that concept to some degree. Ever slowed your driving to peep a roadside accident? Or been fascinated with a news story simply because it's a little graphic or morbid? Or at the age of 10 only read the obituary section of the newspaper? Just me? Okay then...

Point is, I think we can all imagine a time when we've found ourselves drawn to tragedy that has nothing to do with ourselves. Why is that? Because viewing someone else's pain from a distance, being removed from it, allows us to experience a catharsis of sadness and also allows us to feel grateful that the tragedy didn't happen to us. 

So per usual, I started to think about how this applies to social justice and marginalized groups. And wouldn't you know, it turns out the borrowing other people's lives and cultures, especially their pain associated with the oppression and criminalization of their lives and cultures, IS NOT A NICE THING.  

Appropriation is a really wide topic, so I wanted to just focus on appropriation of pain. So that means specifically trying to insert yourself into a marginalized group in an attempt to feel their pain or make yourself some sort of martyr for that group.

And who else is a more perfect candidate for this social justice no-no than straight allies? Let's talk about what is so morbidly wrong, and actually harmful to the LGBTQ community, about straight allies.

1. Straight people already have enough social space of their own. So straight allies, GTFO of ours!!!

LGBTQ spaces are created for many reasons, but some of those include providing physical and emotional safety for our community. Any spaces - physical, social, written, etc.- that revolve around the LGBTQ community are created because we need bonds, support, validation, and visibility. STRAIGHT PEOPLE DO NOT NEED THIS. You get validation for your sexuality every day since the day you're born, you have visibility in literally everything, and you don't really need support for a sexuality that is the social "norm".

The full acronym (that I'm aware of and is by no means official as identities are always being renamed, reclaimed, and realized) is LGBTTQQIAPP and I'd argue +D for demi. And what does that A stand for? Asexual. Is there another A for allies? Hell fucking no. By including yourself in the LGBTQ acronym or community, you are basically stating that you feel entitled to a safe space when you're already safe. Under the guise of social justice and empathy you are taking resources and space from those who truly need it. Be an ally but do social justice work in your own lane not ours.

2. Straight people literally directly experience 0% of the pain and struggle of coming out or self-identifying as queer. 

There have been too many damn times when I've experienced straight allies showing up to LGBTQ events and getting on a soap box dramatic monologue about their struggle of supporting their gay friend or lesbian sister. I've seen straight people literally cry at public events when telling the story of finding out their brother was gay or that one time they said "I accept you" to their queer bff. What the literal fuck is wrong with you?

Coming out to yourself, friends, family, anyone is an extremely hard process that often leads to people being kicked out of their homes, harassed at work, or physically/sexually abused. Straight people experience NONE of this. I don't care if it was hard on your family to find out your brother was gay, you're not gay, you're not living it, you're not the one that could potentially be harassed or hurt. Straight people that come into LGBTQ spaces and then take up time and resources with their faux martyrdom are absolute trash. Don't try to pretend you understand any of the pain LGBTQ individuals go through, you will literally never know. So stop speaking over our pain.

Another group that comes to mind when thinking about the appropriation of pain is those who so self-righteously inflict white guilt upon themselves.

1. White guilt distracts the conversation from being about the real issues of racism.

If you use spaces dedicated to discussing issues of racism to voice your deep emotional pain and guilt over your ancestors being hugely racist, bigoted assholes, then you yourself are an asshole. Living with a history of your people being enslaved, unjustly murdered, and systemically oppressed is uncountably more times distressing than knowing your dear great great grandad Elmer Mayo-Smith was a racist bag of dicks.

By feeling white guilt, or believing it is even really a thing, you are 1. stating that racism is a thing of the past that only your ancestors took part in when FALSE racism is very much fucking alive today and 2. that your pity party is more important than the real mistreatment and oppression of people of color. Literally, you are insanely privileged if you are white, so stop trying to make the conversation about you. Issues of racism apply to people of color and how they experience the world. Give people of color the space and strength to voice these experiences, frustrations, thoughts, etc. since they are the one's who are oppressed daily. Use your privilege to aid people of color in these efforts NOT use your privilege to paint yourself as the victim when you are the farthest thing from one in terms of racism.

2. White guilt is racist in that it attempts to trump white pain/guilt over the real, historical oppression/victimization/criminalization of black people.

If you think your pathetic white pain is more worthy of being voiced that real systemic oppression, physical violence, and negative stereotyping of people of color than you my friend ARE RACIST.

You are taking vocal space away from people of color by voicing your misplaced white guilt. You are physically taking up space, that you have already been privileged with your entire life, that could be used by people of color to voice their real-life experiences, a space that they have been historically denied and pushed out of.

You are inserting yourself into a space that people of color have fought long and hard to have and create for themselves. You are appropriating their pain, stealing their voice, and derailing the conversation of racism to be about you because you think you are more important. You're about as racist as your old grandad Mayo-man.

Okay so this all sounds like a huge bummer, right? Awww but Bailey...I'm just trying to help...how am I supposed to be a good ally and advocate for the LGBTQ and POC communities? The answer is simple, my friends. You sit down and shut up. You do not get a gold ribbon and a pulpit for a personal dramatic monologue for being an empathetic, decent human being. You do not need to constantly voice your "support" for marginalized groups. We have our own voice and we need a space to let it be heard. We can't do that if you're constantly blabbing about what a great ally your are and how it personally takes a toll on you to support your gay friend or think about your racist grandpa Mayo. So just settle down and share the space.