ipl-logo

Cultural Appropriation

1001 Words5 Pages

Globalization has played a major role in the flow of various cultures around the world, and has played a crucial role in the spread of Hindu culture in America. This however, has left the Hindu culture exposed to cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation has been defined by Young (2010) as “the adoption or use of the elements of one culture by members of another culture. The term Cultural appropriation might be thought to incorporate the utilization of artistic styles unique to the cultural groups by members outside the culture (Matthes,2016). In today’s context, cultural appropriation of Hindu fashion is prominent in America’s entertainment industry, and has caused upset in the Hindu community on more than one occasion. This appropriation …show more content…

However, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) was established in 2002 to promote recognition of Hinduism and ensuring wellbeing of Hindus in America. Although the HAF does not directly deal with cultural appropriation of Hinduism, it aims to preserve Hinduism, and defend Hindu American rights. The drawback however, is that the HAF has not directly targeted cultural appropriation of Hindu fashion in America. Next, America also hosts an annual ‘India Festival USA’, which aims to bridge cultural differences and promote knowledge of Indian culture. As the vast majority of Indians are Hindus, the India Festival USA promotes apparels such as the sari, as well as the bindi and serves to promote understanding of the meaning behind these fashionable goods. Therefore, this festival educates Americans about the traditional cosmetics and apparels, which could lead to a reduction in the misappropriation of the Hindus culture. However, it is not entirely effective because only the people who attend the festival will be educated with regards to the Hindu fashion and culture, leaving the rest of the American population ignorant. Furthermore, it is not an action taken by the American government to preserve and protect the Hindu’s from having their culture appropriated. Therefore, more has to be done by …show more content…

A good example of successful government support can be seen in Mexico, whereby the Mexican government of Oaxaca issued a cultural heritage declaration that claimed the Mixe’s people’s traditional designs, embroidery and language as intangible heritage in accordance to UNESCO guidelines in order to protect the Mixe people from cultural appropriation. Therefore, government support is crucial in mitigating the appropriation of Hindu culture in America. In relation to the Mexican government’s actions, I propose that the American government follow suit in protecting the Hindu’s traditional fashion and culture by paying attention to, and regulating how Hindu fashion is being used, especially in the entertainment

Show More
Related
704 Words | 3 Pages

In August 2011, when Jack Shakely’s article “Indian mascots — you're out” first appeared on the op-ed page of the LA Times in August 2011, I was attending college in China as a member of a minority nationality. On campus, the majority students, which are the Han nationality, often laughed at the customs of ethnic minorities. It is so similar to the status of the Native American that I support Shakely’s assertions that we should leave the logos of minority out of school. In his article, Shakely elaborated that the first lesson he learned from his mother about the Indians portrayed as sports team mascots left an indelible impression on him; likewise, he mentioned about the controversy between the tribe and some universities about the use of Native

Read More
1078 Words | 5 Pages

It is very ironic that “Cherokee” dress in this manner in order to cater to the interests of white tourists, who are expecting to see something reminiscent of old western films. To some, this is a “selling out” of culture and beliefs for money down the road (The). Misrepresenting a culture in this manner is an unacceptable action that perpetuates stereotypes and prolongs misunderstandings with that group. It also indirectly hinders Cherokee attempts at preserving their own

Read More
1477 Words | 6 Pages

In the 21st century, Native American culture is largely represented by mascots. Issues of isolation, education, and alcoholism continue to plague Native American reservations, but these issues are largely ignored by the general public. Instead, much of the battleground relating to Native American rights has centered on where they are most visible--sports. In “Racism American Style…,” Elizabeth Delacruz presents the problems with the mainstream portrayal of Native Americans. She uses four examples of problematic mascots to support her claim that racist imagery depicting Native Americans continues to be prevalent in American society.

Read More
607 Words | 3 Pages

Cultural Appropriation is a problem because we do not choose to accept other people livelihoods. “ cultural appropriation typically involves members of a dominant group exploiting the culture of less privileged groups.” (Little, Cultural). That is the society we live in today, we do not want to understand other cultures, race, and ideas. It is like when our mothers say don’t judge a book by its cover, it is the most important lesson we can all learn in this lifetime.

Read More
876 Words | 4 Pages

Though westernizing the Indian religion and their traditions stands as its own problem, the author states that another part of the problem is that there is no protection for these traditional religions or their sacred lands within the American constitution. In order to establish a sacred experience, we as Americans must recognize the sacredness of the lands, in the first place. The author argues that the protection of sacred lands and the preservation of traditional American Indian religions should not only be brought about by those participating but should be a movement all individuals should be involved in. To this day, sacred lands are continuing to be put at risk. Developers are constantly at work, trying to modernize and build on the lands that Native Americans hold close to their traditions.

Read More
473 Words | 2 Pages

War is a natural, historical, repetitive event. World War Ⅰand World War Ⅱare the most well known wars that have happened in history to Canadians. Canada’s contributions to aid the Allies in both wars helped bring both to a swift end. Comparing both World War Ⅰ to World War Ⅱ, Canada’s contributions can be shown as not only heroic, but godly. When entering a war, a country must portray itself a certain way.

Read More
326 Words | 2 Pages

In identifying themselves with pseudo-Indian symbols, non Indians come to feel authorized to appropriate and even to profit from these symbols as well as to

Read More
705 Words | 3 Pages

It's especially terrible when those doing the stealing are "rich" […] and those they are stealing from are "poor." to define cultural appropriation. Not only does this definition not cover the complexity of this term, it gives no room to qualify the examples given by this author. Weiss' simplification of this term makes cultural appropriation seem blown out of proportion which in turn compliments his argument that cultural appropriation accusations are over dramatically labeling the simple blending of cultures that are directly related to the success of America. Aside from this, Weiss' examples of the MTV music awards, including references to Kendrick Lamar, accused of "borrowing Asian dress", Katy Perry, accused of "caricaturing African-American women", and Beyoncé, accused of "exploiting Persian culture", and their respective acts of cultural appropriation. Weiss effectively includes these examples of "cultural appropriation" to show his audience how the term "cultural appropriation" is excessively applied to "every corner of American life".

Read More
235 Words | 1 Pages

Regardless of the passage of time, typically speaking, people’s vision of Native Americans remains wrapped up in powerful stereotypes. This is why some images we see of Indians can be surprising and perhaps confusing. What would Geronimo be doing sitting in a Cadillac? Why is an Indian woman in traditional native wear, in a salon, getting her hair done? Images such as this cause us to think and challenge our outdated visions, even as the latter continues to dominate relations between non-Native Americans and Native Americans.

Read More
427 Words | 2 Pages

“American Indian mascots and logos promote negative stereotypes” (Herrington 1). These stereotypical ideas of their culture that we have grown accustomed too, that do not reflect their culture in the least bit. Each American tribe has its own traditions and cultures, “yet many American Indian mascots wear feathered headdresses and war paint. They often carry tomahawks” (Herrington 1).

Read More
300 Words | 2 Pages

How has African American culture impacted cultural appropriation in society? For years, African Americans and African American culture have influenced many areas of American culture. According to the article titled Word! The African American Oral Tradition and its Rhetorical Impact on American Popular Culture, “African American cultural expressions have been a way of resisting racial oppression by articulating experiences of resistance and struggle and articulating oppositional identities in highly creative and dynamic ways, beginning with the oral tradition from which all other cultural forms originated (Hamlet 2011).”

Read More
615 Words | 3 Pages

Percival Everett’s short story entitled, “The Appropriation of Cultures” explores themes of irony and absurdity. The irony lies within each and every page. The story begins with Daniel, who is a young and successful black man with a degree from Brown University. He is also a musician and frequently played old tunes with a group of musicians. The story then shifts as white frat boys make suggestions of what the musicians should play, “One night, some white boys from a fraternity yellow forward to the stage at the black man holding the acoustic guitar and began to shout, ‘Play ‘Dixie’ for us!

Read More
1494 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout American history, the population of the country has become more and more diverse, and with this growth in diversity comes the growth of the diversity of cultures in this society. However, cultural appropriation has become a problem as the American society became more and more diverse throughout the course of the years. Cultural appropriation is the theft of one culture’s intellectual property or key beliefs, generally by a larger culture, and then this larger culture using what is taken from a minority culture incorrectly or inappropriately. Cultural appropriation perpetuates many of the stereotypes found within American society, and it also is a main contributor to the misinterpretations of minority cultures within the country.

Read More
847 Words | 4 Pages

Culture is easily influenced and is constantly shifting as it passes through various racial and ethnic interactions and exchanges. “With your liberal minds, you patronize our culture, scanning the surface like vultures, with your tourist mentality, we’re still the natives. You’re multicultural, but we’re anti-racist. We ain’t ethnic, exotic or eclectic” (Prashad, 56). This refers to when cultures are commodified and picked apart without taking both the negatives with the perceived positives.

Read More
715 Words | 3 Pages

There are countless reported negative American stereotypes and I honestly struggled tremendously to find a stereotype that I identified with. However, I would say cultural ignorance is a negative American stereotype I can actively work to address as our class travels internationally. Researching cultural ignorance more in-depth will aid in my understanding and appreciating diverse cultural perspectives, the importance of historical knowledge, and the complexity of communication amongst different cultures as I travel to Europe. Cultural ignorance is when an individual shows a lack of understanding of other cultures in terms of history, society, government, and much more. This lack of knowledge and understanding can easily be interpreted as a lack of respect for the culture or country and even ethnocentrism in the more extreme examples.

Read More

More about Cultural Appropriation

Related Topics

Open Document