Cultural Appropriation

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

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

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