So, this seems pretty convenient that I create this chapter because I have a lot to say. Like, it's going to be a chapter you might want to prepare for. So I suggest you get comfortable, snuggle up in your blanket grab a drink of your choice, maybe a bag of chips or something. Maybe one of those share size packs of starburst minis those are good with like pink lemonade, some donut sticks...I'm getting so off track. Gather children, for this might be a very long chapter...
because I have a lot of shit to say.
Where do I even begin? Let's just get down to defining cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is the act of making a certain aspect or concept of a specific culture suddenly appropriate. It's exploitation of marginalized people, it's the stripping of significance and tradition, it's the erasure and ignorance against oppression that affects a specific group of people. Point blank period. I don't argue this, I educate, I discuss but I'm not going to go back and forth about whether or not this is a real concept especially not on my account or on my book(s). It exists and it's not okay. Don't try me, you will find yourself muted, deleted, reported, and embarrassed.
Like I was saying, appropriation is never okay and I don't codone it for a second. There are so many people who have an issue recognizing what that is because it's been so normalized at this, comprehending what it is has suddenly become "being selfish" and "being unfair". People fail to realize that cultural identity is all that some of these groups have to themselves.
Let me explain this in terms that are more simplistic:
You did an assignment. It took you a long time to build this assignment. It took you a while to supply yourself with the resources. It took you an incredibly long time to research and create drafts. You finally have your project completed. Then out of the blue someone else plagiarizes your assignment, they received an A and you failed.
That's what cultural appropriation is, it's like having the significance of the things that you've created completely swiped away and ignored. I have so many examples I want to give so I'll just dive the fuck in because I'm impatient as fuck. Let's fucking go.
People fail to realize that white ass motherfucking companies are making profit off of other cultures. Believe it or not, you aren't appreciating culture. You're appreciating whitewashed culture, you're appreciating appropriated culture, you're appreciating blatant racism, you're appreciating capitalism, you're appreciating dehumanization, etc.
Native American headdresses were not made for you to prance around in during music festivals. Those eagle feathers may seem meaningless to you but to actual Natives it has significance, they would know because it belongs to their culture. Native people are not costumes either, I know for damn sure they were not gentrified, raped, abused, murdered, etc., to be dehumanized to a costume. As if they are so irregular that they don't deserve the basic human right to be respected as they are. You aren't paying to be a "Native" princess you are paying to be a insensitive asshole who poured their money into a white company to give you a whitewashed mess.
Black people and black history is appropriated so much it isn't even funny. Yes, I consider whitewashing history as cultural appropriation because that is erasure and stripping of tradition and significance. First the fuck off, Katy Perry and white actors and actresses should not and can not dress up as Egyptian royalty such as Cleopatra because Cleopatra and Ancient Egyptians were not white or fair skinned or light skinned. They were black people, they were dark-skinned and people don't want to recognize that. It's only common sense though, Ancient Egyptians...pre-colonial time, pre-white people, pre-European, duh. Also, Jesus is black and I shouldn't have to explain why. However, artists whitewash Jesus and completely ignore the time and place he was around. Our history is appropriated.
