Side pack + Friends One Shots

Let's Discuss Cultural Appropriation

Yep this is going to be a thing.

I have deleted and restarted a rant book so often that I am saying fuck it. This isn't the last time I'll want to rant about something but God damn so let me set some things straight. Also I should point out now that from now on in this book or any one shot book, If the title says let's discuss something, You bet it's a rant. Don't worry one shots will be back as I have an idea for one that I will write tonight when I get home from work and finish streaming, Promise.

Rules
1. While ranting, I tend to find both sides of an argument and then go ape shit.
2. If you have any issues at all, yes bring it up and tell me, tell me what you like or dislike and then let's discuss this.
3. Rants can be about anything and if you don't like it, then tell me what you don't like or disagree with or don't read it simple.
4. MY COMMENTS ON ANY RANT UPDATE MUST BE CIVIL! I don't want people attacking or hurting others for having a different opinion to you, Talk about it, Explain your side and listen to theirs. If you don't like it, Agree to disagree and leave it.

There now that I've covered the ground rules. You want to know what's REALLY pissing me off lately?

The term Cultural Appropriation. Also known as Cultural Misinterpretation.

Let's start off Simple yeah.

Cultural appropriation is a term used when parts of a minority culture (I.E Black, Asian, African, etc) is taken and used by people of a dominant culture... Let's be honest here and just say Whites.

But here's the thing, Anyone can be accused of cultural appropriation, Whether it is a white boy or girl adopting a hair style typically seen in the black community, or even an African man or woman taking parts of Asian culture and adopting it for themselves... Ah there in lies the issue.

Let me tell you why I fucking hate the term cultural appropriation and why I genuinely believe there is no such thing.

That is because I fucking love History and Geography. World wide History and Geography are two of my favourite subjects when I was in school and I still to this day love learning about both topics. Whether it's the history of certain notable people throughout history, or just wanting to know about the Population density and its services in Water and Electricity to a country.

I love those subjects, but I also love different cultures from around the globe. I love learning about what other groups of people do in their spare time or how they interact with their own history.

Some cultures are used a lot in other parts of the world but it is only a problem when certain groups of a more dominant... Fuck it I'm just going to say white people for most of my examples.

(Tobi: It's all white people.)

Fuck off no it's not.

Let's dumber down what cultural appropriation was, as I stated above that it is when parts of a minority culture is taken by a Dom-White people. But here's the thing because no, Mother fucker Jesus christ.

It is only called when the dominant culture uses it with only minor knowledge of what it stands for and there fore make up the rest of the information from there.

For example would this be considered cultural appropriation?

Someone wearing an outfit of another culture without any knowledge of what it is, Where it's from or what it represents, Even though they themselves did not choose the item in question.

Or perhaps food.

Let's say someone enters, A Japanese restaurant, specializing in traditional Japanese cuisine, and they use Chopsticks for their entire meal, Not knowing that some of the items on the menu are more suited to a knife or fork because that is what they think is right.

Which of those two would be considered cultural appropriation?

How about this then and it's a perfect example.

In America, a young girl was obsessed with the culture of Japan, As she was unable to go to the country, Her mother decided to make her a traditional Japanese tea party, Going all out with correct music, Correct setting, Dressing her daughter as a Geisha which of course was her choice, and they enjoyed their tea after taking a photo to show the young girls happiness.

Yet people immediately called Cultural Appropriation due to their skin color and assumed they had no idea what they were doing.

The reason above is true and I can't seem to find the article so feel free to search for it yourselves as I am unable to. But what makes me so angry on this topic is there is a difference between wanting to experience culture of another people, and then flat out being racist and this is why I honestly, believe that there is no such thing as cultural appropriation.

For example as I know there may be some pitch forks. If I was to say for example Irish culture consists of drinking and fighting. That is considered a racist remark as I have made a statement based off of what I hear from others and have seen online.

If I was to say that all people that live on islands like Samoa, Fiji, Papua New Guinea etc can sing and dance and have some of the best music and I would like to recreate or work it into my own music or dance... Is that cultural appropriation? Or is that giving a nod and wanting to be apart of a culture and introduce it to more people.

Someone genuinely tell me because I just asked a friend of mine that question and she told me I was a dick, mind you her family is Samoan so I went to a correct source to ask my question.

But what if we turn it around?

What is something white people do that others can use as a means to experience white culture?

Can you think of anything? No? Cos I can't would you like to know why?

It is because White people are the most dominant culture, and therefore no one can really think of what they would be able to adopt, learn, or "Appropriate" it's not impossible, but it is extremely difficult to find something in white culture that could be recreated somewhere else due to the fact that it is a minority culture wanting to take pieces from a dominant culture.

That actually bothers me a little that we as a community are kind of screwed there, everything we do is so normal and day to day that we really can't think of something that represents White culture. Even our history shows that we were a very dominant culture and believed we were superior. From Julius Ceasar to Marco Polo, Sigmund Freud and Socrates.

Throughout History, White culture has been depicted as the dominant ones as they were extremely aggressive. Which is the historically accurate reason as to why people find it hard to think of what encapsulates white culture and why it's always people calling appropriation due to us wanting to experience what other cultures have to offer...

But this then circles back to the original statement, What is cultural appropriation? Am I appropriating a culture of people by wanting to learn more and partaking in said event? Or is it only appropriation when I don't have any prior knowledge and make the rest up from what information I do have?

If I know absolutely nothing about a topic in question, don't I need to research and experience something before I would be able to make an educated decision? Am I appropriating a culture only until I know more about it? Then at that point am I fine to continue because I know more now?

I really want you guys to tell me whether you agree or disagree and I'm expecting a lot of disagrees as I know you guys are all over the world so I would love to hear your opinions on this.

Please let me know what you think and let's discuss this.