I Am Going to Say Something Controversial

Cultural appropriation is not a thing.

In the extremely rare cases of say, the Nazis co-opting the swastika, I could make an exception. They literally took a symbol from another culture and made it their own. It was deliberate. And let's be clear: there's a difference between disrespecting/mocking someone's culture and "cultural appropriation". The latter usually refers to an unintentional "misuse" of something that belongs to another culture. But define "belong" and define "misuse". You'll find fewer and fewer examples fit the bill.

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IAmJess

What's an example in your view of "disrespecting/mocking someone's culture"?

SW-User

@IAmJess Referring to deities a person believes in as "sky fairies", putting a bindi on your forehead and pretending to read minds with it, putting feathers in your head and going "huya-huya-huya"...making light of cultural or religious symbols or items that people in those cultures take seriously. The intent is the key: the intent is to make fun of it. When people label something as "cultural appropriation", they often disregard the intent. A white woman wearing a kimono might be accused of cultural appropriation, even if it was a gift she received from a Japanese friend (something that actually happened at my university).

IAmJess

Thanks. I can agree with all that.