For a topic that evokes such controversy and discomfort, cultural appropriation is surprisingly difficult to avoid, so much so that you may not even realize its prevalence in your life.
Cultural appropriation hides in the most mundane aspects of our lives: our hairstyles, tattoos, team mascots. It lies in the Disney characters we grow up adoring, such as Jim Crow, a crow in Dumbo whose name refers to segregationist laws, or Pocahontas, whose gruesome story was romanticized to fit the “princess” narrative. Additionally, seemingly harmless fashion trends conceal cultural appropriation, like the Scandinavian scarf, which is marketed as a stylish, classy European accessory, but truly stems from the Indian dupatta.
With a long history of costumes with traditional headdresses, offensive symbols, Día de los Muertos skulls and blackface, Halloween has become a time of year rife with appropriation. As you begin to search for your costume this year, it’s important to be mindful and educated about what cultural appropriation is, how it differs from appreciation and how to avoid it.
Turning Culture into Costume
One of the most difficult aspects of distinguishing cultural appropriation is that its definition varies from person to person. While two people may agree on a definition, whether they view a certain action as appropriation can vary.
“Cultural appropriation is taking pieces of a group’s culture, their traditions, their background and their experiences and using them in a way that does not acknowledge that culture or that group of people,” Dr. Tracey Tevis, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, said. “At times, cultural appropriation can reinforce stereotypes and diminish the original meaning of someone’s culture.”
Senior Nadia Guevara, Student Diversity Board chair and president of Latin Hispanic Student Union, offers the Mexican icon Catrina as an example of appropriation during Halloween.
“The icon and tradition of La Catrina actually started as a social critique of the government and upper classes of Mexico,” Guevara said. “She represents the traditional Mexican idea that in the end we all die, and her appearance shows death as something that doesn’t necessarily have to be feared but can be celebrated as what unites us all. Dressing up as her for scary parties or Halloween trivializes her cultural significance and representation.”
Appropriation vs Appreciation
Most cases of cultural appropriation are entirely unintentional and stem from a place of misunderstanding. Cultural ignorance, for example, is an accidental form of appropriation when the offender may be unaware of the impact of their actions.
“The difference between cultural ignorance and cultural appropriation is in the intention,” senior Sara Gupta, co-president of South Asian Student Association, said. “If someone has good intentions and they’re trying to appreciate the culture, then it’s more excusable than if they’re not.”
Appropriation can also commonly be confused with cultural appreciation, which occurs when someone adopts a custom out of admiration for that culture or tradition. However, this can be perceived as appropriation, so it’s important to learn about the history of the culture before practicing it.
“Appreciation is when you are willing to learn about that custom and trying to expand your perspective,” Guevara said. “The way I think about the difference is that appreciating a culture is when you understand the background, learn the history from someone who practices that custom. That makes sure that you’re not appropriating it or pushing your view on it but instead getting it from someone who knows about it and can teach you about it.”
Misinformation from Media
The quick-click nature of social media only amplifies the spread of cultural appropriation and ignorance. In a sea of misinformation and unverified facts, social media diminishes the role of certain cultures in traditions or trends, perpetrating further instances of unintentional appropriation.
“If people are culturally appropriating because they just didn’t know due to misinformation, it’s social media’s fault, not theirs,” Gupta said. “In my opinion, social media definitely makes it worse. It increases appropriation by accident. If someone tells me something about my identity, I would believe that. My first instinct would be to trust and believe, and, if I trusted and believed more misinformation, that would fully diminish my own cultural identity and what I thought of it.”
Guevara claims that misidentifying cultures not only harms the people of this identity but also threatens the future of the culture itself.
“You could erase the history of a culture in a certain society by doing something as simple as changing the name,” Guevara said. “When no one remembers its origins, no one’s listening anymore. They pass away, and the history of the culture dies with those people who remember its origins.”
As Halloween approaches, hundreds of content creators share their most unique costume ideas, and, under pressure to produce a never-seen-before costume, they may recommend a borderline offensive outfit. While many ideas are harmless, some, such as Native Americans, hula dancers or geishas—all of which are styled to be cute and fashionable, not necessarily respectful—can be blatant appropriation. To avoid this mistake, it’s important to educate yourself on the origins and context of your costume before wearing it.
How to Avoid Appropriating
Because the definition of cultural appropriation is rather subjective, it can be difficult to detect it in someone’s actions or even your own. To prevent appropriation, Tevis recommends that everyone spends time learning about different cultures and expanding their perspectives.
“One of the best ways is to read and to educate yourself,” Tevis said. “We as individuals have to take it upon ourselves to do the research. Personally, I love a good book recommendation. I love podcasts and have a few that I listen to regularly, and they always cover different topics that grows my perspective on the world around us because things are always changing.”
While misinformation or unawareness do not excuse offensive actions, it is important that everyone gives themselves grace. No one should live in fear of experiencing new cultures but rather embrace cultural experiences with enthusiasm and respect. Guevara emphasizes the importance of forgiveness in teaching others how to appreciate rather than appropriate.
“Sometimes you just have to learn through experience,” Guevara said. “Everyone has aspects of their culture that can be appropriated, and you have to be willing to know that this is where intent comes in. People are going to make mistakes. You need to give people forgiveness here because you’ll need it somewhere else.”
