Appreciation or Appropriation?

As someone who has been brought up and raised in a household of multiple cultures mixed into one,
it has always given me a free pass when it comes to cultural appropriation. I am seen by the public
eye as someone who can almost do whatever I want because I tetchily probably belong to that
culture. Cultural appropriation in a simplified way is seen as stealing of a certain culture, it is usually
something people see as offensive and disrespectful and many times racist. Cultural appropriation is
when objects traditions of marginalised cultures are seen by dominant cultures as exotic desirable
and therefore profitable.It is a process by which cultural icons are lost or mixed into dominant
culture.

Culture is the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of particular people or a society. Contrary to
popular belief a culture does not belong to a colour, it does not belong to a ethnicity or a particular
person. A culture is how you were raised, where you were raised, what you might believe in and any
traditions or elements specific to your lifestyle or that of your ancestors. Culture varies from person
to person and can change or combine throughout your life. So how is it possible to appropriate a
culture when culture itself has no boundaries. In this essay I hope to inform and negate some of the
common misconceptions on cultural appropriation.

Recently ….. was called out for cultural appropriation for …….

To know the history of a culture is not what determine weather or not you can use it , it should not
work like that , of course there is more peace in knowing exactly where something came from but
most people don’t do that today even if they are from that culture.

Oppression and why people think you should not culturally appropriate.

Authenticityy of culture and new distortions

The clothes you wear, where do they come from. Made in china

Although there is a stereotype a skin tone belongs to a culture that there is that if you are not from
a certain place that you should not do that of that cuture. So say you are Chinese ethnicity but raised
in Usa and have no notion of any Chinese culture are you still allowed to use that cultures elements,
some would say yes because its still in your blood so that culture belongs to you still right?. But if
you take a dna test and find out you are 2% Chinese are you also allowed to use that culture without
knowledge of where it originated from or the story behind it

Languages you can learn and speak a language but can not do a certain thing. w

One of the things that make me want to disregard Ca as a whole is a double standard, china for an
example you cant wear their traditional clothes, but can eat their food, The countries where most of
our clothes are made, from the high street are made in are Bangladesh, India, China, Vietnam,
Ethiopia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. I doubt people appreciate where and who makes
the material possessions they have yet they may appreciate brands that are known to be britished.

Should people not eat Chinese food since food is apart of a culture
In conclusion, the evidence is clear that the difference in appreciating and appropriating a persons
culture really is an opinion of someone from that culture itself, so truly it is varied, whatever you do
there may be someone who feels offended by your actions even if that is not your intent. Although
it is important to not let a culture die or become distorted it is important to allow people to have the
freedom to choose what they like