Another appropriation question
August 16, 2019 12:06 PM Subscribe
I, a white American woman, am really struggling with the idea of cultural appropriation, particularly with regards to home items that I (or family members) have bought or been given in countries with cultures that are not mine. I have read all of the recent questions and Googled to the extent of my skills, and I'm still not sure. Please help (anonymous because I feel like I should know this)
My parents traveled extensively when they were young, and I grew up in a house full of items that they bought in other places, such as lace from Belgium or murano glass from Venice. They loved these souvenirs and felt like buying the specialty of a region was important and meaningful.
However, they (Italian/ British heritage) traveled to Europe. Flash forward forty years, and most of my travels have been to places where I do not share a culture, primarily in Africa and Asia. I now have a house full of things that I've brought back, and I'm trying to sort them with a critical eye. Some of these things I have had for years, and they are integrated into my otherwise western/ modern house in a fairly subtle way. None of them have any religious significance (that I can determine, though I could be wrong).
Some examples,
Papyrus from Egypt
A decorative wall hanging from India, made by local women from old saris
Painting by an aboriginal artist, purchased from her in Australia
Japanese style ink drawings from a Japanese artist in Hawaii
Turkish ceramic bowl from Istanbul
Tablecloth from African wax print cloth, purchased in South Africa
When I travel, my local co-workers frequently encourage me to buy certain things. For example, my last trip to Nigeria, the local manager brought in bags of cloth for me to choose from and insisted that her tailor make me a dress - so now I have a beautiful print dress in a mostly western style (with some African flourishes) that I'm pretty sure that I shouldn't wear.
That's all to say that I want to engage with other people and cultures, I don't want to appropriate, and I'm ready to get rid of things. But I'm still really not understanding where the line is. I really apologize for the racism 101 question, and I appreciate any help you can give me or resources.
My parents traveled extensively when they were young, and I grew up in a house full of items that they bought in other places, such as lace from Belgium or murano glass from Venice. They loved these souvenirs and felt like buying the specialty of a region was important and meaningful.
However, they (Italian/ British heritage) traveled to Europe. Flash forward forty years, and most of my travels have been to places where I do not share a culture, primarily in Africa and Asia. I now have a house full of things that I've brought back, and I'm trying to sort them with a critical eye. Some of these things I have had for years, and they are integrated into my otherwise western/ modern house in a fairly subtle way. None of them have any religious significance (that I can determine, though I could be wrong).
Some examples,
Papyrus from Egypt
A decorative wall hanging from India, made by local women from old saris
Painting by an aboriginal artist, purchased from her in Australia
Japanese style ink drawings from a Japanese artist in Hawaii
Turkish ceramic bowl from Istanbul
Tablecloth from African wax print cloth, purchased in South Africa
When I travel, my local co-workers frequently encourage me to buy certain things. For example, my last trip to Nigeria, the local manager brought in bags of cloth for me to choose from and insisted that her tailor make me a dress - so now I have a beautiful print dress in a mostly western style (with some African flourishes) that I'm pretty sure that I shouldn't wear.
That's all to say that I want to engage with other people and cultures, I don't want to appropriate, and I'm ready to get rid of things. But I'm still really not understanding where the line is. I really apologize for the racism 101 question, and I appreciate any help you can give me or resources.
If you're not comfortable with owning these things, by all means, get rid of them.
But it does sound like you're way overthinking the whole thing. Owning a dress or souvenir that you paid someone to make and sell doesn't count, IMO, as cultural appropriation. Your acquisition of such items went to benefit the welfare of the cultures you obtained them from. You don't seem to be claiming the items as the fruit of your own culture or heritage. As such, I'd say it's all good.
posted by 2N2222 at 12:18 PM on August 16, 2019 [30 favorites]
But it does sound like you're way overthinking the whole thing. Owning a dress or souvenir that you paid someone to make and sell doesn't count, IMO, as cultural appropriation. Your acquisition of such items went to benefit the welfare of the cultures you obtained them from. You don't seem to be claiming the items as the fruit of your own culture or heritage. As such, I'd say it's all good.
posted by 2N2222 at 12:18 PM on August 16, 2019 [30 favorites]
It sounds like you are making an effort to purchase items directly from the artist (the Japanese ink drawings from the artist in Hawaii, the painting in Australia). That alone means you're doing way better than most when it comes to awareness about the cultural impact of your purchasing. The one thing that I was unsure of was the dress made from Nigerian cloth - but then I saw that your co-worker from Nigeria gave you the cloth and sent you to her tailor and talked you into getting the dress.
I think if the people who belong to the culture in question are a) the people you're purchasing directly from, or b) are giving you these items as gifts, then you're not only fine, you're better than most.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:25 PM on August 16, 2019 [20 favorites]
I think if the people who belong to the culture in question are a) the people you're purchasing directly from, or b) are giving you these items as gifts, then you're not only fine, you're better than most.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:25 PM on August 16, 2019 [20 favorites]
I'm thinking about the times I've traveled to places where the tourism industry had been hard hit, like Indonesia after the Bali bombing, and Arab towns in Israel after the second Intifada. I remember the naked desperation with which vendors were trying to sell their goods. I can't imagine they would have been much comforted if I'd told them I couldn't buy souvenirs because of cultural appropriation.
I really think you are overthinking this. Ask yourself if the people who made this could see it, would they be hurt or angry? Are you using a prayer rug to wipe your feet on, say, or using a Buddha statue as an umbrella stand? Or are your items enjoyed and displayed as the beautiful things they were meant to be?
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:25 PM on August 16, 2019 [46 favorites]
I really think you are overthinking this. Ask yourself if the people who made this could see it, would they be hurt or angry? Are you using a prayer rug to wipe your feet on, say, or using a Buddha statue as an umbrella stand? Or are your items enjoyed and displayed as the beautiful things they were meant to be?
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:25 PM on August 16, 2019 [46 favorites]
I think you're right that you shouldn't wear the dress (outside of Nigeria, where you bought it). I also think that people being willing to sell you things is not a great indicator of the appropriative-ness of your use of them.
But decorative items being used as decoration, it's harder for me to see the cultural appropriation in that. It's more of a tourism vibe to me than an appropriative vibe.
The tourism vibe might be problematic to the extent it's reminiscent of colonialist collections of dominated artifacts. If your place is starting to look like a retired British officer's parlor after their tour of service in the colonies, that's its own kind of (to me) tackiness - and there's probably a better word for that. But still not appropriation really. And I don't know if that's wrong so much as something to be aware of how other people might see or feel in your space.
Your parents' collection, while not racially problematic, also has the collecting feel to it - "the best of every region". It's not a surprise that local industries would build around the world to satisfy that the consumer impulses of Western tourists. I guess it's its own distinctive cultural marker in a way.
posted by Salamandrous at 12:36 PM on August 16, 2019 [5 favorites]
But decorative items being used as decoration, it's harder for me to see the cultural appropriation in that. It's more of a tourism vibe to me than an appropriative vibe.
The tourism vibe might be problematic to the extent it's reminiscent of colonialist collections of dominated artifacts. If your place is starting to look like a retired British officer's parlor after their tour of service in the colonies, that's its own kind of (to me) tackiness - and there's probably a better word for that. But still not appropriation really. And I don't know if that's wrong so much as something to be aware of how other people might see or feel in your space.
Your parents' collection, while not racially problematic, also has the collecting feel to it - "the best of every region". It's not a surprise that local industries would build around the world to satisfy that the consumer impulses of Western tourists. I guess it's its own distinctive cultural marker in a way.
posted by Salamandrous at 12:36 PM on August 16, 2019 [5 favorites]
I'm not in a position to comment on whether or not your possession of these things is a form of cultural appropriation. Instead what I want to respond to is why you may be having difficulty figuring out "where the line is." Depending on the cultural group, and often even depending on the individual you're speaking to from that cultural group, you may discover that sometimes - if not often - there are different perspectives on what constitutes appropriation of a specific culture.
The key here is to ask yourself, why do I have this object? Do I know what it is and what it means to the people who created it? Am I engaging with this object and/or enjoying this object on terms that are appropriate and in line with the values and context known to the people who created it? Have I actually researched this information, or am I just assuming? Also, have I taken this object or concept and started passing it off to others as if it's something I/white people have discovered? (An example being this white lady who decided to start selling, as if she'd come up with it herself, the hair bonnets that black women have long used to protect their hair at night.)
There isn't going to be an easy answer to the question of "what is cultural appropriation" because cultures are not monoliths. Just as there are many different cultures, there are many takes on what qualifies as cultural appropriation. And learning how to navigate this requires white people to do the racial and emotional weight-lifting that racialized peoples have had to do for far too long. So it's good that you're asking this question; it's also good to keep in mind that white people with "good intentions" often have a serious tendency to get so caught up in their own white anxiety over this stuff that they fail to see the forest for the trees. We need to acknowledge that every time we ask a person who identifies with a culture different from our own, "is this cultural appropriation?" we are displacing our own burden onto them. There are plenty of people who are happy to answer that question but no racialized person should be required or made to feel like they are responsible to answer that question.
posted by nightrecordings at 12:46 PM on August 16, 2019 [12 favorites]
The key here is to ask yourself, why do I have this object? Do I know what it is and what it means to the people who created it? Am I engaging with this object and/or enjoying this object on terms that are appropriate and in line with the values and context known to the people who created it? Have I actually researched this information, or am I just assuming? Also, have I taken this object or concept and started passing it off to others as if it's something I/white people have discovered? (An example being this white lady who decided to start selling, as if she'd come up with it herself, the hair bonnets that black women have long used to protect their hair at night.)
There isn't going to be an easy answer to the question of "what is cultural appropriation" because cultures are not monoliths. Just as there are many different cultures, there are many takes on what qualifies as cultural appropriation. And learning how to navigate this requires white people to do the racial and emotional weight-lifting that racialized peoples have had to do for far too long. So it's good that you're asking this question; it's also good to keep in mind that white people with "good intentions" often have a serious tendency to get so caught up in their own white anxiety over this stuff that they fail to see the forest for the trees. We need to acknowledge that every time we ask a person who identifies with a culture different from our own, "is this cultural appropriation?" we are displacing our own burden onto them. There are plenty of people who are happy to answer that question but no racialized person should be required or made to feel like they are responsible to answer that question.
posted by nightrecordings at 12:46 PM on August 16, 2019 [12 favorites]
If it's helpful, the thing that gave me most insight into what cultural appropriation was when I saw someone in a nightclub wearing a rosary as if it were a necklace*. That's not to say that cultural appropriation is only about sacred objects, but it's easier for me to see that it's about whether, given the original context for the item, what I am doing with it now is honouring that or diminishing it.
*It's perfectly possible that person did so as a statement about the Catholic church rather than unknowingly/thoughtlessly. It was the feeling I had that gave me a glimpse into why cultural appropriation matter and what it might feel like.
posted by plonkee at 1:11 PM on August 16, 2019 [2 favorites]
*It's perfectly possible that person did so as a statement about the Catholic church rather than unknowingly/thoughtlessly. It was the feeling I had that gave me a glimpse into why cultural appropriation matter and what it might feel like.
posted by plonkee at 1:11 PM on August 16, 2019 [2 favorites]
Cultural appreciation is NOT cultural appropriation.
Everyone and every culture likes being appreciated. You helped local artists and artisans by buying what they produced. You like and appreciate those products.
You're good.
posted by Neekee at 1:12 PM on August 16, 2019 [31 favorites]
Everyone and every culture likes being appreciated. You helped local artists and artisans by buying what they produced. You like and appreciate those products.
You're good.
posted by Neekee at 1:12 PM on August 16, 2019 [31 favorites]
I think some of the major anxiety around this is precisely because there are no actual Appropriation Police or authority that will unilaterally declare this thing is okay, this thing is not. Unless you scrub your home of anything not from your cultures, there is a chance someone will find something you own appropriative. This is a tension that's part of white privilege, and it's okay to live with it and know it's not going to go away. The best you can do is ask and listen respectfully, like you're doing here, and know that you're probably not going to be perfect and if you do ever learn better in the future about something you thought was OK, you'll do better. The attitude is more important than getting the action exactly right.
Two of my other personal metrics would be:
-Did I pick this out as a souvenir of a specific place/memory and not just, eg, "Egypt?"
- Did I buy this because I specifically liked/wanted this item or because it was The Thing You Buy In That Place? (I just went to Alaska and ulu knives were everywhere. I guess lots of people buy them, but I feel like the vast majority are because that is The Thing You Buy.)
posted by nakedmolerats at 1:44 PM on August 16, 2019 [11 favorites]
Two of my other personal metrics would be:
-Did I pick this out as a souvenir of a specific place/memory and not just, eg, "Egypt?"
- Did I buy this because I specifically liked/wanted this item or because it was The Thing You Buy In That Place? (I just went to Alaska and ulu knives were everywhere. I guess lots of people buy them, but I feel like the vast majority are because that is The Thing You Buy.)
posted by nakedmolerats at 1:44 PM on August 16, 2019 [11 favorites]
I can talk about the Nigerian stuff.
Well I can talk about the aboriginal artist thing as well: it was made to be sold. Artists hardly ever earn a living, it's good to buy their stuff, display it and appreciate it: it validates their talent, gives them money for work they choose to do and is part of a voluntary transaction which both sides get something out of. If you said the aboriginal artist's work was by you, or claimed somehow to have originated it or inspired it or enabled it, or to be THE expert at interpreting it, more so even than the artist, that would be cultural appropriation.
The cloth which you were given in Nigeria has a long and complex global history, beginning with locally printed cotton from Java traded to West Africa by the British and other Europeans. Here's one version (differs slightly from what I learned): The real history of your favourite African prints that will shock you. To sum up, these fabrics which are extremely popular all over West Africa, were first traded from abroad as a cheaper, machine-printed substitute for Indonesian hand-printed batik fabric. Many of them were printed in Manchester and other European capitals.
West Africa is very now now now and new things are at a premium; but some of the older designs are absolutely loved. Vlisco had a page, Vlisco Stories, inviting people to write in with tales and comments about wearing some of the older classic designs. It's a pity I can't link it because firefox doesn't like it any more. But here's a quote from the about page of the Vlisco website:
Vlisco has been designing and manufacturing distinctive fabrics loved by African women since 1846. The specially crafted fabrics – Wax Hollandais, Super-Wax and Java – continue to be made with time-honoured methods and materials in Helmond, the Netherlands. For over 170 years, Vlisco has created more than 350,000 original textile designs. Many of these designs have become cultural treasures, bestowed with special names and meanings by the merchants of Central and West Africa.
Incidentally the cloth is commonly known as Ankara because at one time it used to be produced and imported from Turkey.
You'll see some of the fabric is still printed in Europe and probably more expensive and more prized because of that. (I should say somewhere that many of the firms have been bought out by Chinese firms while trying to preserve the name and history of the brand; that's a whole big other story. Though in fact the market is flooded with imports from China.) Some of the older firms have moved production to West Africa; some are African-owned and some are Chinese-owned and some are partnerships:
How ABC Wax - a star of the city's textile trade - has waxed and waned from the Manchester Evening News (how production ceased in Manchester.)
ABC Brands
The name A. Brunschweiler & Company (ABC) has been synonymous with textile manufacturing over the last 100 years throughout Africa and Europe for English Wax. Since 2006, ABC standard Wax has been printed in Ghana by ATL as part of a collaboration between ABC, UK and ATL. From June 2009, the rest of the ABC brands notably ABC (Super Wax) and Prestige Brands (Osikani and VIP) will also be manufactured by ATL and distributed, marketed and sold to Africa, Europe and beyond from Akosombo Textiles Ltd, Our Brands.
Now, the cloth that the person bought you is unlikely to be Jules Holland or Vlisco, because they are just too damned expensive. But, they took the trouble to take you to the market, buy the cloth and get it made for you because they were gifting you with not just the cloth, but an experience and a taste of the commercial culture (global), fashion culture (global) and day-to-day culture of their home, where they met you and you two became known to each other. It was a gift, why wouldn't you wear it? Is it comfortable? Do you look nice in it? Is it wearable in the climate you'll be wearing it in?
Does it have any significant meaning beyond that? No, it's everyday wear. See, if say, there is a costume that's only ever worn by brides (which there is) or by a certain sort of preacher (which there is) THEN it would certainly be inappropriate for you to wear such a costume. And if you then assumed that wearing the costume kind of lent you some attributes from the traditional function of the costume - like you wore an Urobo bride's costume at your own wedding as a sort of epitome of 'bride-ness', or you swanned around in a long Aladura robe and beads trying to give people homilies for fun - that would be GROSS cultural appropriation.
This, a super-condensed summary of the context surrounding West African print fabric, is my take, being Nigerian.
posted by glasseyes at 1:52 PM on August 16, 2019 [78 favorites]
Well I can talk about the aboriginal artist thing as well: it was made to be sold. Artists hardly ever earn a living, it's good to buy their stuff, display it and appreciate it: it validates their talent, gives them money for work they choose to do and is part of a voluntary transaction which both sides get something out of. If you said the aboriginal artist's work was by you, or claimed somehow to have originated it or inspired it or enabled it, or to be THE expert at interpreting it, more so even than the artist, that would be cultural appropriation.
The cloth which you were given in Nigeria has a long and complex global history, beginning with locally printed cotton from Java traded to West Africa by the British and other Europeans. Here's one version (differs slightly from what I learned): The real history of your favourite African prints that will shock you. To sum up, these fabrics which are extremely popular all over West Africa, were first traded from abroad as a cheaper, machine-printed substitute for Indonesian hand-printed batik fabric. Many of them were printed in Manchester and other European capitals.
West Africa is very now now now and new things are at a premium; but some of the older designs are absolutely loved. Vlisco had a page, Vlisco Stories, inviting people to write in with tales and comments about wearing some of the older classic designs. It's a pity I can't link it because firefox doesn't like it any more. But here's a quote from the about page of the Vlisco website:
Vlisco has been designing and manufacturing distinctive fabrics loved by African women since 1846. The specially crafted fabrics – Wax Hollandais, Super-Wax and Java – continue to be made with time-honoured methods and materials in Helmond, the Netherlands. For over 170 years, Vlisco has created more than 350,000 original textile designs. Many of these designs have become cultural treasures, bestowed with special names and meanings by the merchants of Central and West Africa.
Incidentally the cloth is commonly known as Ankara because at one time it used to be produced and imported from Turkey.
You'll see some of the fabric is still printed in Europe and probably more expensive and more prized because of that. (I should say somewhere that many of the firms have been bought out by Chinese firms while trying to preserve the name and history of the brand; that's a whole big other story. Though in fact the market is flooded with imports from China.) Some of the older firms have moved production to West Africa; some are African-owned and some are Chinese-owned and some are partnerships:
How ABC Wax - a star of the city's textile trade - has waxed and waned from the Manchester Evening News (how production ceased in Manchester.)
ABC Brands
The name A. Brunschweiler & Company (ABC) has been synonymous with textile manufacturing over the last 100 years throughout Africa and Europe for English Wax. Since 2006, ABC standard Wax has been printed in Ghana by ATL as part of a collaboration between ABC, UK and ATL. From June 2009, the rest of the ABC brands notably ABC (Super Wax) and Prestige Brands (Osikani and VIP) will also be manufactured by ATL and distributed, marketed and sold to Africa, Europe and beyond from Akosombo Textiles Ltd, Our Brands.
Now, the cloth that the person bought you is unlikely to be Jules Holland or Vlisco, because they are just too damned expensive. But, they took the trouble to take you to the market, buy the cloth and get it made for you because they were gifting you with not just the cloth, but an experience and a taste of the commercial culture (global), fashion culture (global) and day-to-day culture of their home, where they met you and you two became known to each other. It was a gift, why wouldn't you wear it? Is it comfortable? Do you look nice in it? Is it wearable in the climate you'll be wearing it in?
Does it have any significant meaning beyond that? No, it's everyday wear. See, if say, there is a costume that's only ever worn by brides (which there is) or by a certain sort of preacher (which there is) THEN it would certainly be inappropriate for you to wear such a costume. And if you then assumed that wearing the costume kind of lent you some attributes from the traditional function of the costume - like you wore an Urobo bride's costume at your own wedding as a sort of epitome of 'bride-ness', or you swanned around in a long Aladura robe and beads trying to give people homilies for fun - that would be GROSS cultural appropriation.
This, a super-condensed summary of the context surrounding West African print fabric, is my take, being Nigerian.
posted by glasseyes at 1:52 PM on August 16, 2019 [78 favorites]
I think the comment above about wearing a rosary in a nightclub shows something about the ambivalence of possible positions one might take. Like, if the person wearing it was brought up Catholic (the rosary is their culture*); they are wearing it to a nightclub specifically to disrespect it (they hate the church's take on sexuality and sensuality and want to have 'immoral pleasures' wearing the rosary - like Watch this, god and the church) ... I guess that's not cultural appropriation?
* ex-Catholic here.
posted by glasseyes at 2:10 PM on August 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
* ex-Catholic here.
posted by glasseyes at 2:10 PM on August 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
I think the fact that you're thinking about this puts you ahead of like 90% of Westerners in this realm. Thank you for asking this question.
I can speak to the sari wall-hanging, at least. I wouldn't consider it cultural appropriation per se, but it does edge on Orientalist ideas about Exotic India. The market for sari wall-hangings is 100% Western; it's not something you see in an Indian household. I mean, you wouldn't make a wall-hanging out of old jeans or cardigans, right? Or out of cocktail dresses? A sari is a garment; treating it as a decorative object exoticizes (and fetishizes) everyday clothing worn by millions of women, as something that is Other and put on a pedestal. If I see a sari wall-hanging in someone's house or office, I make a mental note that its owner may not understand the concept of microaggressions, and I proceed accordingly.
The other things you list seem like things that were created as art and purchased by the artist or given to you as gifts by someone who wants to share their culture with you, which I feel like is quite a bit different. I would have zero problem with a Rajasthani painting wall-hanging, for instance.
posted by basalganglia at 2:45 PM on August 16, 2019 [6 favorites]
I can speak to the sari wall-hanging, at least. I wouldn't consider it cultural appropriation per se, but it does edge on Orientalist ideas about Exotic India. The market for sari wall-hangings is 100% Western; it's not something you see in an Indian household. I mean, you wouldn't make a wall-hanging out of old jeans or cardigans, right? Or out of cocktail dresses? A sari is a garment; treating it as a decorative object exoticizes (and fetishizes) everyday clothing worn by millions of women, as something that is Other and put on a pedestal. If I see a sari wall-hanging in someone's house or office, I make a mental note that its owner may not understand the concept of microaggressions, and I proceed accordingly.
The other things you list seem like things that were created as art and purchased by the artist or given to you as gifts by someone who wants to share their culture with you, which I feel like is quite a bit different. I would have zero problem with a Rajasthani painting wall-hanging, for instance.
posted by basalganglia at 2:45 PM on August 16, 2019 [6 favorites]
Eh, I'm an Indian woman and while you might be unlikely to see a sari as a wall hanging in an Indian house that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with that. It's a bit naff, but that doesn't make it cultural appropriation - Indians sometimes take our impressive fabrics for granted, but I've often thought that my mother's sari collection was basically a collection of artwork. There's nothing wrong with celebrating the work of the artisans and weavers who made those saris but putting them on your wall.
posted by peacheater at 3:09 PM on August 16, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by peacheater at 3:09 PM on August 16, 2019 [10 favorites]
I mean, you wouldn't make a wall-hanging out of old jeans or cardigans, right? Or out of cocktail dresses?
Actually, there are many people who would indeed make a wall hanging out of old jeans.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:59 PM on August 16, 2019 [2 favorites]
Actually, there are many people who would indeed make a wall hanging out of old jeans.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:59 PM on August 16, 2019 [2 favorites]
(That sounds glib, I posted too soon)
I think that when it comes to "appropriation", what matters more is the sincerity of your appreciation for what you've got; are you hanging a wall hanging made of old Saris because it's a sort of "ooh this looks so exotic" kind of thing, or is it more of a genuine "oh gosh that is so pretty" appreciation? Or is there some "hey cool, this is a handy way to recycle something" going on?
You're putting thought into it in the first place, that's good.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:16 PM on August 16, 2019 [3 favorites]
I think that when it comes to "appropriation", what matters more is the sincerity of your appreciation for what you've got; are you hanging a wall hanging made of old Saris because it's a sort of "ooh this looks so exotic" kind of thing, or is it more of a genuine "oh gosh that is so pretty" appreciation? Or is there some "hey cool, this is a handy way to recycle something" going on?
You're putting thought into it in the first place, that's good.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:16 PM on August 16, 2019 [3 favorites]
I'm white, so I'm not going to be an expert in what people from other cultures would view as appropriation. However, I can share my thinking with you and my experience based on my own thinking on the topic. This is a long answer and certainly not definitive.
I travel a great deal for work and currently live in Asia. I made a decision many years ago that I didn't want to be someone who stayed in a hotel room and didn't appreciate the things I saw around me. It feels wrong to fly in to a country on a major airline, stay in a large hotel chain and give nothing to the local economy.
Now that I'm older and have a little more cash, I particularly like to support less known artists. Living in Asia, it is shockingly easy to go to galleries and buy works by white artists. Honestly, the piece I own which now feels most appropriative is something I bought before moving to Asia-- a piece of Thai scenery painted by a white Australian. I didn't understand at the time how many white artists work in places like Hong Kong representing Asia, and it now makes me uncomfortable.
When it comes to buying something in another culture, here are the questions I now ask myself:
Am I adding to the local economy in a positive way?
Is this purchase going to benefit the country around me or some kind of global chain?
Am I participating in depleting the cultural heritage or natural resources of the place where I am buying it?
Do I understand the purpose and meaning of what I just bought before I buy it?
Is the maker of the piece part of the culture or appropriating/benefiting from the culture?
Will it be something I use and which knits into my life and which fits me, or am I showing off where I have been?
When it comes to displaying or using something I have bought from another place I think the thing to remember is that the reaction of someone from a culture in diaspora is going to be really different than someone who lives in the country itself. I am friends with a young designer in Indonesia who does beautiful designs which combine batik and modern fashion. I bought a jacket from her. If I wear it in Indonesia, no problem-- it's seen as respectful and greatly appreciated. I have to consider that if I wear it in the Netherlands it could have a very different impact on the Indonesian population who needed to flee after the war. And it would be completely fair that they have a different reaction. Batik patterns have meaning. Indonesians in Indonesia are more tolerant if a foreigner gets the meaning wrong and wears it inappropriately but with good intention. For a Dutch-Indonesian the same mistake might be one in a long line of painful microaggressions.
Regarding your things, nobody can give you a rule book. Do you love them? Do you use them if they have a use? Does it have a personal meaning to you? Are you willing to be conscious that others may have a reaction you do not intend and not be offended by that? Particularly regarding your dress-- it seems to me there is nothing wrong with having it, and if you don't pretend you invented it or discovered it it is up to you whether or not to wear it. But I would be aware that it may feel painful to others in a way you do not intend. Since it was a gift, I would absolutely treasure it, but take care with how/where I wear the piece.
posted by frumiousb at 4:53 PM on August 16, 2019 [10 favorites]
I travel a great deal for work and currently live in Asia. I made a decision many years ago that I didn't want to be someone who stayed in a hotel room and didn't appreciate the things I saw around me. It feels wrong to fly in to a country on a major airline, stay in a large hotel chain and give nothing to the local economy.
Now that I'm older and have a little more cash, I particularly like to support less known artists. Living in Asia, it is shockingly easy to go to galleries and buy works by white artists. Honestly, the piece I own which now feels most appropriative is something I bought before moving to Asia-- a piece of Thai scenery painted by a white Australian. I didn't understand at the time how many white artists work in places like Hong Kong representing Asia, and it now makes me uncomfortable.
When it comes to buying something in another culture, here are the questions I now ask myself:
Am I adding to the local economy in a positive way?
Is this purchase going to benefit the country around me or some kind of global chain?
Am I participating in depleting the cultural heritage or natural resources of the place where I am buying it?
Do I understand the purpose and meaning of what I just bought before I buy it?
Is the maker of the piece part of the culture or appropriating/benefiting from the culture?
Will it be something I use and which knits into my life and which fits me, or am I showing off where I have been?
When it comes to displaying or using something I have bought from another place I think the thing to remember is that the reaction of someone from a culture in diaspora is going to be really different than someone who lives in the country itself. I am friends with a young designer in Indonesia who does beautiful designs which combine batik and modern fashion. I bought a jacket from her. If I wear it in Indonesia, no problem-- it's seen as respectful and greatly appreciated. I have to consider that if I wear it in the Netherlands it could have a very different impact on the Indonesian population who needed to flee after the war. And it would be completely fair that they have a different reaction. Batik patterns have meaning. Indonesians in Indonesia are more tolerant if a foreigner gets the meaning wrong and wears it inappropriately but with good intention. For a Dutch-Indonesian the same mistake might be one in a long line of painful microaggressions.
Regarding your things, nobody can give you a rule book. Do you love them? Do you use them if they have a use? Does it have a personal meaning to you? Are you willing to be conscious that others may have a reaction you do not intend and not be offended by that? Particularly regarding your dress-- it seems to me there is nothing wrong with having it, and if you don't pretend you invented it or discovered it it is up to you whether or not to wear it. But I would be aware that it may feel painful to others in a way you do not intend. Since it was a gift, I would absolutely treasure it, but take care with how/where I wear the piece.
posted by frumiousb at 4:53 PM on August 16, 2019 [10 favorites]
If it's any help to you, I'll state this: I, a Mexican man, think that there is no such thing as cultural appropriation.
Cultures evolve, and mix, and change, and no one has a claim to be the sole curator or owner of a culture. The only cultures that have that level of control are dead. Cultures that take on new elements from other cultures are the ones that thrive.
Look at Italian food, with Chinese noodles and tomatoes from Central America. Look at Mexican piñatas, that come from China, and our tacos al pastor, that come from Syria. Look at Irish potatoes, that come from Peru. Nachos are not Mexican, they're from the US. Hawaiian pizza is Canadian!
Cultures grow on their soft power, their influence, their reach. In 50 years, the Kiwi Haka will be performed by every team of every sport all over the world, and we will all strive to achieve Finnish sisu, and the Nipponese will continue to influence the aesthetics of the planet. Maybe the Uruguayans will adopt tips from Malaysian cooking, and painters in the Urals will learn from Sylvia Ji, and we will all take from each other, and it will be awesome.
So, keep doing what you're doing, and be proud that you're helping our species be better tomorrow.
posted by Cobalt at 7:03 PM on August 16, 2019 [8 favorites]
Cultures evolve, and mix, and change, and no one has a claim to be the sole curator or owner of a culture. The only cultures that have that level of control are dead. Cultures that take on new elements from other cultures are the ones that thrive.
Look at Italian food, with Chinese noodles and tomatoes from Central America. Look at Mexican piñatas, that come from China, and our tacos al pastor, that come from Syria. Look at Irish potatoes, that come from Peru. Nachos are not Mexican, they're from the US. Hawaiian pizza is Canadian!
Cultures grow on their soft power, their influence, their reach. In 50 years, the Kiwi Haka will be performed by every team of every sport all over the world, and we will all strive to achieve Finnish sisu, and the Nipponese will continue to influence the aesthetics of the planet. Maybe the Uruguayans will adopt tips from Malaysian cooking, and painters in the Urals will learn from Sylvia Ji, and we will all take from each other, and it will be awesome.
So, keep doing what you're doing, and be proud that you're helping our species be better tomorrow.
posted by Cobalt at 7:03 PM on August 16, 2019 [8 favorites]
None of what you described is cultural appropriation. You aren't appropriating anything. This would be an even sadder world if we were no longer allowed to buy and display art and souvenirs from other countries and cultures.
Your tailor made dress sounds beautiful. I think the people who made it for you would want you to enjoy the dress. And I bet all those artists you purchased works from were happy to sell their art to you and would be very happy to know it's displayed in your home.
posted by wondermouse at 7:44 PM on August 16, 2019 [5 favorites]
Your tailor made dress sounds beautiful. I think the people who made it for you would want you to enjoy the dress. And I bet all those artists you purchased works from were happy to sell their art to you and would be very happy to know it's displayed in your home.
posted by wondermouse at 7:44 PM on August 16, 2019 [5 favorites]
I do think it's important to remember that you are not displaying these items in areas where the culture of the people who made them is dominant. You're displaying them in a country where many of those communities are oppressed. I don't have any strong take on your particular items, but I do think it's worthwhile differentiating between what they mean where you bought them and what they mean where you display them. The distance between the two tends to be where the nuances of cultural appropriation hang out. If it were me, I would be prioritizing the impacts, potential or past, of the items in my home or on my body. I seriously don't have a prescription for what you should do with any of them, but that would be what I would counsel you to think about.
posted by lazuli at 9:05 PM on August 16, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by lazuli at 9:05 PM on August 16, 2019 [7 favorites]
You’re not mocking the cultures, looking down on them (“how quaint!”), pretending you came up with the idea or using it to make money (you in fact are supporting artists). Neither are these items offensive characterizations of the cultures from which they come. Enjoy them as they were meant to.
I answered in another thread, someone might look at art / religious statues in someone’s home as demonstrating shallow understanding... but that doesn’t make it rude or appropriative.
Truly it is a question of respect. I wouldn’t want humans to devolve into cultural segregationists out of misguided good intentions.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 9:46 PM on August 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
I answered in another thread, someone might look at art / religious statues in someone’s home as demonstrating shallow understanding... but that doesn’t make it rude or appropriative.
Truly it is a question of respect. I wouldn’t want humans to devolve into cultural segregationists out of misguided good intentions.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 9:46 PM on August 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
Did you buy that painting by an aboriginal artist because it's beautiful and speaks to you or because it has a primitive aesthetic that works with your other pieces? Therein lies the difference.
posted by Mizu at 10:11 PM on August 16, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Mizu at 10:11 PM on August 16, 2019 [2 favorites]
Where I'm coming from for context: Born and raised in the US to Korean immigrant parents, lived in my parents' home country as an adult, traveled extensively in Asia, traveled once to Peru and once to Mexico.
If I visited a new acquaintance's home and was asked to give my 2 cents as a random non-white person, I would ask are they trying to put on a culture as a costume for their home/life/person, e.g. are they going for an Orientalist harem fantasy aesthetic or a 49 Ronin Samurai vibe with kimono and swords everywhere? Whereas your home has souvenirs from your travels, with personal stories attached to some, and I would understand the message from the objects you've brought from abroad as "I'm well traveled." Obviously intent is not magic, but your house is your house, you are not inflicting your choices on unsuspecting people on the sidewalk.
As for the dress, I have struggled with this too. I think ao dai are beautiful, but I have no Vietnamese ancestry, and I feel like clothing types that are so firmly associated with a specific country or culture can seem like an out-of-season Halloween costume. It seems like your dress is not a "thing" like a bride's dress, and thus much less of a costume vibe. I also am 100% with the folks who say supporting local artisans is important and for years my mom wore the alpaca sweater from my visit to Peru.
Clearly there isn't a consensus here. I believe there is such a thing as cultural appropriation and cultural exploitation, but I don't see those power dynamics (or desire to be the other) in souvenirs bought from artisans.
posted by spamandkimchi at 5:37 PM on August 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
If I visited a new acquaintance's home and was asked to give my 2 cents as a random non-white person, I would ask are they trying to put on a culture as a costume for their home/life/person, e.g. are they going for an Orientalist harem fantasy aesthetic or a 49 Ronin Samurai vibe with kimono and swords everywhere? Whereas your home has souvenirs from your travels, with personal stories attached to some, and I would understand the message from the objects you've brought from abroad as "I'm well traveled." Obviously intent is not magic, but your house is your house, you are not inflicting your choices on unsuspecting people on the sidewalk.
As for the dress, I have struggled with this too. I think ao dai are beautiful, but I have no Vietnamese ancestry, and I feel like clothing types that are so firmly associated with a specific country or culture can seem like an out-of-season Halloween costume. It seems like your dress is not a "thing" like a bride's dress, and thus much less of a costume vibe. I also am 100% with the folks who say supporting local artisans is important and for years my mom wore the alpaca sweater from my visit to Peru.
Clearly there isn't a consensus here. I believe there is such a thing as cultural appropriation and cultural exploitation, but I don't see those power dynamics (or desire to be the other) in souvenirs bought from artisans.
posted by spamandkimchi at 5:37 PM on August 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
As a white guy in the US, you should down-weight my answer. But, it is something I've thought about a lot. My spouse works in an anthropology-related field and spends significant time in indigenous communities, with many opportunities (in transit) to purchase beautiful things that might be questionable.
The not-entirely-satisfying solution we've come up with is to avoid religious items and absolutely stay the hell away from grave goods and other antiquities. Artwork that's purchased from the artist and doesn't have obvious ritual significance is fair game for display in our home. I'm not sure it's the right answer, but the artwork is beautiful and the artists are probably not worse for it.
Cultural appropriation is a real problem. But, it's also important to recognize that non-European artists are artists. The idea that only European art can be displayed as art is also a problem.
posted by eotvos at 9:05 PM on August 17, 2019 [6 favorites]
The not-entirely-satisfying solution we've come up with is to avoid religious items and absolutely stay the hell away from grave goods and other antiquities. Artwork that's purchased from the artist and doesn't have obvious ritual significance is fair game for display in our home. I'm not sure it's the right answer, but the artwork is beautiful and the artists are probably not worse for it.
Cultural appropriation is a real problem. But, it's also important to recognize that non-European artists are artists. The idea that only European art can be displayed as art is also a problem.
posted by eotvos at 9:05 PM on August 17, 2019 [6 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
1) if you're not profiting off other cultures and
2) you're being respectful of sacred and culturally significant artifacts
then you're good. I don't see any problems with the things you listed but I am not the ultimate arbiter of these things, either. But it sounds like you're looking for hard and fast guidelines, and that's what I go by.
posted by zeusianfog at 12:18 PM on August 16, 2019 [26 favorites]