TOW #3 - What is Cultural Appropriation and Why is it Wrong?

Vanessa Hudgens appropriating the Hindu culture.

While watching snapchat stories yesterday, I saw something that made me extremely upset. A Caucasian girl wearing cornrows. Why does that make me upset? It makes me upset because it is one of the many ways that people can appropriate my African heritage, which is better known as cultural appropriation. Now what is cultural appropriation? According to Race Relations Expert, Nadra Kareem Nittle, “it typically involves members of a dominant group exploiting the culture of less privileged groups - often with little understanding of the latter’s history, experience, and traditions.” In this article, Nadra Kareem Nittle’s purpose is to educate and explain to American teens why cultural appropriation is wrong.

Cultural appropriation is used often by artist in the music industry. To name a few, figures like Gwen Stefani has been accused of using cultural appropriation due to her obsession with the Harajuku culture from Japan. Another artist is Miley Cyrus. At the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, Miley stunned the audience and people at home by "twerking." Twerking is a dance style that traces back to the African American community. In her music video "We Can't Stop," she is seen twerking again but this time uses black women as her background. "On stage as well as in her video, she used the tedious trope of having black women as her backing singers, there only to be fondled by her and to admire her wiggling derriere," said Hadley Freeman, writer of The Guardian. I agree with Freeman because not only is Miley Cyrus making an imitation of black music, but she is using black women as sex objects. Cultural appropriation can range from music to wearing traditional or ceremonial attire as a fashion statement.

So why did I get so upset when I saw the Caucasian girl wearing cornrows in her hair? I was upset because I begged my mom not to give me cornrows because the other little girls told me that they were ugly; but now they are suddenly fashionable? I am upset because black features are praised, but only when they are not on black women.

http://racerelations.about.com/od/diversitymatters/fl/What-Is-Cultural-Appropriation-and-Why-Is-It-Wrong.htm