Cultural appropriation

Maybe you’d be happy to continue to act in a manner which someone had told you they find upsetting or offensive, Monica. I am not. If someone told me what I did was offensive or upsetting to them, I would apologise and stop doing it.

It’s nor for me to determine who can be permitted to be offended and who must suck it up.

If you read the article I linked to, Monica, you’ll see that the wearing of items such as jeans and trainers is called assimilation. It’s not appropriation because they’re not taking from an oppressed people. They’re just trying to fit in.

Why do you think some black women straighten their hair? It’s to fit in, to assimilate, to not be ‘othered’ because they’ve been told that cornrows and braids are inappropriate and unprofessional. Things have improved somewhat now but the issue of hairstyle has been the subject of court cases.

Sorry for the third post in a row. I forgot to comment that as there is no outcry about non-religious crosses one assumes Christians are not concerned. If they are, then they could say they are offended and campaign against its use outside their religion.

All good posts though sue

Genuine question: a few years ago, the daughter of my Indian friends was getting married and we were invited to the wedding. There was a mixture of different cultures amongst the many guests. Many of those guests, including me, wore a sari. I chose mine from an Indian clothing shop who gave fantastic customer support about which was the most appropriate sari to wear as the guest of a wedding, and how to put it on correctly. At no time did they, or my Indian friends, indicate that I shouldn't have done it; in fact they were delighted that I'd taken the trouble to learn. But now I'm questioning myself and wondering if I did the right thing afterall. It's too late now but this thread has got me thinking....

No, you didn't.
My white friend was painted in the traditional Mehndi style when her son married a British woman of Indian heritage. The women gathered together to have this done.

We had our hands henna'd too Callistemon; lovely whilst it lasted.

Oh good grief, 'They are just trying to fit in' . Cultural appropriation, if such a concept exists works both ways. Personally, I have never understood why black women straightened their hair. Are their hairstyles any more unprofessional than any other hairstyle adopted by other groups? if you are already suffering all the prejudice that often applies to people of colour what difference will a hairstyle make?

Why are people so obsessed by 'fitting in' Be yourself and shame the devil. As you will imagine, pretending to be what I am not in order to 'fit in' has never featured in my life and that has always been to my profound advantage both professionally and personally.

As for 'If someone told me what I did was offensive or upsetting to them, I would apologise and stop doing it.' For me, it would depend entirely on the circumstances. Many bullies used those kind of requests to intimidate and diminish other people. I once shared a flat with someone who used this tactic constantly to get her own way, regardless of other people's needs or feelings.

Sue, does not the fact that Christians do not make an outcry about the use of the cross or try to make it believer specific, in itself a commentary on cultural appropriation?

By the way I am still not sure about putting on my pyjamas, tonight. Perhaps I should lie awake all night worrying about it. - oh dear, am I wearing them just to fit in?

Plenty of people think certain stylings of black hair is unprofessional, Monica. That’s why there have been court cases over it. www.nytimes.com/2019/02/18/style/hair-discrimination-new-york-city.html

Why don’t you put your nightwear on? That should avoid any cultural appropriation problems. Or wear nothing in bed, like me.

As a Welsh woman who speaks Welsh I am very happy for other people to appropriate our language, customs, food, holidays and music. You can even support our rugby team if you like, bake bara brith and have a tattoo of the Draig Coch (red dragon) if you are so inclined. One word of warning though, our Welsh National Dress, particularly the hat, does make you look a bit ‘witch like’ and is not altogether flattering!!

Thank you Gwyneth

I'll give the national dress a miss, though.
And the dancing with my two left feet.

Have you been to see the Welsh woman, in full national dress, who stands outside "the smallest house" on the banks of the estuary in Conwy Callistemon? She's a definite tourist attraction. I don't know if she's Welsh though.

I get far too cold.

Plenty of people have thought all kinds of things are unprofessional, women in the work place, women wearing trousers in the office, men who shaved their heads, or grew their hair too long, even eating a packed lunch at your desk has been considered unprofessional.

Look at the recent thread on U and non-U behaviour, more than one person will have been discriminated against because something on either list was beyond the pale for someone they worked for, or with or mixed with socially. Before you ask I. My score was one item only on each list, thus preserving my reputation for nonconformity.

There is a prayer that goes 'God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.' and the thought behind this prayer applies to other things.

However we need to be able to discriminate between the aspects really matter and those that are just irrelevant diversions and the danger is at present is that discrimination between what matters and what doesn't is being lost and by making a hue and cry over the meritricious trivia that makes good headlines the real things that need to be changed and are neither amusing nor media grabbing are being lost.

No, I haven't. It's a long time since we went to Conwy (without an 'a').

Is she real?

I can remember, when I lived in Malaya as a child, I was taken to a rugby match Malaya v Oxford & Cambridge Combined side.

In front of me was a Malayan man, with a very cut glass voice shouting 'Up the Varsity'. To one side of us was a British rubber planter bawling his lungs out for the national side. At that time unworried by any concerns of cultural appropriation. I just thought it was funny.

Is she real?

As in flesh and blood? Yes, she's real! But I don't know if she's actually Welsh. Which could throw up a whole new discussion.......!

Turn her upside down and she probably says 'Made in China'

MOnica
‘We need to be able to discriminate between the aspects that really matter’ absolutely agree .
Not sure if the lady in National dress outside smallest house in Conwy is Welsh but assume she is a local woman so likely to be Welsh.
Callistemon you’re probably wise to give the National Dress a miss though. Stick with the leek soup and welsh cakes!!
Nos da pawn (goodnight all) Time for bed I think but have enjoyed reading your posts.

Sorry that should have read ‘pawb ‘

Monica

She could be appropriating Welsh national dress and customs!

Welsh cake anyone?

cysgu'n dda

Very impressed Callistemon ?. I see you have already ‘appropriated’ our language brilliant!!!

Can't pronounce it though

Cuskee Dah?