my sj sideblog

Cultural appropriation is real and can be very harmful, but Tumblr en masse has grossly misdefined it. Here are some examples of what isn’t cultural appropriation:

- Eating food from another culture - Properly practicing a religion from another culture. - Listening to music from another culture - Reading literature from another culture - Learning a new language - Respectfully wearing clothing from another culture in an appropriate setting, such as overseas, at a cultural event, wedding, etc. - Buying crafts from local craftsman. - Respectfully participating in cultural activities such as yoga, dreidel, and belly dancing - Respectfully wearing or using non-sacred icons or art from another culture, such as Chinese pottery or in some cases, henna. - Trying out instruments and tools from another culture, such as chopsticks or traditional writing instruments

Many people from other cultures are actually offended when Americans try to fight “cultural appropriation”. For example, many Japanese people thought that criticism of Avril Lavigne’s video was laughably ignorant at best and racist at worst. Also, in many countries, Americans who refuse to partake in cultural activities or traditional dress out of fear of appropriation are seen as snobbish and entitled. Additionally, many religions actively encourage evangelization. Saying that religions traditionally practiced by non-white people cannot freely spread has some very racist implications.

Being culturally literate actively fights racial prejudice or ignorance. Taking the time to learn another culture’s history, values, perspective, and traditions makes people better citizens. For example, understanding how various cultures and religions view illness will help me be a better nurse. Cultural competence can only help society, and it prevents genuine, offensive cultural appropriation.

There are definitely some gray areas when it comes to cultural appropriation. Some Christians find non-Christians using crosses in fashion offensive, while some do not, for example. Intent can also carry some significance. For example, someone may fully understand the sacred meaning of the ankh and feel a strong spiritual connection to it. Another person may just think it looks cool. Both wear an ankh ring, but one would definitely not be appropriating while the other has entered a gray area.

Some cultural practices overlap as well. Tattooing has been practiced around the world by many cultures that didn’t come into contact with each other, for example. Meditation has also been practiced around the world. Buddhist mediation is arguably the best known, but nearly every culture and religion has one or more varieties of it. (I personally like the method practiced in Ancient Ireland best, because it’s the only one I personally know that allows one to think exclusively in words. It’s not physically possible for an NLDer to “turn off” verbal thinking, so most other forms of meditation are inaccessible.)

Cop caught on video pepperspraying restrained teen in the face

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1815-1902 (Social activist, abolitionist, author)

“What will we and our daughters suffer if these degraded black men are allowed to have the rights that would make them even worse than our Saxon fathers?” 

Anna Howard Shaw, 1847-1919 (Physician, Methodist minister, president of the National Woman Suffrage Association)

“You have put the ballot in the hands of your black men, thus making them political superiors of white women. Never before in the history of the world have men made former slaves the political masters of their former mistresses!”

Frances Willard, 1839-1898 (Feminist lecturer, founder of the National Council of Women, anti-child abuse activist)

“Alien illiterates rule our cities today; the saloon is their palace, and the toddy stick their scepter. The colored race multiplies like the locusts of Egypt.” 

Carrie Chapman Catt, 1859-1947 (Founder of the League of Women Voters)

“White supremacy will be strengthened, not weakened, by women’s suffrage.” 

Rebecca Ann Latimer Felton, 1835-1930 (First woman to serve in the Senate)

“I do not want to see a negro man walk to the polls and vote on who should handle my tax money, while I myself cannot vote at all…When there is not enough religion in the pulpit to organize a crusade against sin; nor justice in the court house to promptly punish crime; nor manhood enough in the nation to put a sheltering arm about innocence and virtue—-if it needs lynching to protect woman’s dearest possession from the ravening human beasts—-then I say lynch, a thousand times a week if necessary.” 

Excerpted from an article by Mallory Ortberg, The Toast

Susan B. Anthony, famed suffragette and all-around assface: “I will cut off this right arm of mine before I will ever work or demand the ballot for the Negro and not the woman.”

Margaret Sanger: [in December 10, 1939 letter to Dr. Clarence Gamble of the Eugenics Society re: the Negro Project (meant to sterilize Black men and women)] We do not want word to get out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out the idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.” She supported the Klan openly.

Some helpful context for these suffragettes…they were frequently chastised by Black feminists, abolitionists, anti-oppression activists, etc. but those critiques were suppressed. Even by other countries. It was mainstream bourgeoisie society that painted these bitches as well-to-do and revolutionary, mainly after the fact. Ida Wells after her anti-lynching campaign got together Alpha Suffrage Club among Black women in Chicago, and went to the 1913 suffrage parade in DC. When they arrived, these demon white women told them to stay segregated!!

Ida was on a mission to put white fems and oppression on front street. She took Willard to task for not mentioning anti-black racism and oppression as fundamental feminist problems. When her article about Frances Willard was published in England, Lady Somerset was so livid her pasty ass penned Frederick to get ‘Ida under control’. Why? Calling out a powerful white women’s selective philanthropy?

steven universe? fucking tiger mom stereotype whose shy daughter wants to break free!!!! from

((also i get a real weebish vibe from this show which is partially why i couldn’t get into it….

like connie isn’t even japanese and yet she says “itadakimasu” before a meal??? not cute.))

how to get away with murder? yah oliver’s a little cinnamon roll but why is he the hacker genius.

brooklyn 99? again, hacker genius asian episode (and there was one that had a “filipino bieber” joke like ?? ????? ok??)

orange is the new black? this is the show that had an episode titled “ching chong chang” i don’t think i have to explain any further

(there’s also numerous articles about its anti asian racism but you get the idea)

i’ve explained the issues with mulan and bh6 more times than i can count like i honestly should be compensated for this.

i mean it’s really fucking annoying how deep rooted in anti asian racism a lot of media is

even the ones tumblr loves to hail as progressive, the pinnacle of diversity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!

and people just ignore it. even asian-americans for whom it’s impossible to even be visible.