The Issues and Aspects of Cultural Appropriationin North America

North America features a colorful history of oppression, as acceptance of race was split among society. White culture often impressed ideas of superiority, and took what they pleased from other cultures without taking regard to the broader issue of cultural appropriation. In the past, individuals from a variety of different cultures were often required to adopt the Western attire and other aspects of Western culture as an act of survival within their geographic point. An example of an instance of cultural appropriation today could be a Westerner’s adoption or use of Native American clothing at a music festival, which does not represent an equal cultural exchange. Instead, this is an exercise in privilege. 

For a cultural exchange to be honest and true, there must be mutual understanding, equality, and respect reciprocated between the groups involved. Like racism versus prejudice, the foundation here is that there is some sort of privilege. If an individual is to use symbols of somebody else’s culture and no information is given, then it is likely the purpose for that representation of culture will be taken out of context, consequently being viewed by bystanders or the original group as cultural appropriation. If you add profit into the equation, this use of others’ identity is nothing less than robbing of one’s identity, particularly if the group whose culture you appropriate may be struggling for survival, land rights, water access, education and/or health care. Cultural appropriation is the adoption of parts of one culture by members of another culture. this could be controversial when members of a dominant culture appropriate from disadvantaged minority cultures. Inline with critics, cultural appropriation differs from acculturation, assimilation, or equal cultural exchange in that this appropriation could be a form of colonialism: cultural parts are traced from a minority culture by members of a dominant culture, and these elements are used outside of their original cultural context—sometimes even against the expressly explicit desires of members of the originating culture. 

Cultural appropriation and its effects are considered harmful by many individuals and groups, including native people operating in hopes of cultural preservation, those in support of collective holding rights of the originating, minority cultures, and people who have been or reside under colonial rule. Often inescapable once multiple cultures come together, the cultural appropriation will embrace exploitation of another culture's nonsecular and cultural traditions, fashion, symbols, language, and music. Those that see this appropriation as an exploitative state take into account that the original meaning of cultural parts is lost or distorted once taken from their originating cultural contexts and recognize that such displays are disrespectful or maybe a sort of sacrilege. Cultural parts that can have deep meaning to the initial culture could also be reduced to 'exotic' fashion or toys by those from the dominant culture. Kjerstin Johnson has written that, once this is done, the imitator, 'who doesn't experience that oppression can 'play', temporarily, an 'exotic' other, without experiencing any of the daily discriminations faced by other cultures.' The African-American academic, musician and journalist Greg Tate argues that appropriation and the 'fetishizing' of cultures, in fact, alienates those whose culture is being condemned. 

The concept of cultural appropriation has been heavily criticized. Critics note that the construct is commonly misunderstood or misapplied by the overall public and that charges of 'cultural appropriation' are from time to time misapplied to situations such as eating food from a range of cultures or simply learning about other cultures. Others state that the act of cultural appropriation, because it is sometimes outlined, doesn't meaningfully represent social damage, or the term lacks abstract coherence. Still, others argue that the term sets arbitrary limits on intellectual freedom, artists' expressive style, reinforces group divisions, or itself promotes a sense of enmity or grievance instead of liberation. In 1960s Hollywood films, characters of color were played by white actors in order for more individuals to consume the media due to the notion that whiteness is more acceptable and is the default race; these white actors additionally embodied dangerous stereotypes regarding individuals of color and appropriated their features and cultures in their roles due to the societal otherization and degradation of nonwhite individuals. 

The capitalist society that is the US is fundamentally racist, imperialist, hegemonic and the which these phenomena are given within the media and Hollywood are outstanding, have a varied impact on consumers, and demonstrates how individuals of color are seen as tools for capitalist gain and costumes for white actors to wear to play roles in films. Although Disney broke new ground with the film Moana (2016), they also quickly received criticism for selling a Halloween costume of one of the characters, a Polynesian God, Maui, which appeared to have “skin” included in the costume. If one is to take on traits of another culture that they have no background in, it should be in the individual’s best interest to make sure they are doing so with respect, because otherwise, it can come across as making fun of other cultures, when in reality there is a wide span of history pertaining to characters such as the ones presented in Moana. In the case of the movie Moana, it could be argued that Disney’s portrayal of another culture in their work has an exploitative manner in that it takes away from Polynesian culture by adopting traits meanwhile making large profits. 

In conclusion, cultural appropriation is a universal issue as social standards within societies demand homogeneous or diverse cultures. The United States, for example, prides itself on its diversity. This could lead to cultural appropriation if people in the community feel their identity is threatened. In stricter cultures, an individual may assume the physical traits of a culture in order to avoid negative reactions from the rest of society. In the film, cultural appropriation can be seen as a method of exploitation because studios are earning money by using the framework of another culture. Another thing that is bothersome is if the film misrepresents the culture, the community may feel offended, because the perception is given that the film industry does not put grand effort into fully representing a culture, rather assuming traits and profiting off ideas that are not their own.