Cultural Appropriation

Dictionary definition:

Cultural appropriation is the adoption of elements of one culture by members of a different cultural group, especially if the adoption is of an oppressed people's cultural elements by members of the dominant culture. 

Urban dictionary definition: 
The ridiculous notion that being of a different culture or race (especially white) means that you are not allowed to adopt things from other cultures. This does nothing but support segregation and hinder progress in the world. All it serves to do is promote segregation and racism. 

"That plain ass white bitch is wearing a bindi! That's classic Cultural Appropriation!"
So this topic has bugged me quite a lot recently and it seems to have intensified a lot too. 

I know it's a controversial issue and different people have different takes on it, but here's my opinion on it. I'm sorry if I offend anybody but I feel like it's definitely something that should be addressed.

This picture above is enough to simple-handedly explain why cultural appropriation is actually an issue. The opposite argument for it goes a little something like 'everyone has the right to do whatever they want! You're taking people's free will away! Why do people of colour wear suits to work if cultural appropriation is a thing? Reverse racism!' and so on.

For starters, the whole 'anyone can do what they want' sentiment is so ignorant and blunt. This is the exact reason why conflict and war exist in this world. People need to understand each other's boundaries and limits. You can't go invading into everything that isn't yours. 

The Native American headgear (I don't know the exact name for it so I apologise) is something that bares a lot of significance to them. It has strong representations in their culture and yet some people think it's perfectly fine to use it as an accessory for instagram posts.

*cough cough*

In summary, it's rude and offensive and downright ignorant to think it's correct to select aspects of other people's culture for aesthetic reasons only when you don't know the significance of the things you're appropriating. 

Cultural appropriation is wrong for all the right reasons. It's contextual and it has a lot of history behind it. It simplifies and 'trivialises' historic sentiments and events. It's not as simple as non-western people wearing jeans and speaking English. Those are globalisation factors.

Cultural appropriation is the reason it's "edgy" now for Kylie Jenner to sport dreads when Black women in history were oppressed for decades for simply being who they were.

I'm not having a dig at anyone, but when there are such public figures who are seemingly uneducated about important issues as such, it makes you question the chances of millions of other people who look up to these so called celebrities. 

Bindis. 

Another big thing that has become a trend for girls at music festivals. It's unconsciously enlisted as a must have just under flower crowns. Once again, a bindi is not an accessory or a fashion statement. It's something entitled to South East Asians. I'll end this point here and not go further because the internet already has enough on why bindis aren't just a fashion trend. 

So before you appropriate other cultures, please take the time to educate yourself. Once you understand the hardship and struggle people of 'cultures' have gone through and understand the significance and symbolism of things you want to wear or appropriate for instagram's sake, then you may go ahead and knock yourself out. Because I assure you, by then you'll have gained a lot more respect for the people who's culture you're appropriating and be less at risk of offending anyone.

It's the 21st century. 

Please don't be a dick about things. 

Educate yourself and then we can all be friends.