Cultural Appropriation: For Dummies

A simple and short rundown of why cultural appropriation is wrong.

So we all have different opinions on cultural appropriation, why it's wrong, why it isn't wrong (it is), or why you just don't care. Sure, people can wear what they want. Sure, people can "appreciate" a culture. But there is a big difference between appreciation and appropriation.

Cultural appropriation is the adoption or use of the elements of one culture by members of another culture. ... Often, the original meaning of these cultural elements is lost or distorted, and such displays are often viewed as disrespectful by members of the originating culture, or even as a form of desecration.

This is appropriation.

Culture is not a costume. Stylizing cultures for fun and/or making money off of them as if they're just trends is wrong. It's like erasing the history of the culture altogether.

This is appreciation.

"- Understanding the significance of a particular practice/object/tradition and not undermining or destroying its significance or value.

- Understanding histories of oppression and marginalization surrounding the particular object/practice/tradition and gauging the appropriateness of your actions in relation to this history

- Being invited by an individual of that particular culture to participate in/wear their culture's traditions/clothing for a specific event or occasion (weddings, religious rituals, etc.)

- But word of caution here: getting a "go" pass from one of your friends doesn't mean that other people from their culture won't be offended. Just like you can't use your token black friend as an excuse to be racist, you can't use the invitation of one Muslim to wear a headscarf for a day as an excuse to expect that the rest of us are all going to be jumping up and down and applaud you for your bravery. " (via: http://bust.com/style/193076-cultural-appropriation-vs-appreciation.html)