Cultural appropriation is a semi-new buzz phrase being thrown around in liberal media. While most people have only heard of the term in the last five years, it originated in the 70s and 80s as a cultural critique of colonialism. The modern definition, however, seems to be aimed directly at white people who adopt, or "appropriate" minority culture traditions into their lives. Examples include anything from dreadlocks, celebrating Cinco de Mayo, or even referring to a group of people as "guys" or "you guys".
(
The idea of calling out cultural appropriation is aimed at not offending or minimalizing minority groups, which seems to be a noble and worthy cause on the surface. However, there is something that is not being taken into account. Cultural appropriation is isolating and shaming white people, pushing them into a corner where they feel that they aren't allowed to express themselves or explore other cultures without offending and angering minorities.
While obvious cases of appropriation can be deemed offensive, such as the dated practice of using blackface instead of actual African American actors in films, there are more innocuous cases in which the offendor was clearly oblivious to the misdeed and subsequently publicly shamed. The article below shows an example of a woman who threw her daughter a Japanese styled birthday party. Her public humiliation went viral.
Using shame and embarrassment can be used as a subtle way to limit freedom of speech, and that is exactly what is happening in many of these cases. White people who enjoy and appreciate other cultures are being told in no uncertain terms not to attempt to empathize or assimilate in any way. Media publishes articles firmly stating that it is absolutely not okay for white people to do certain things that seem innocuous on the surface.
The United States used to be referred to as a "melting pot" of cultures from around the world, however, in recent years, it would appear that segregation is in full upswing. Using specific terms like "cultural appropriation", "white privilege", etc are having an unintended affect on many white people. They feel shamed, guilty, and in turn aggressive towards those who feel it is their job to tell them what they can and cannot do/wear/say. They are afraid to speak out, and be labelled a "white supremacist" or member of the "alt right".
The bottom line is this. Limiting people's freedom of expression is dangerous, regardless of intentions, and it often has unintended consequences. If we are all to move past this time of high tensions, we need to come together as a people. Exploring each others cultures can be a good thing if we allow it to be.