Bonus 4: Do I Appropriate Eastern Culture? -JJ Leath

             Cultural appropriation is a topic that I have struggle with greatly. I am extremely interested in Eastern culture. I am fascinated with their philosophies, their medicine, and their overall aesthetic. This is not a new fascination either; I have been intrigued by Eastern ideas since I did a presentation on ancient Japanese mythology in 2^nd grade. As a kid, it never even crossed my mind that I may be doing something wrong. It wasn’t until my senior year in high school that I heard about cultural appropriation. I immediately became self-conscious. As I have mulled over the subject for some time now, I have come to find that there is a pretty clear line between appropriation and appreciation. From my own personal experience, I know that exploring cultures that are not your own not only broadens your worldview, but it also enhances your life. I don’t know how I would have gotten through the deepest lows in my life it wasn’t for Buddhist writings including the writings of the current Dalai Lama. Professionally, all of my work in the field of market economics is directly rooted in Eastern concepts of harmony and balance. My most important work to date directly quotes Laozi and Sun Tzu. I would not be who I am without Eastern culture. So, I am still left with a question: am I wrong? Am I stealing from the East? I don’t think so. So, what does that mean for cultural appropriation? Is it just some stupid “social justice warrior” idea that isn’t actually real? Well, I don’t think that either. Cultural appropriation is absolutely wrong, but I think the crusade against cultural appropriation is coming dangerously close to censoring the most import aspect of being in a human, and that is learning from each other. The distinction between cultural appropriation and appreciation, in my opinion, comes down to the intentions of the person in question.  

            One of the problems with the debate within cultural appropriation is that there isn’t a clear definition of what it actually is. In the SFSU video, it is said that the white student with dreadlocks is stealing from black culture. Personally, I don’t think that this is cultural appropriation. In contrast, the article discussing celebrities and cultural appropriation mentions Taylor Swift’s video for “Shake It Off.” I do believe this to be cultural appropriation, and rather appalling cultural appropriation at that. So, we are left with a question: how are these examples different? Both include white people emulating black culture. Both seem like they could fit within the definition of cultural appropriation. But, like any good student of Kant would say, it comes down to intention.

            Why did the SFSU student have dreadlocks? Why did Taylor Swift emulate black culture in her video? The SFSU student with the dreadlocks had dreadlocks because they made him feel good about himself. He was able to express himself through his hairstyle, and I think that individual self-expression should never be censored. On the other hand, Taylor Swift was not emulating black culture to express herself through her preferred aesthetics. She was making fun of black culture. When you place this in context with her ever-lasting feud with Kanye West, this becomes quite disconcerting. What Taylor Swift did was wrong. What the SFSU student did was a very human thing to do. He saw something he liked, and he wanted to emulate it. It added to his life. To me, this is where the line should be drawn.

            So, what are practical examples of this line between appreciation and cultural appropriation in everyday life? When a bunch of white guys who chanted “build that wall” in November 2017 get together on the 5^th of May, put on Sombreros and fake mustaches, and proceed to drink margaritas and eat tacos while making fun of Mexican accents and culture, you have cultural appropriation. It’s disgusting and should be called out. When you have a skinny white kid growing up in the country and trying to figure out life who then turns to Eastern culture for inspiration and enlightenment, I think you have appreciation. When you boil it down, it comes back to Kantian philosophy. Kant states you should always treat people, and as extension people’s culture, as means in themselves, not means to an end. If you are treating the culture you admire as a means in itself, you are appreciating. When you treat a culture as a means to an end, you are appropriating. The first progresses humanity, because when it comes down to it, we are all human. If an alien came to Earth, it wouldn’t see separate cultures, but rather subcultures within the overall culture of the Earth. But when you treat a culture as a means to an end, you are engaging in racist behavior that takes humanity backwards towards periods of ignorance and monstrous acts.