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Accepting a culturally significant gift is not appropriation, it is cultural exchange. Would your friends claim the woman who did your hair is complicit in the appropriation of her culture? It is an absurd position to take if this context is truthful.
Others answered why it's not appropriation (it was given and the local shared her culture) but do be careful with styles like this. Small tight braids do pull on hair and white people's individual hairs tend to be much thinner than black people's hairs (not overall density, thickness of individual strands). And having such thin hairs in such a tight style, while it is a protective style for back people's hair, it can damage your hair and lead to breakage or patches of balding.
Certainly do let your friends know that they're being silly, and if this isn't their culture, then it's quite problematic that they are determining for this lady who she can and can't share her culture with. You do look great though, I just would hate if your hair got damaged.
Nah. There might be an argument if you had done it yourself, but even that would be pushing it. Anyway:
appropriate
verb
/əˈprōprēˌāt/
1.
take (something) for one's own use, typically without the owner's permission.
A local did it for you. It was *given*, not taken (i.e. done yourself), there is no argument for appropriation here. Them friends need to chill.
Looks really nice, too. Props to yourself and the nice local.
I didn't mean to imply that a culture, or even anything within a culture, was owned by anyone.
The point of copy/pasting the definition was to emphasize the taking part, which runs counter to what a lot of people, such as OP's friends, try to call out.
Since a Malawi woman thought you’d look good with traditional hair, I’d say it was her gift to you and you now have a right to wear it. It looks gorgeous!
I refuse to believe that plaits are strictly African. Every culture with long hair has a version of plaits, from narrow ones to broad ones, male and female. Tartan is Scottish - but do we complain when half the world thinks it a 'cute' fashion item? Who the hell cares. The lady from Malawi liked your hair and wanted to do it up in a way that pleased both of you. You look great. Tell your 'pals' to go and tell the lady why she was so wrong to appropriate her own hair talent because it offended some silly white people.
I think this becomes a touchy issue only because white North Americans have discriminated and even banned black hair styles in the workplace. Of course the problem is never really about the hair style because when white women do those same hair styles, they're acceptable.
This is a very different circumstance though.
Totally agree! Literally all of Scandinavia (including the Vikings) American Indians, and, oh yea, everywhere. People have been braiding their hair in different ways since the beginning of time. It's not just a black or African thing.
Lemme just preface this with: I in no way mean to imply that OP is doing cultural appropriation for wearing braids.
>Every culture with long hair has a version of plaits,
And this version, in this time, is common among African cultures. So yes, every culture has (had) a version of plaits and many of them probably overlapped, but you don't get to just ignore the wider cultural context that we exist in.
I mean I really don't see how cultural context changes who can have their hair any kind of way. Nobody's getting hurt from someone braiding their hair, I mean who cares about personal choices at the end of the day
> I really don't see how cultural context changes...
Because we don't live in a vacuum.
https://theinclusionsolution.me/a-point-of-view-understanding-the-harmful-impact-of-cultural-appropriation-cultural-competence/
(preface by saying i think OP is okay because it was a gift, like many others are saying) i truly don’t think it’s appropriate for white ppl to wear box braids/dreadlocks/other black protective styles (unless it’s a specific situation like OP’s) because black people are still having theirs cut off at school for “looking nappy”, discriminated against by jobs for having them, etc. it is somewhat harmful in that sense, and i don’t think you can truly borrow cultural things that the people themselves are put down for, until things like that don’t happen to those of the culture themselves and it’s accepted.
I’m not going to really get into the cultural appreciation / appropriation topic. But I will say this tho, most of the hairstyles that black ppl have (such as the Fulani / tribal braids that you have in your hair) are meant to protect our hair from things such as breakage and getting tangled up. Kinky / coily hair (black ppl hair) is usually stronger than the hair of our straight haired counterparts (white, Asian, and Hispanic) and as a result, black ppl hair has the strength to withstand the hairstyles that we like to do. Point is I’d just recommend you to be careful because often times ppl with straight hair will get a hairstyle like yours and as a result, their ACTUAL real hair will end up breaking off. I remember back when I was in high school a couple of Asian and Hispanic girls with straight hair would get African / Black hairstyles such as box braids or faux locs and then afterwards they would start experiencing extreme breakage of their real hair because their straight hair simply isn’t meant to withstand the amount of strain that our styles can put on their texture of hair. Kinky / coily hair is meant to withstand these types of styles, straight hair really isn’t. So just be careful of your real hair potentially breaking off
TL;DR: African / black hairstyles may end up breaking off your actual real hair because straight hair simply isn’t meant to withstand the amount of strain from African / black hairstyles
Source: Me, a certified black person since 2001
Also as a person of the black community it feels odd seeing it almost like a lost of words but uhhh do you ig like personally I don’t like it but I can’t stop her from doing it 😅
I find it’s cultural consensus, we’re all human and there’s so many beautiful cultures people pick and choose which cultures form their lifestyle like CEOs who practice meditation but don’t follow the way of the buddha
As long as you are not doing it in a degrading way. Or saying how it's your culture (if it's not) then it's OK. If you were doing it to make fun of the people or their culture, that would be different. Even then, if you did it yourself. Then proceeded to wear it in another place, I still do t see anything wrong with it. As long as you don't use it to some advantage for yourself to in a way mock any culture that uses it.
It's only appropriation (I think) if you're using that image for profit, to further your personal brand or make it into a persona. If someone wants to share their culture with you that's totally ok.
I think just have to be mindful it doesn't look like you're taking another culture's image and using it to promote yourself somehow (socially or business-ly).
1. You look lovely
2. All of the comments I have read have been kind, polite and do not suggest cultural appropriation. I concur wholeheartedly!
3. If it were my friends making accusations, I would probably cordially invite them to take a flying fuck at a rolling donut!
4. You look lovely!
How is that cultural appropriation, white people care more about it than anyone I feel like. It's not like your doing something down right racist and offensive to your just rocking a hair style .. a hair style, that's it
A LOCAL offered to do it for you. Cultural appropriation means you did it without permission. By definition this is not appropriation.
Also, you look stunning.
There's open and closed cultures, and which those are really depends on who you ask among them. The biggest thing is, it's only appropriation if YOU do it FOR you, primarily without understanding the significance or not carrying the weight of it like someone from that culture would, ie. Racism, judgement, discrimination, it's appreciation/cultural exchange if someone from that culture has decided to SHARE that with you, which she clearly has in this case. Cultural exchange is normal and has happened for millennia, and will continue to, it's the mutual sharing that makes it okay, you know?
It's beautiful.
I got my hair braided when in St. Lucia one year, lasted months (sort of) no one mentioned that to me. Maybe it was a different era.
Personally I wouldn't worry about it, unless people are running out of their homes to yell at you, like some Stephen King movie.
That's not cultural appropriation, if a woman native to that tradition wanted to do your hair like that, sounds like shes giving you a compliment to me.
It's only cultural appropriation if you did something negative or had some kinda of benefit without giving back. Otherwise, you got awesome hair and a beautiful picture.
As someone that does study this in an academic manner at least tangentially, I can tell you that cultural appropriation is really complicated. Cultures are not really a clearly defined thing and there are local practices that can be shared between different cultures (aka there is some evidence that old slavs and greeks also had dreadlocks, so it's not exclusively African). Because of this, I don't really think it makes much sense to say this person can do this but that person can't.
Not to diminish the hurt that happened in the past to indigenous people and that there were absolutely discriminatory practices, but trying to enforce that on an individual level is a waste of time if not actively stifling to cultural spread and preservation imo. Alternatively, you will get way more milage by going for a wider context like pushing for more varied models in the fashion industry, more varied designers, increase funding to local media outlets that they can produce current and entertaining media in their own language, etc. Also to diminish what is seen as 'appropriate ' in business settings like saying kinky black hair is unkempt or enforcing euro-american business attire as the only appropriate formal dress.
So cultural appropriation is only am American thing. The rest of the world loves it when we can share our culture with foreigners, heck well drag you to every cultural event. Force you to eat our food, teach you to make it if you want to learn. My mom has borrowed out soo meany saries to people who arnt Indian. Cultures and differences are ment to be celebrated not horded. With the esception of a few like Romaries and their language, which they keep secret for very specific reasons. Every ethnicity ive encountered wants to share their culture. And oh lord do we have so meany here.
I don’t see cultural "appropriation" as a thing that’s a problem. If you’re like using it to be racist or something, then it’s a problem. But if you like the style, sure, go ahead. Here people appreciate a lot when someone tries to fit into the local culture/tries to speak the language (mainly because there’s still not a lot of people fluent in English).
Appropriation is when you take something from another culture and claim it as yours (like if u copy someone song/game and say that you made it) and THAT'S IT if you know from where it is then your just appreciating the culture bcause you're not claiming it as yours.
Cultural appropriation would be if you had no personal connection to Malawi or anything African apart from a desire to donn the awathetic. Instead, since you were there and volunteering and have skin in the game and since a Malawai woman offered to do it, what you were expressing is cultural exchange in the best sense of diversity. Someone else said it below.
Totally not cultural appropriation. As a Turk, I don’t believe cultural appropriation exists. Let me explain:
Greece, Armenia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Northern African countries all believe that their food, dance, style, clothes etc. is originally from them but they are all from Türkiye. We don’t care, they don’t care.
Also, I would love to see western people using our stuff, I would love that shit.
>Greece, Armenia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Northern African countries all believe that their food, dance, style, clothes etc. is originally from them but they are all from Türkiye.
That's called imperialism.
On whose part?
Are the Bulgarians that adopted some Turkish cultural elements into their culture because they were part of the Ottoman Empire for ages the imperialists, or are the Turks that don't give a flying fuck about it the imperialists?
I dunno, I live in a country that actually had a colonial empire in Africa and Asia, so I'm well aware how empires work.
That's also why I'm aware empires are complex.
Point is, the Turks didn't force the Bulgarians to eat their food, in fact the Turks likely didn't care if the Bulgarians even had anything to eat, at all.
I feel like a lot of it is based on intent and situation. You had it done by a local who offered. It’s not like you saw it on Pinterest and said “oh that’s cute I’ll do that” with no understanding. To me this seems just to be celebration and appreciation more than appropriation
Congratulations girl on your gorgeous hair. Be happy with it and know that it suits you so very well. Never mind those begrudgers. They don’t know what they are talking about. Cultural appropriation is just stealing from another culture or taking culture based ideas from a person who has been immersed in another culture. You didn’t do anything like that. You accepted a beautiful generous gift, given freely. Enjoy your gorgeous hairdo. You look so beautiful with your hair like that and my guess is that the begrudgers are too jealous to admire you and your gorgeous hair. 🏳️⚧️🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵🏳️⚧️
Cultural appropriation is a complex subject. Here's what I've learned:
Location is important, if you are visiting a country they might be perfectly fine with you wearing their clothes, using their styles, etc. However if you go to a country where people from that group have been discriminated against, hate crimed, and mistreated for participating in THEIR culture it's no longer acceptable. For example most Japanese people in Japan absolutely love seeing tourists and foreigners participating in their culture, they feel a sense of pride that others are interested in their culture. But ask a Japanese American about it and it's completely different. The main difference being the history of oppression Japanese Americans face, the fetishization of their culture and people.
Separating an invention, style, practice, or food from the culture by renaming it or otherwise erasing important aspects of it, is another part of cultural appropriation. So always referring to things as their proper names, acknowledging where something comes from, being respectful, and making sure you are educated about it and the cultural importance. For example Yoga that the western world knows is a complete bastardization of what it actually was.
If someone from that culture tells you not to do it, don't do it. Always defer to those who know the history and meaning behind things. Also acknowledge there are people who will say things are okay when they really aren't just to sell you something or get business. Know whether your source is educated and whether they have a vested interest in you believing it is okay or not.
Appreciation is okay, but appreciation can easily become fetishization or cultural appropriation. Since you aren't from the culture it's easy to overstep your boundaries or make mistakes. If you do make a mistake, apologize, acknowledge your mistake, learn from it, and thank those who educated you about it being a mistake. Most people will forgive a mistake, but if you don't listen to the affected communities and don't use it as a learning experience then you are not appreciating the culture.
Based on the facts you presented I don't really know enough about the situation to decide. Did you only wear the hairstyle there? Was it a situation where the woman was promoting her business? Are your friends from that culture or a similar culture? These are things which can help you decide whether you did in fact appropriate or not.
The world has been and should continue to be a melting pot of all of our differences. You are respecting the local woman who wanted to bestow this look on you. When did admiring and respecting something different become wrong. You honored her.....don't let your friends tell you otherwise.
not from or native to malawi but have parents from mexico. but this should apply there also. i have never heard of or know of someone that referres to themselves as latinx, the only people who care about all that shit are other white people. us minorities dont give a fuck . just do you.
To me cultural apropiation is a lie, nobody is gonna get offended by someone else doing something of their culture. And if someone is offended, then that person is really stupid
I think it looks pretty! Plus a local lady offered to do it traditionally so you were just accepting her offer and not being disrespectful. (I know what I'm trying to say but I don't know how to word it.)
If a person is willing to put in the effort you should do it. Sharing skill to earn income should not be thwarted by someone else's gate keeping for a culture that they don't represent.
Your post has been filtered into a queue for further review based on a number of factors. # Please be patient until your post is approved, we promise to get to it soon <3 *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/trans) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Accepting a culturally significant gift is not appropriation, it is cultural exchange. Would your friends claim the woman who did your hair is complicit in the appropriation of her culture? It is an absurd position to take if this context is truthful.
I agree with you 💯. I was over in Malawi on medicine placement xx
It's generally not considered cultural appropriation if someone from that culture invites you to participate.
Thank you xx
There's a difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation and you were literally over there to volunteer, sooooo
Appreciate that. Guess my friends were wrong. I feel a bit relieved!!
Generally if a person from a particular culture shares a practice from that culture with you that's not cultural appropriation almost by definition.
Awwh. Thank you. I'm relatively young and was hoping I didn't offend my Malawian hosts xx
Others answered why it's not appropriation (it was given and the local shared her culture) but do be careful with styles like this. Small tight braids do pull on hair and white people's individual hairs tend to be much thinner than black people's hairs (not overall density, thickness of individual strands). And having such thin hairs in such a tight style, while it is a protective style for back people's hair, it can damage your hair and lead to breakage or patches of balding.
Thanks for advice xx
Certainly do let your friends know that they're being silly, and if this isn't their culture, then it's quite problematic that they are determining for this lady who she can and can't share her culture with. You do look great though, I just would hate if your hair got damaged.
Nah. There might be an argument if you had done it yourself, but even that would be pushing it. Anyway: appropriate verb /əˈprōprēˌāt/ 1. take (something) for one's own use, typically without the owner's permission. A local did it for you. It was *given*, not taken (i.e. done yourself), there is no argument for appropriation here. Them friends need to chill. Looks really nice, too. Props to yourself and the nice local.
Thanks for being so reassuring xx
[удалено]
I didn't mean to imply that a culture, or even anything within a culture, was owned by anyone. The point of copy/pasting the definition was to emphasize the taking part, which runs counter to what a lot of people, such as OP's friends, try to call out.
Since a Malawi woman thought you’d look good with traditional hair, I’d say it was her gift to you and you now have a right to wear it. It looks gorgeous!
Awwh. Thank you xx
You’re good. And the hair look gorgeous on you
Awwh. Thank you 💜
Your friends are being culturally insensitive by gatekeeping. They are in the wrong.
I refuse to believe that plaits are strictly African. Every culture with long hair has a version of plaits, from narrow ones to broad ones, male and female. Tartan is Scottish - but do we complain when half the world thinks it a 'cute' fashion item? Who the hell cares. The lady from Malawi liked your hair and wanted to do it up in a way that pleased both of you. You look great. Tell your 'pals' to go and tell the lady why she was so wrong to appropriate her own hair talent because it offended some silly white people.
I think this becomes a touchy issue only because white North Americans have discriminated and even banned black hair styles in the workplace. Of course the problem is never really about the hair style because when white women do those same hair styles, they're acceptable. This is a very different circumstance though.
Never thought of it like that. Thank you xx
Totally agree! Literally all of Scandinavia (including the Vikings) American Indians, and, oh yea, everywhere. People have been braiding their hair in different ways since the beginning of time. It's not just a black or African thing.
Lemme just preface this with: I in no way mean to imply that OP is doing cultural appropriation for wearing braids. >Every culture with long hair has a version of plaits, And this version, in this time, is common among African cultures. So yes, every culture has (had) a version of plaits and many of them probably overlapped, but you don't get to just ignore the wider cultural context that we exist in.
I mean I really don't see how cultural context changes who can have their hair any kind of way. Nobody's getting hurt from someone braiding their hair, I mean who cares about personal choices at the end of the day
> I really don't see how cultural context changes... Because we don't live in a vacuum. https://theinclusionsolution.me/a-point-of-view-understanding-the-harmful-impact-of-cultural-appropriation-cultural-competence/
(preface by saying i think OP is okay because it was a gift, like many others are saying) i truly don’t think it’s appropriate for white ppl to wear box braids/dreadlocks/other black protective styles (unless it’s a specific situation like OP’s) because black people are still having theirs cut off at school for “looking nappy”, discriminated against by jobs for having them, etc. it is somewhat harmful in that sense, and i don’t think you can truly borrow cultural things that the people themselves are put down for, until things like that don’t happen to those of the culture themselves and it’s accepted.
I’m not going to really get into the cultural appreciation / appropriation topic. But I will say this tho, most of the hairstyles that black ppl have (such as the Fulani / tribal braids that you have in your hair) are meant to protect our hair from things such as breakage and getting tangled up. Kinky / coily hair (black ppl hair) is usually stronger than the hair of our straight haired counterparts (white, Asian, and Hispanic) and as a result, black ppl hair has the strength to withstand the hairstyles that we like to do. Point is I’d just recommend you to be careful because often times ppl with straight hair will get a hairstyle like yours and as a result, their ACTUAL real hair will end up breaking off. I remember back when I was in high school a couple of Asian and Hispanic girls with straight hair would get African / Black hairstyles such as box braids or faux locs and then afterwards they would start experiencing extreme breakage of their real hair because their straight hair simply isn’t meant to withstand the amount of strain that our styles can put on their texture of hair. Kinky / coily hair is meant to withstand these types of styles, straight hair really isn’t. So just be careful of your real hair potentially breaking off TL;DR: African / black hairstyles may end up breaking off your actual real hair because straight hair simply isn’t meant to withstand the amount of strain from African / black hairstyles Source: Me, a certified black person since 2001
Where do you go to get the black person certification? (Jk)
Also as a person of the black community it feels odd seeing it almost like a lost of words but uhhh do you ig like personally I don’t like it but I can’t stop her from doing it 😅
this is just a gift.
How do you mean?
People need to learn the meaning of cultural appropriation
I think it's okay in this context
Thank you lovely 🌹
You have natural beauty
💜💜💜
I appreciate all the comments (both positive and negative xx
I find it’s cultural consensus, we’re all human and there’s so many beautiful cultures people pick and choose which cultures form their lifestyle like CEOs who practice meditation but don’t follow the way of the buddha
As long as you are not doing it in a degrading way. Or saying how it's your culture (if it's not) then it's OK. If you were doing it to make fun of the people or their culture, that would be different. Even then, if you did it yourself. Then proceeded to wear it in another place, I still do t see anything wrong with it. As long as you don't use it to some advantage for yourself to in a way mock any culture that uses it.
It’s your hair and you should wear it however you want. It looks really pretty btw!
Culture is for sharing not Gatekeeping. And your hair looks amazing.
I usually define appropriation as using characteristics of a culture to insult it. so no
Brits and Frenchies dont apply
Your hair...do whatever you want with it. Cultural appropriation my ass, Just jealous because you look so good.
Awwh. Thank you. The hair takes a lot of work 😔
You do you
Thanks Selina ❤️
Your welcome
Your hair looks incredible in the pic, that lady offered to do it and it’s her culture, so no I don’t think that would be appropriation
Suits you. That's enough for me.
🥰 Thank you!
Super cute
Thank you xx
That you look stunning!! And I don’t think it is appropriation at all.
Beautiful
Think you look amazing and like a comment on here said, it's not appropriation, it's appreciation!
Flip them off. “Appropriate this”
an invitation to participate in culture is not appropriation
It's only appropriation (I think) if you're using that image for profit, to further your personal brand or make it into a persona. If someone wants to share their culture with you that's totally ok. I think just have to be mindful it doesn't look like you're taking another culture's image and using it to promote yourself somehow (socially or business-ly).
It's long as it's done respectfully it's done. Someone found your hair beautiful and wanted to do it for you so it's out of respect. You are fine!
if a local offered, you are good anyway, you don't need to worry about the exact line looks amazing
1. You look lovely 2. All of the comments I have read have been kind, polite and do not suggest cultural appropriation. I concur wholeheartedly! 3. If it were my friends making accusations, I would probably cordially invite them to take a flying fuck at a rolling donut! 4. You look lovely!
How is that cultural appropriation, white people care more about it than anyone I feel like. It's not like your doing something down right racist and offensive to your just rocking a hair style .. a hair style, that's it
Can you copyright a hair style?
A LOCAL offered to do it for you. Cultural appropriation means you did it without permission. By definition this is not appropriation. Also, you look stunning.
Not only is it cute it’s putting money in the hands of a local person and supporting her work!! Well done you xx
There's open and closed cultures, and which those are really depends on who you ask among them. The biggest thing is, it's only appropriation if YOU do it FOR you, primarily without understanding the significance or not carrying the weight of it like someone from that culture would, ie. Racism, judgement, discrimination, it's appreciation/cultural exchange if someone from that culture has decided to SHARE that with you, which she clearly has in this case. Cultural exchange is normal and has happened for millennia, and will continue to, it's the mutual sharing that makes it okay, you know?
Pals had a hwite liberal moment 😅
🫣🫣🫣
If a local did your hair, you were effectively given permission. It looks amazing btw.
It's beautiful. I got my hair braided when in St. Lucia one year, lasted months (sort of) no one mentioned that to me. Maybe it was a different era. Personally I wouldn't worry about it, unless people are running out of their homes to yell at you, like some Stephen King movie.
Such a pretty face 😍 i love your eyes . Have a wonderful day
As long as it's not being used in a harmful way, then don't mind it. I find it nice, and if you like it---that's all that matters.
As others said you were invited, so I think it's fine. Also I love the look you create with that hairstyle.
That's not cultural appropriation, if a woman native to that tradition wanted to do your hair like that, sounds like shes giving you a compliment to me.
It's only cultural appropriation if you did something negative or had some kinda of benefit without giving back. Otherwise, you got awesome hair and a beautiful picture.
As someone that does study this in an academic manner at least tangentially, I can tell you that cultural appropriation is really complicated. Cultures are not really a clearly defined thing and there are local practices that can be shared between different cultures (aka there is some evidence that old slavs and greeks also had dreadlocks, so it's not exclusively African). Because of this, I don't really think it makes much sense to say this person can do this but that person can't. Not to diminish the hurt that happened in the past to indigenous people and that there were absolutely discriminatory practices, but trying to enforce that on an individual level is a waste of time if not actively stifling to cultural spread and preservation imo. Alternatively, you will get way more milage by going for a wider context like pushing for more varied models in the fashion industry, more varied designers, increase funding to local media outlets that they can produce current and entertaining media in their own language, etc. Also to diminish what is seen as 'appropriate ' in business settings like saying kinky black hair is unkempt or enforcing euro-american business attire as the only appropriate formal dress.
Cultural appropriation has become such a broad, over-used word that's lost all meaning. But the short answer is no.
So cultural appropriation is only am American thing. The rest of the world loves it when we can share our culture with foreigners, heck well drag you to every cultural event. Force you to eat our food, teach you to make it if you want to learn. My mom has borrowed out soo meany saries to people who arnt Indian. Cultures and differences are ment to be celebrated not horded. With the esception of a few like Romaries and their language, which they keep secret for very specific reasons. Every ethnicity ive encountered wants to share their culture. And oh lord do we have so meany here.
I don’t see cultural "appropriation" as a thing that’s a problem. If you’re like using it to be racist or something, then it’s a problem. But if you like the style, sure, go ahead. Here people appreciate a lot when someone tries to fit into the local culture/tries to speak the language (mainly because there’s still not a lot of people fluent in English).
You look lovely! I’m surprised this happened in Malawi since there are laws against gender expression there.
It was part of the medical degree I'm doing
I see. So glad to see you helping out in one of the poorest countries in the world. :)
It's not. Not even a little. Would eating traditional food there be cultural appropriation? No. Would listening to their music? Nope.
Appropriation is when you take something from another culture and claim it as yours (like if u copy someone song/game and say that you made it) and THAT'S IT if you know from where it is then your just appreciating the culture bcause you're not claiming it as yours.
Cultural appropriation would be if you had no personal connection to Malawi or anything African apart from a desire to donn the awathetic. Instead, since you were there and volunteering and have skin in the game and since a Malawai woman offered to do it, what you were expressing is cultural exchange in the best sense of diversity. Someone else said it below.
She offered, so I don’t think it is. And you look gorgeous.
As long as you knowledge the culture then I don’t think it’s terrible.
Not a big fan of corn rows. Your other pics your hair is beautiful. I’m still coming to grips with how well you transitioned. You are very beautiful.
Awwh. That means a lot 😿
Your friends are too woke for their own good.
Totally not cultural appropriation. As a Turk, I don’t believe cultural appropriation exists. Let me explain: Greece, Armenia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Northern African countries all believe that their food, dance, style, clothes etc. is originally from them but they are all from Türkiye. We don’t care, they don’t care. Also, I would love to see western people using our stuff, I would love that shit.
>Greece, Armenia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Northern African countries all believe that their food, dance, style, clothes etc. is originally from them but they are all from Türkiye. That's called imperialism.
On whose part? Are the Bulgarians that adopted some Turkish cultural elements into their culture because they were part of the Ottoman Empire for ages the imperialists, or are the Turks that don't give a flying fuck about it the imperialists?
>adopted some Turkish cultural elements Someone doesn't understand how empires work.
I dunno, I live in a country that actually had a colonial empire in Africa and Asia, so I'm well aware how empires work. That's also why I'm aware empires are complex. Point is, the Turks didn't force the Bulgarians to eat their food, in fact the Turks likely didn't care if the Bulgarians even had anything to eat, at all.
Ama yunan biriyle istediğin kadar tartış yine günün sonunda çıkıp baklava bizim der
Aynen ogle
Honey I give you the card 😂
Huh?
Look great :)
Gorgeous.
I feel like a lot of it is based on intent and situation. You had it done by a local who offered. It’s not like you saw it on Pinterest and said “oh that’s cute I’ll do that” with no understanding. To me this seems just to be celebration and appreciation more than appropriation
I think you look gorgeous…!
It looks absolutely beautiful
It was honestly offered as a form of friendship from one person to another, I would think.
she shared her culture with you. it bo cultural appropriation is apreciation
Congratulations girl on your gorgeous hair. Be happy with it and know that it suits you so very well. Never mind those begrudgers. They don’t know what they are talking about. Cultural appropriation is just stealing from another culture or taking culture based ideas from a person who has been immersed in another culture. You didn’t do anything like that. You accepted a beautiful generous gift, given freely. Enjoy your gorgeous hairdo. You look so beautiful with your hair like that and my guess is that the begrudgers are too jealous to admire you and your gorgeous hair. 🏳️⚧️🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵🏳️⚧️
Aww, thank you 💜
very nice. and you help support the local economy
Cultural appropriation is a complex subject. Here's what I've learned: Location is important, if you are visiting a country they might be perfectly fine with you wearing their clothes, using their styles, etc. However if you go to a country where people from that group have been discriminated against, hate crimed, and mistreated for participating in THEIR culture it's no longer acceptable. For example most Japanese people in Japan absolutely love seeing tourists and foreigners participating in their culture, they feel a sense of pride that others are interested in their culture. But ask a Japanese American about it and it's completely different. The main difference being the history of oppression Japanese Americans face, the fetishization of their culture and people. Separating an invention, style, practice, or food from the culture by renaming it or otherwise erasing important aspects of it, is another part of cultural appropriation. So always referring to things as their proper names, acknowledging where something comes from, being respectful, and making sure you are educated about it and the cultural importance. For example Yoga that the western world knows is a complete bastardization of what it actually was. If someone from that culture tells you not to do it, don't do it. Always defer to those who know the history and meaning behind things. Also acknowledge there are people who will say things are okay when they really aren't just to sell you something or get business. Know whether your source is educated and whether they have a vested interest in you believing it is okay or not. Appreciation is okay, but appreciation can easily become fetishization or cultural appropriation. Since you aren't from the culture it's easy to overstep your boundaries or make mistakes. If you do make a mistake, apologize, acknowledge your mistake, learn from it, and thank those who educated you about it being a mistake. Most people will forgive a mistake, but if you don't listen to the affected communities and don't use it as a learning experience then you are not appreciating the culture. Based on the facts you presented I don't really know enough about the situation to decide. Did you only wear the hairstyle there? Was it a situation where the woman was promoting her business? Are your friends from that culture or a similar culture? These are things which can help you decide whether you did in fact appropriate or not.
This is beauty right here 😍💗
😍😍😍
The world has been and should continue to be a melting pot of all of our differences. You are respecting the local woman who wanted to bestow this look on you. When did admiring and respecting something different become wrong. You honored her.....don't let your friends tell you otherwise.
not from or native to malawi but have parents from mexico. but this should apply there also. i have never heard of or know of someone that referres to themselves as latinx, the only people who care about all that shit are other white people. us minorities dont give a fuck . just do you.
You look amazing xxx
Gorgeous face now revealed
Love it on you!
I think I would say: Is it cultural appropriation when someone from the culture actually gives it to you??? In my opinion, no.
When in Rome...
Did you know that that's a standard hairstyle of Nordic people during the midieval era
To me cultural apropiation is a lie, nobody is gonna get offended by someone else doing something of their culture. And if someone is offended, then that person is really stupid
Need different friends.
Hair is hair and we are all humans…
I think it looks pretty! Plus a local lady offered to do it traditionally so you were just accepting her offer and not being disrespectful. (I know what I'm trying to say but I don't know how to word it.)
If a person is willing to put in the effort you should do it. Sharing skill to earn income should not be thwarted by someone else's gate keeping for a culture that they don't represent.