Appreciation or Appropriation?

Ah yes, cultural appropriation. A phrase that has recently (and finally) been coming up more and more frequently. Cultural appropriation can be defined as, "the act of an individual from a particular (usually privileged or dominant) culture adopting cultural/religious elements of a marginalized culture, insensibly. In doing so, valuable cultural practices or symbols are overly simplified, stripped of their meaning and significance, and can replicate systems of oppression" (Hoda Katebi of Bust).

It has unfortunately become one of those terms that is associated with strictly one political party and as a result, many have "written-off" the idea of PC merely because they do not agree with the other standings of said party. I use the word unfortunate here because I do not believe that one's political affiliation has to define whether or not one is capable of being a decent human being. This is a weak excuse for those who are either uninterested or uneducated. In my opinion, it is not difficult to recognize something as wrong and then make steps toward changing that behavior. With that being said, I understand that there are many differing opinions and even things that people cannot agree upon within their own cultural groups -but we need to be open to listen to one another and create environments for where such important discussions can be had.

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With Halloween right around the corner, this conversation seems rather well-timed. This holiday can take a dark turn if not everyone is making the choice to celebrate in a respectful manner. The Disney Store is a popular place for kids and adults alike to pick out high-quality costumes. They have recently taken a lot of heat from fans and consumers in regards to being culturally aware. Take a look at the pictures below, directly from the disneystore.com.

Why would Disney make the choice to hire a black and an Asian model for Tinker Bell and Elsa, but hire culturally-accurate models to act as Mulan and Pocahontas? The answer is simple, but also complicated... Disney has recognized the importance of traditional attire in Japanese and Native American cultures and understands that it would be inappropriate to have non-Japanese and non-Native American models in this situation. It would be very obvious cultural appropriation. I would also acknowledge the efforts toward diversity and representation. Disney decided to not only hire white models in order to create a demographic that accurately represents our society.

The company ultimately has no control over who purchases the costumes, but this is definitely a conscious step in the right direction for such a well-respected company.