The difference between appropriation and appreciation

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When thinking about appreciation and appropriation these two concepts can differ. Lots of people forget that there are many cultures that are meant to be appreciated, and in today's society some people do take cultures for granted that they’re simply unaware of.

Representing these cultures as Halloween costumes, jokes, and even making them seem unrealistic, like these cultures are ancient history, is called appropriation, and it is not acceptable. The misuses of other cultures can stem from many things, and this is plainly seen in America. There is a sense of dominance that American people like to hold over other people and their cultures. But why do this if you have no prior knowledge towards that culture? Of course, nobody knows everything; for most of the time you have to experience something before you can say that you actually know it. That's called teaching yourself the language, the habits, the accent of another's heritage. Mimicking accents to get a story across or joking about that language's pronunciation? That's called stupidity and that is utterly embarrassing that you think that mimicking and creating jokes is ok. A person who does that, then judges others by their skin tone, just to eventually dress up like a Native American for Halloween is not only ridiculous but also disrespectful and racist. There is a difference. People who appreciate these other generations of history are the people who proudly refuse to say offensive remarks and who care to question the other cultures about how they should respect them.

To be honest, the worst part about cultural appropriation is the excuses. Nobody likes to be blamed for something that they weren’t taught or don’t understand, but that's not anyone's mistake except for your own. Things can change and people can choose to not be inappropriate but change stems from decisions. It's so easy not to make this mistake though others make it seem so hard. If we challenge ourselves to think and learn before we do, we can successfully respect others and not come in conflict with the wrong choices.

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Cover photo courtesy of Getty Images.

About the writer:

Nia Green is a staff writer for for The Lion's Roar. You can learn more information about the writer by clicking here.