I had just written a blog on appropriation when I found this gem of an article that boldly examines controversial or current issues. This one, written by Nerine Pal in March 2021, deserves ot be read and pondered and discussed.  I have posted it here with her kind permission.

Appropriating Appropriation – Part 1

This complex issue required a lengthy blog posting so I’ve broken it up into two instalments.  I encourage you to read the entire piece before jumping to conclusions.

PART I

Cultural appropriation.  I’ve been analysing this topic for quite some time now, reflecting upon how best to approach it.  It’s a phrase that can trigger an intense emotional reaction, but sadly not always in effective or informed ways.  It’s recently become a hot button, especially within the yoga community, causing many to either depart the practice entirely or surrender their time and money eager to participate in weekend workshops promising to rectify their deficient perspectives.  Appropriation is a social dynamic that necessitates discussion, but for some, appearing progressive has become more important than critically-analysing the full spectrum of what is happening and why.  Swept up in the fervour of the latest word fad, they’re quick to whip out the phrase as though it’s their membership card to virtuous victimhood or the spiritually elite.  What troubles me is how few have taken their research beyond what’s trending on their social media feeds.  Ask them if they know the difference between cultural appropriation, integration, assimilation, or exchange…   and one is met with silence, confusion, or ignorance.  All they know is that they’re supposed to react with anger or guilt when the subject is broached; quite a testament to how well coercive tactics work on large, nescient populations.

So, let’s start with the basics –

Words have meaning.  Altering the definition of a word to support one’s own agenda is less about evoking positive change and more about winning an argument, gaslighting, or even plain old vengeance.  For an exchange of ideas to be useful in eliciting genuine social growth, all participants must first establish a shared understanding of the associated definitions:

Cultural appropriation –
(An act of seizing or intentionally disrespecting another culture)
“the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically a more dominant people or society.”

Cultural integration –
(An act of merging without losing one’s original culture)
“a form of cultural exchange in which one group assumes the beliefs, practices, and rituals of another group without sacrificing the characteristics of its own culture.”

Cultural assimilation –
(An act of merging and potentially losing one’s original culture)
“the process in which a minority group or culture comes to resemble a society’s majority group or assume the values, behaviours, and beliefs of another group.”

Cultural exchange –
(An act of sharing while retaining one’s original culture)
“the mutual sharing of ideas, traditions, and knowledge between groups from different backgrounds.”

There is also voluntary rejection of another culture, self-segregation, but for these informal purposes we’ll remain focused on forms of inclusion rather than rejection; not that self-imposed isolation isn’t a key influence in the conversation.

Now that we’ve identified four different categories, let’s consider some examples from each in order to gain clarity of what appropriation is and what it is not.

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation can easily be recognised by three key elements – profit, intention, or power.

Profit:
For those who may have heard of The Indian(s) Showband, this example will hardly come as a surprise.  A gimmick that began in Ireland in the 1970s to salvage fading interest in a lounge music ensemble, band members to this day still dress in faux Native American attire, the lead singer donning a feathered headdress which is considered sacred to the indigenous peoples of the American plains.  None of the band members are Native American, they do not acknowledge the history, culture, or traditional context of their attire, their shows are not a respectful fusion of global musical styles (think Mathias Duplessy, Sachal Jazz Ensemble, or Peter Gabriel), and yes, they perform the stereotypical war-cry gesticulation.  They are mocking and exploiting the exoticism of a foreign culture for private economic gain.  

Intention:
Based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel from 1985, the television series, The Handmaid’s Tale, launched with great success in 2017.  It’s a horrifying story of a totalitarian and theonomic America forcing women into multifaceted forms of often fatal slavery.  In a tale seemingly meant to warn against a bleak future if our current society continues down a misogynistic path, what caused some viewers deep distress was the appropriation of an actual and familiar symbol of female empowerment, the Astra Goddess, used as an emblem for the Red Centre of the perpetrating, fictional Gilead government.  One could theorise it was chosen as a poetic representation of the symbol being transfigured into something destructive to women, except the real-life artist credited with its design decades ago did not authorise its use.  How many viewers, unfamiliar with its origins, will now associate that symbol with something harmful for women?  Why was the goddess symbol portrayed as a negative emblem at all, and did the television producers care about the collateral damage?

Power:
Scholars, historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, and art historians from across the globe have unearthed and extensively researched evidence that places the origins of yoga somewhere in ancient India approximately 5,000 years ago.  In the early 1970s, an American chiropractor and a social services worker decided between them that the ancient Egyptian depictions they were studying should be interpreted as the origins of yoga and named it Kemetic Yoga.  The founder, Asar Hapi, also produces a talk show, The Royal Priesthood Nation, whose mission it is “to prepare humanity for ascension through Merkabah activation”.  Merkabah is a school of Jewish mysticism that believes geometric shapes unlock magical powers.  What is troubling are the yoga institutions and teachers who are now trying to promote this Egyptian theory as unequivocable fact without investigating the motivations or qualifications of its founders, let alone its validity.  In fear of appearing judgemental or worse, they have abandoned discernment altogether.  Even if one did entertain this theory, there can be no certainty of what the inventor looked like given Egypt has been a melting pot of humanity for thousands of years, including not just Sudanese and Libyan, but peoples spanning the entire Levant.  None of this would be a source of concern if the founders had simply claimed to invent a new meditative movement inspired by Egyptian spirituality, but by attempting what is, in essence, a coup, they are endeavouring to replace another culture’s rightful place in history.

It is imperative to understand, cultural appropriation can be perpetrated by anyone of any background, especially when they hold a position of influence in a group or community.

INTEGRATION

Integration reflects a fusion of cultures; when one retains one’s own, but incorporates beloved aspects of another, especially when moving to a new area or expanding one’s world views:

For culinary enthusiasts, Scotland’s celebrity chef, Tony Singh, is a familiar example. Bursting with pride in both his familial and chosen cultures, he adorns himself with traditional dastar, moustachioed grin, and the manly swing of a wool kilt.  His fare blends regional cuisine with a South Asian flare, including haggis pakoras.

Virginian artist, Morgan Bullock, is an African-American Irish step-dancer whose performance skills were so impressive, Padraic Moyles of Riverdance, contacted her with a job offer. Bullock comments, “It’s important for people to recognise there’s a difference between appropriation and appreciation.  I think people use the term appropriation without knowing what it really means.”  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-53452080

In the 16^th century, it is believed a unit of Scottish troupes garrisoned for the winter in the Italian Alps after suffering defeat fighting for the French king, Francis I, near Milan. Between the traditional tartan attire and unique dialect found throughout the community existing there today, there is enough evidence to support the history of Celtic roots having been woven into local culture.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-40865981?SThisFB&fbclid=IwAR0MGsfxe5PQBdM0tJN4mEi42NQBVv3rETK6Bf0mwAZU02tGNciU8PSSOY4

Anyone familiar with Japanese cinema may remember the popular 2003 update of a fictional character developed in the 1960’s, Zatoichi. In a show-stopping finale, the film highlights the talents of famous tap-dancing ensemble, The Stripes, in traditional attire with taiko thundering and kabuki vocalisations in the background.  For those unfamiliar, tap dance has its roots in Juba dance, Scottish and Irish step dancing, and English clog dancing.  An eclectic blend indeed.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOgxzM88Hts

Integration allows one to cherish traditions and practices found within other cultures, sometimes even ensuring their continued existence as we will examine later.

ASSIMILATION

In assimilation, we encounter those who have consciously chosen another culture.

A close family member of mine was born in Kolkata into a conservative family, entrenched in traditional values. Shortly after his arrival, the family moved to Tynemouth where they continued to practise their beliefs and actively socialised within the South Asian community.  The child interacted with school chums enjoying his life by the seaside, doted upon by family and friends alike.  At ten years old, the family returned to India where the boy encountered a deeper immersion into his ancestral culture.  He became profoundly unhappy.  His surroundings were not unfamiliar, but they didn’t bring him the same fulfilment he had experienced in Britain.  After dedicating himself to academic excellence, he returned to England five years later where he has remained ever since, blissfully and utterly British.  His parents remain stalwart in their traditional beliefs, social interactions, cuisine, and his mother has never worn anything, but a sari, indeed, they rarely venture outside of familiar territory whereas their son specifically chose a different route.  At any point, he could have absorbed his familial environment, they longed for it his entire life in fact, but the British culture IS his culture; it’s home for him, regardless of his external appearance.

Those who assimilate can easily be mistaken as appropriating a culture when we fail to enquire beyond our first impressions; when we fail to recognise large groups are made up of individual people who make individual choices based upon individual experiences.

EXCHANGE

The most ancient, pervasive, and honest social dynamic, cultural exchange reminds us that none of us were created in a vacuum.

Blue jeans. Need I say more?  This practical, durable, American garment can be found in the highest mountains of Tibet, the deepest jungles of the Amazons, on the hottest sands of the Sahara, and the coldest reaches of the Arctic….  and it’s not being worn by the tourists.  In the arguments around appropriation that stipulate people should not wear garments from other cultures, I’ve yet to see anyone mention denim.  We could go so far as to please the pedantic by restricting trousers altogether to only those individuals of Central or East Asian descent, but how far do we take that?  Someone may have the right DNA, but what if they don’t meet the aesthetic criteria?  And whose criteria would we choose?  I digress…

But wait, there’s more!

If you’ve enjoyed French wine, driven a German car, eaten a Peruvian potato or African watermelon, dined on Mexican corn, smoked South American tobacco, talked on a Chinese mobile, worn a Scandinavian cap, written an Indian zero in equations, or switched on an American lightbulb (or Canadian, or British, or Russian, depending upon your source), you too are a participant and benefactor of cultural exchange.

Usually those knowingly engaged in cultural exchange are practising a respectful, symbiotic relationship and are unlikely to choose garments or traditions regarded as sacred, unless specifically invited to do so.  Yes, there will always be the ignorant, but they can be guided constructively towards understanding.  Anyone versed in psychology will attest lashing out at a person or group with angry accusations or wielding guilt as a weapon will only yield coping mechanisms in response – defensiveness and emotional shutdown, often burrowing themselves deeper.  Is the purpose to nurture lasting change in society, or merely to discharge personal frustrations?

Exchange is the social dynamic that paved the way for civilised human potential, freedom of expression, and made our continuing existence possible.  Where would we be without the mutual exchange of ideas and practices?

Well, we wouldn’t have yoga, that’s for sure.

Let’s pause here for a moment –

remember the people I mentioned at the beginning who are taking the workshops on appropriation to become more enlightened members of society?  I have to wonder, if they’re leaving those events without also being taught about integration, assimilation, and exchange, is the syllabus comprehensive?  Are they being taught critical-thinking or just conformity?  If attendees are being introduced to the spectrum of terminology, but fail to implement them than either they’re not being taught well, or perhaps some of the terms are being subverted.

What then might be the lasting impact on individual psyches, or community-building at large?

Who benefits from promoting exclusion and divisiveness?

Appropriating Appropriation – Part 2

PART II

I began this post defining terms associated with cultural dynamics so that what follows may be considered with a shared understanding of relevant terms amongst readers.  If you have not yet read Part I, I recommend you do so before proceeding.

For good or ill, there seems to be an escalating usage and overgeneralisation of the phrase ‘cultural appropriation’.  The fervour has not only begun to stifle curiosity and creativity, but it’s starting to cast a shadow over our commonality.  When a colleague tells me, she knows someone who accuses ‘white’ people of cultural appropriation because they’re drinking chai…
surely, we must recognise the accusations are beginning to reach asinine proportions.

Before we begin hurling barbed slogans to condemn others, we must first understand our motivations and theirs.

Do we recognise when our boundaries start to blur between respect and rigidity?

Do we acknowledge when our own behaviours and perceptions are underpinned by fear, prejudice, or ignorance?

Do we make more negative assumptions than impartial enquiries about what others are doing and why?

Each one of us harbours the potential for prejudice, especially as the world we share becomes smaller and more accessible.  People are inquisitive by nature, intrigued by other cultures, and some will even become besotted.

Stay in Your Lane

Spanning the globe, there are those who may be born into a particular culture, but find their deepest sense of belonging resides in another.  If they’re fortunate enough to discover said other culture, like a fish to water, they will actively seek it out not to disrespect or abscond with it, but because it adds depth of meaning in their lives from which they thrive.  They see it for what it is without romanticising its deficiencies.  Some choose to study, celebrate, and incorporate what are sometimes dying or obscure cultures and traditions.  Some merely let their heart be their guide.

Tété-Michel Kpomassie, a West African who loved the Arctic. “It is my country”, reflects Kpomassie (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/stories-48107317).

A dancer cum academic, Dr. Laurel Victoria-Gray, is an adjunct professor at George Washington University, Founder and Artistic Director of The Silk Road Dance Company, and founder of The Uzbeck Dance and Culture Society. She has been a recipient of the prestigious “Arash” Iranian Arts award, was honoured by the Ministry of Culture of Uzbeckistan for her work in promoting and preserving Central Asian dance, and received the Distinguished Service Award from the Embassy of Uzbeckistan, to name just a few of her honours.  http://www.laurelvictoriagray.com/laurel-victoria-gray.html

In the current political climate of social media, these two individuals, who clearly demonstrate a deep love and respect for these foreign cultures, could risk being accused of cultural appropriation by those who use the term as a mask for their own prejudices and bigotry.

Promoting awareness and sensitivity should be used to encourage critical-thinking, not as a catalyst for segregation.

Do you understand the difference between cultural integration and orientalism?

Skin Colour is Not Culture

It’s silly to have to explain this in 2021, but, sadly, it’s also necessary –

There is no such thing as ‘white’ culture, just like there is no such thing as black culture, brown culture, etc. 

A New York Hasidic Jew does not share the same culture as an Irish miner or a Russian transgender sex worker, just as an African-American shareholder in urban Chicago does not share the same culture as an Australian Aborigine on walkabout or a Somalian al-Shabab; though interestingly, a New York Jew can sometimes integrate aspects of Jamaican culture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBuFd1xS-c

Restricting access to a culture or teaching based upon skin colour alone is far too subjective – what’s “white” to one person is not “white” to another, what’s “ethnic” in one era is not “ethnic” in another, and appearances often belie one’s ancestry anyway.  Sadly, there are also those who exploit such justifications to conceal their misogyny, anti-Semitism, transphobia, and other prejudices behind a pretence of anti-racism and anti-colonialism.

Have you ever contemplated why there is a concentrated effort to “expose” cultural appropriation while cultural integration, assimilation, and exchange are largely ignored?

If people want more respect for cultural awareness, why are divisive tactics being employed more than socially-cohesive efforts?

There are some who claim “white” people should not participate in yoga because of colonialism, but it’s okay for others to do so because…..

wait…

What?

Let’s clarify the definition of colonialism.

Colonialism

“the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.”

Notice how it does not specify a particular skin colour or culture.  Too many are misappropriating this word, especially within the yoga community.  The fury with which ‘colonialism’ is being brandished is centred upon the assumption that it only applies to ‘white’ people, particularly the British.

(Again, words have meaning.  If you don’t like the definition because it fails to support your opinion, then perhaps it’s your viewpoint that needs modifying not the meaning.) 

Colonising has been perpetrated across the globe by the rainbow of skin colours throughout history, but for these purposes, let’s limit our discussion to India –

what foreign political powers arrived in India for the sole purpose of domination and exploitation?

This isn’t a history thesis so we won’t drift too extensively into the past, but one could begin with the Macedonians and Greeks …   the Arabs….  the Turks…   let’s see, the Chinese…   the Portuguese (who brought Christianity, though some theorise it was the Syrians)…   then there would be the Spanish… (sometimes these groups are considered ‘white’, sometimes not)…

and yes, eventually there were the British who were the latest to abuse their position.  Perhaps it’s their late arrival on the scene which exposes them to the most vitriol.  Perhaps it’s simply because anger can be spewed towards living people providing instant gratification for the outraged and guilty alike, successfully burning more bridges than constructing any.  Yes, the British undeniably inflicted atrocities, they also made sati illegal and organised a modern system of education which enabled women to receive schooling unlike the old Brahminic structure.

But which colonialists caused the most insidious changes – culturally, politically, and socially – shaking the very foundations of India?

The Mughals.

Did you forget about them?  They dominated India twice as long as the British, embedding their cultures, practices, politics, and genes so deep most outsiders assume they’re one and the same.  It was the Mughals who swept in looting and pilfering India’s wealth, destroying sacred temples and important artefacts, they raped and forced women into slavery, levied taxes on the non-Muslim population, and severely restricted traditional religious practices.  We gaze at the remnants of the Mughal colonisation today, blind to the implications of what we’re actually seeing, because to modern eyes it’s all glamourous, colourful, and exotic.  But it’s not all Indian.

If we’re going to deny participation in yoga to the unwitting descendants of those who played a role in colonising India, let’s pause to contemplate what that actually means –

calculate the multitude of children born by South Asian women impregnated by rape, marriage, prostitution, or otherwise from each and every invasion,

calculate the multitude of children born by women from each of the native countries impregnated by the colonisers by rape, marriage, prostitution, or otherwise, thus

we can presume those numbers are so vast as to be incalculable,

that many of the offspring can still be found blending inconspicuously within India today, and

that their progeny have also spread far beyond the boundaries of India and each of the colonising countries.

We cannot fathom those legions, just as we can only guess at the genetic makeup of the ancient founders of yoga.  Perhaps we should encourage those who come to yoga today with enthusiastic respect to learn about its history rather than expect them to prove they’re descended from an acceptable bloodline.

Are we questioning when cultural appropriation is applied only to select people, and why?

Can you guess which demographic has suffered the most regardless of who was rampaging across India?

Spiritual Recycling

All of these factors are before one begins to incorporate metaphysical considerations.  For a belief system that includes reincarnation, one must concede the possibility the current avatar is an individual’s only incarnation outside of the culture they revere.  Maybe to them that culture IS home, lifetime after lifetime.  By that reasoning the opposite could also be true.  For the person spitting venom at cultural interlopers, what if this is their first incarnation as a native?

In the multi-dimensional continuum of existence, who holds the legitimate claim to the culture?

Are we aligning with our principles or just the loudest voices?

If we want to leave the world a better place, we all have to accept responsibility for our own behaviours and prejudices, but just now, society is a hotbed of misinformed blame-shifting and victim/virtue-signalling.  Devious tactics in political machinations coerce the masses into being ruled by their emotions.  Psychopaths, sociopaths, narcissists, and religious extremists squat comfortably within the wellness community in plain sight, and many easily recruit flying monkeys to their cause.

By all means, understand, identify, and seek to constructively correct cultural appropriation, but use critical-thinking as you ask yourself –

Is the person crying ‘appropriation’ applying the term accurately and justly?

Are they equally knowledgeable about cultural integration, assimilation, and exchange?

Are they disempowering its message by directing hostility towards any intercultural expression?

Could they be reacting or projecting onto a situation or person, based upon their own emotions or limited experiences?

Do they have ulterior motives, a political agenda, or a history of religious fundamentalism?

Are they oversimplifying entire groups of people, or encouraging divisiveness?

Are they speaking from a position of socio-historical ignorance, bigotry, or fear?

Are they merely regurgitating trending propaganda, however convincingly?

Are they receptive to new perspectives and information?

Are they mentally and emotionally healthy, mature, and balanced?

Will you have the courage to disagree with those who appropriate appropriation?

© 2021 Nerine

For more of Nerine’s blog, visit

https://www.mindfulmovementwithnerine.co.uk/blog/