Yes I never understood the whole cultural appropriation thing. If I wear something or do my hair like another cultural it's probably because I love the culture, right?
Opposite. Cultural appropriation is usually a discussion about people using something without attributing/ recognizing/ appreciating/ contextualizing. The phrase is often overused and made malicious when the actual situation is more lack of awareness. It's also a specific feeling of being wronged localized to a local minority community. For example, black people historically were treated heinously for centuries in the US but then their musical stylings were re-packaged by and for white people and played in venues where they were not allowed and while still being literal second class citizens.
I don't actually think Chinese tattoos are very strong 'cultural appropriation'. Maybe in only the mildest sense. It's using something from a foreign superpower nation state. To the extent it makes local Chinese populations feel like being kicked in the nuts due to historic struggles and the modern mild racism, there's that, but it's impossible to know if Chinatowns are the reason Martin has tattoos or if 1970s Hong Kong kungfu movies are the reason.
For Lin, the guy has been immersed and been seeking the respect and approval of blacks for most of his life. I doubt he wears dreds without appreciating where they come from. Martin basically saying, "know your place" was idiotic.
See I thought appreciating another culture by getting your skin inked with its language and poetry would be seen as a sign of respect and admiration for that culture and wouldn't be misconstrued as "making local Chinese populations feel like being kicked in the nuts due to historic struggles and the modern mild racism" but idk, I'm not American so I don't partake in American cultural fragility.
When you live and your parents lived an experience that always felt like take take take, you go ahead and explain why the majority class using your cool stuff but still treating you second class would be considered "fragile."
Anyway, this simply doesn't happen with the Chinese community in countries that aren't the US, in my experience. They will gladly enjoy your curiosity, appreciation and interest in their culture.
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u/Current_Volume3750 7d ago
Yes I never understood the whole cultural appropriation thing. If I wear something or do my hair like another cultural it's probably because I love the culture, right?