Cultural appropriation is a concept that emerged from post-colonial critiques of interactions between colonial powers and indigenous cultures. It goes beyond mere imitation or borrowing and often involves a power dynamic where dominant cultures, historically European colonizers and their descendants, take over. In the realm of witchcraft, where rituals, tools, and petitions are used as spell objects, cultural appropriation is real and harmful, especially to those who identify as problematic witches.
Wiccans actively engage in cultural appropriation, but this does not mean that the practice itself is an example of cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is real and harmful, especially to those who identify as witches. The witch aesthetic on TikTok and Instagram resurrects issues of whitewashing and colonialism. A petition is a written statement of intent or desire, ritually created and used as a spell object. While specific methods vary by tradition, generally, the petition is written on a piece of paper, sealed, and used as a spell object.
Wiccan, Paganism, Wicca, and other magical spiritualities have gained massive popularity and representation in popular media in recent years. This thesis examines the discourse surrounding cultural appropriation in contemporary witchcraft and neopaganism, particularly online. R Park 2022 explores and supports the petitions on Paganism, while Landon Case that Wicca is a legitimate Religion and we are Petitioning.
Despite its purported to be a “beginner’s witch kit”, it offers no genuine grounding in witchcraft and does not provide any advice on the basics. Being able to not think about cultural appropriation is a form of censorship, as witch burners get ahold of it and start looking for opportunities to censor.
📹 Cultural Appropriation: Reflections on a Problematic Concept
A brief reflection on how we frame and understand the concepts of culture, identity, ownership and art.
📹 Cultural appropriation isn’t racist — It’s really cultural appreciation
Lauren Southern of TheRebel.media loves Halloween, but not the inevitable whining about “cultural appropriation” when …
I think there are several distinctions that need to be drawn: (Taking the Mexican restaurant, for example): Let’s say that a person from Ireland visits Mexico, becomes fascinated by the food cultures there (Since there are so so many) and decides when they return to Ireland, that they want to open a ‘Mexican’ restaurant. The means and efforts made by the person shows the difference between ‘Appreciation’ all the way through to almost a mockery. 1. The person takes 3 months, studies (Perhaps working in a kitchen or with a Mexican teacher) the preparation of ‘Northern Mexican food of the __ region’, learns the traditional methods and also learns Spanish. Upon going back to Ireland, they order as many of the authentic ingredients are possible, import some decorations from the region and try to give some ‘authentic’ look to the restaurant, perhaps also hiring Mexican people who know this cuisine. 2. The person gets inspired, has some vague notions of the food there as a general ‘Mexican’ food, returns to Ireland, opens a restaurant and makes some vaguely ‘Mexican’ food (Tacos, burritos, etc etc) as close as they can remember and throws some Mexican decorations around. 3. The person spends a week in Mexico, travels a bit, has fun and when they get home, they think ‘Wouldn’t it be great to make some sort of fun/funny Mexican restaurant?’ then proceeds to just throw things into tortillas, put sombreros and Mexican caricatures on the walls and names the place ‘Paco’s Mexican Restaurant’.
I’ve experienced complaints about cultural proprioception a couple of decades ago, they seemed like obvious racism, the message is that nobody appreciate “another” culture as that from their point of view that is a threat, that’s how they act, like old men do, like they’re threatened by anything new. In my experience that sentiment has come from people who get a kick out of bullying and would be violent but for their fear of being hurt if they are. They always seem on the edge of violence but their own fear holds them back. They always drink a lot as well, which is fine, but it seems like a trend how often it’s the case.
I disagree here. I think Nesta was a classic case of deterritorialization, an impetus, a Dynamo, a catalyst. Bullshit can only be made less unpalatable, it can’t be made palatable. I mean Nesta was demonstrating the universality of rastafarianism. Although his terminology was race-centric, the message of rastafarianism is the universal struggle to end oppression; albeit with less modern nuance like gay liberation(ex. as homophobic as reggae music is stereotyped, Buju Banton–the Nesta of his generation–took all the homophobic content off his selector). I mean I wrote papers about reggae music while ironically getting my degree in science. I’m fluent in patois. I mean that Nesta created points of eruption. His profound internalization of rasta was a rererritorialization. He interacted with Babylon in the way a farmer interacts with land by seeding. The seed isn’t compromised, the land submits
“A general definition definition of civilization: a civilized society is exhibiting of the fine qualities of truth, beauty, adventure, art, peace.” Alfred North Whitehead 🙏❤️🌎🌿🕊🎵🎶🎵 Tolstoy, Doedysifsky, Puskin, Chekov, William Blake, Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman, Emerson, Thoreau, etc. Tchaikovsky, Rachmanioff, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, Ravel, Satie, etc. Michael Angelo, Botticelli, Raphael, Da Vinci, (Goya,) Van Gough, Monet, Picasso, Modiglianni, etc., Jackson Pollack. Too many to write about. Centuries of artistry, 8000 years before Christ.
I remember when I was younger an extremely smart and sweet girl came to my school in 5th grade, a new citizen of America, a native of India. She was excited to share her culture — We were interested in it. One day she brought her saris and bindis to school for all the girls in class to wear. That day, we ate Indian food her mom made. She even showed us how to dance to the Indian music.I went to a small Lutheran school.Her culture was beautiful. We welcomed it.
Halloween is an Irish festival, just like St. Patrick’s day. We see other people celebrating our festivals as a compliment. Similarly, when foreigners play our music, we’re delighted. If you check the true history of any aspect of culture, you will find that almost none of it originated with any modern or recent cultures. They were borrowed from other cultures and became part of the new culture, eventually with no one remembering that it was from somewhere else. If that didn’t happen, we would still be sheltering under bushes. Each culture would have to invent everything on it’s own.
When I was 4, I was in a preschool that had an Indian woman come in a few mornings a week for a few hours. I don’t remember what she taught us as a special lesson on those days but I remember her because I thought she was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. She was from India so she dressed traditionally all the time. My whole life since then, Indian attire has been, hands down, one of my favorites in clothing. I’ve ALWAYS wanted to wear a sari. They’re simply stunning. However, I’m apparently not allowed to cuz I’m white.
I’m BLACK and I completely understand what this woman is saying. If you want to wear braids or dreadlocks, go ahead. To me, it’s all about the intention. If your intention is simply to have fun, or wear a certain look because you genuinely like the way it looks, go ahead. What’s wrong with that? Cultural appropriation is just a tactic to divide us. We are much happier people when we can learn to appreciate each other’s culture rather than getting offended for every little thing a person does. In fact, this is not far off from segregation. If people are not allowed adopt the same cultures then pretty soon, we may start saying that people can’t be together because they’re not of the same background. This “cultural appropriation” hype is such a backwards movement.
I’ve hit the devils trifecta. I’m a middle aged white christian. What a jerk huh! Here’s the thing, my wife is Venezuelan and we are part of a Venezuelan cultural group so our daughter can connect with that part of her heritage. I play in the band, I wear costumes and participate in the dances. It’s fun. These Venezuelans I’ve met while doing this, to a person love that a “gringo” is interested in their culture enough to participate like this. They don’t feel victimized, they don’t whine and cry about it. They enjoy sharing their culture. They give me endless shit about my terrible spanish but that’s only fair. My spanish really sucks. Point is that if you look at things through the frame of victimization, you’re gonna be a victim. Lighten up and learn to enjoy life man.
One time a friend told me something brilliant. “Offense is only taken, never given.” Ultimately, being offended is always a choice, even if it’s not unreasonable to be. I took this to heart, and realized that some things that were previously “wrong” was just me having a bias and limited perspective. I hope that anyone who reads this will remember those words.
White guy: wearing indigenous clothes for special occasion Black girl who everyday wears full European clothing, speaks English language, celebrates British Halloween every year, goes to a Roman University, dresses as Dutch Santa Claus during Christian Christmas, refers to his food with the French-borrowed words pork and beef, celebrates the Gregorian New Year, studied Spanish, loves Japanese Anime and uses a Chinese phone: CULTURAL APPROPRIATION!!!!!
~”White people telling me what to believe/when to be offended”~ The colour of the skin she was born with doesn’t matter, AND she is simply stating HER OWN opinion & explaining to the audience why she believes in it. No one’s telling you what to believe or when you should be offended. That, my friend, is up to you to decide.
I am Chinese American people of color Chinese people are patriotic as fuck,,far more than most Americans i know yet cultural appropriation does not exist in China cultural appropriation is basically a bunch of white people telling other white people what to do,and sometimes even telling minorties what to do according to Amanda, cultural appropriation happens whne someone performs in a culture and DOESＮＯＴKNOW the meaning of it but we are literally accusing Michelle phan for wearing corn rows, when she KNOWS the meaning of corn rows in black community because she grew up with a huge african american population we are ACCUSING VENESSA HUDEGNSfor cultural appropriting native american culture,who ISＮＡＴＩＶＥAMERICAN .like ppl just judging her because she does not look natve american,which makes ＮＯSENSE There is this japanese vlogger in China,he always wears Chinese clothing in his articles, no body is calling him out,instead he got famous .. if you wears Chinese clothing as a foriegner and speak Chinese,make articles, no body is going to calling you out, instead you may get famous
I am First Nations, or as Americans would say American Indian, or as some might say Aboriginal. In Canada, I am legally a Status Indian. Long story short my perspective on cultural appropriation is from that of a marginalized group who in ages past were culturally appropriated. My take is cultural appropriation can be a good thing or a bad thing, and that is entirely based on the context of the appropriating act; Disney’s Pocahontas is goofy and simplistic but its heart is in the right place; the same can be said of Dances with Wolves or Thunderheart; the same can be said of people who hang dream catchers on their door or who wear feather earrings in the style of aboriginal art; all these things are done out of appreciation, and give first nations presence in a typically disinterested mainstream. Appropriation is bad when it’s something like The Washington Redskins: a historically offensive or derogatory term being used by a sports team without care about its history. If any of you want to read some dense theory on cultural appropriation, essentialism and their associated fictions, check out Homi K Bhabha’s writings on hybridity.
Hmm. I. . .kinda have to agree. I LOVE different cultures. I love Mexican food, Spanish language, the colorful clothing of India and Africa, kimonos, etc, etc. I am going to a Disney themed costume party, and I am going to be Pocahontas. Now blackface, and other crap like that INTENDED to ridicule certain races/cultures is not okay. But I want to say that that is rare. I have to admit, it does kind of suck when I want to wear braids, and people look at it as ghetto (yes, i have heard people say this), but if it is someone white, its trendy. Not saying all people think like this, of course. But even then, you kind of have to ignore that crap and just do what you want.
Culture appropriation is “taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else’s culture without permission. This can include unauthorized use of another culture’s dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine, traditional medicine, religious symbols, etc. It’s most likely to be harmful when the source community is aminority group that has been oppressed or exploited in other ways or when the object of appropriation is particularly sensitive, e.g. sacred objects.” according to racerelations.about.com Culture appropriation: -Trivializrs and romanticizes violent historical oppression – It lets people show “love” for a culture yet still be prejudiced against its people -Makes things “cool” for white people but “too ethnic” for people of color – Perpetuates racist stereotypes – hyper sexualizes members of the exploited group -Transforms a part of someones culture into in aesthetic accessory and/or costume -uses people of color and their culture as props -Steals culture from oppressed groups by not only claiming it for their own; but proclaiming they use ot better – Creates often false and harmful representation in the media – takes opportunities from actual people of color, such as in the workplace – dilutes and white washs cultural symbols -dehumanizes entire races and their rich history
My issue is. Many people don’t take time to learn about my culture. They don’t take time to learn abut the clothes we wear, the way we do our hair, our ancestors etc. They wear our culture like a fashion statement and they become rich off it. Many people such as Kim Kardashian can rip off black people and steal their culture and get all kinds of praise from it but when I’m embracing my OWN culture…..I’m looked down upon. She wears African braids all the time but then credits some white guy for it and people tell her how incredible she looks. I wear those same African braids and I’m Ghetto, trashy, my hair is “nappy”……It makes no sense to me
My opinion on it is, if something is ceremonial or sacred, don’t fucking wear it, unless you have earned it in the culture. I don’t care if a white or black wears a war bonnet if they have earned it and went through the ceremony. The war bonnet is very sacred and the fact that I can’t wear it because I haven’t earned one but a bunch of young adults seem to wear it to festivals just because it looks good is disrespectful. I might feel different if most of the people I have seen wearing them knew anything about it or even a general knowledge of Native History.
About dressing up as Crazy Eyes from OITNB, Julianne didn’t need to change her skin tone. Let’s say a little white girl wants to dress up as Tiana from Princess and the Frog. She can do so but she doesn’t need to change her skin color, she just wears the green dress from the movie. There’s nothing wrong with a little black girl wanting to dress up as any white Disney princess and there’s nothing wrong with a little white girl wanting to dress up as Tiana, Mulan, Jasmine etc. Then again, SJWs consider that as whitewashing. This is present in the Steven Universe fandom. Don’t you even DARE whitewash Garnet or else you will receive massive backlash from the fans. About white stereotypes, I don’t see Russian people get offended when they’re accused on Communism, I don’t see German people get mad about Nazi stereotypes, I don’t see Canadians get butthurt whenever Americans make Canadian stereotypes and the list goes on…
We’re mad because people are taking away the cultural significance of the item and turning it into a trend that you can buy at a local store. These items are not for aesthetic purposes but has been passed down from many generations for cultural and religious reasons not simply because it looks “pretty and cool”.
I once wore 2 Dutch braids to work for a few days & a Black girl at my job literally REFUSED to talk to me whike I had those 2 braids in my hair. It was insane. She was super rude & immature like a third grader. I honestly felt vad for her. I will continue to wear my hair any way that I please. It was TWO Dutch braids fir crying out loud!
15 years ago I was refused service because of my skin colour. I was a regular client colouring my hair blonde in a salon that specialized in black hairstyles. When I asked the one of the hairstylist to set an appointment for me to have dreads done, she refused my money. To this day I still want to have dreads. I love ❤️ dreads and my intentions are pure. I love everyone ❤️
The idea of cultural appropriation is one of the dumbest I’ve heard recently. It makes such little sense it’s mind-boggling. By their logic, is it also racist and cultural appropriation to try learning a foreign language? There are few things more “cultural” than language, so as a white person am I racist for speaking Spanish and German?
so im scottish decent but ive studying japanese martial arts most of my life. through it ive learned alot of respect for their culture and traditions. by tumblr logic i should never havr been allowed to learn about this culture bc its not mine. by this logic we should actively segregate ourselves. wtf tumblr
I fundamentally agree with you. Though I can understand the bitterness towards Kim.K. For example who, wrongly, was awarded recognition for making Corn rows- a longstanding hairstyle for black hair to keep it neat- popular and trendy. Especially whilst when a black person wears their hair like this it CAN be seen as “ghetto” though I’m not sure how regularly that happens. But all in all, this shouldn’t be cause for a person to be excluded from having a hairstyle (something so trivial) or from a fashion appreciation because our society views is as trendy when a white person wears/has it and not so much when the person whose culture it originated from does it. That is what should be criticised and fought against- not if someone wants to braid their hair a certain way.
Some ppl take cultural appropriation too far. It’s not that people can’t wear this and that from other cultures. It is the fact that they wear it while disrespecting and not paying homage to the people that culture belongs to. For instance, a white woman wearing braids should not be offensive, but Marc Jacob’s “mini buns” are as that specific hairstyle is known as Bantu knots and has been created by the black community. We are not saying don’t use it, we are saying to give credit and not plagiarize while erasing our contribution or our creation – because without is, most likely there would be no such thing. Another thing, cultural appropriation is tricky. The reason for this is the historical context of blacks in the United States. Our communities are still trying to restore themselves as we carry down the trauma of enslavement, terrorism and criminalization. We were and still are criticized for the things that are known to be us – which includes hairstyles such as braids or dreadlocks (which we to this day have to consider wearing or not wearing to be “presentable” and move away from this stereotypical image), we try to change the way we talk and we do have this self hatred that has been instilled in us because of the demonization placed on us. You see, it was KNOWN to be anything BUT black to get ahead or to thrive socially in society. So now that “blackness” – our ideologies, behaviors, language, fashion, etc. – is so mainstream, cool and popular now it’s a slap in the face to have been called all these negative things and see others profit and plagiarize from our art.
Here’s how I personally feel on this topic. Using aspects of another culture isn’t wrong, as most modern cultures are the product of cultural synthesis. However, using soneone else’s culture as a costume or fad is wrong, because it removes all the cultural value from whatever aspects are being used. It’s also likely that the people involved in appropriation don’t care about the culture itself, or the people that created it, and only enjoy it because it “looks cool”. If people actually take time to learn about other cultures, I have no problem with them using elements from that culture. This idea applies to all people, regardless of ethnicity. tl;dr: I beleive that culture should be shared, but I don’t think that it should be used for trends or profit.
dreadlocks actually came from the Rastafarian movement. The term dread was used because of the fear that was associated with these individuals basically just for being black. Vikings might have had ‘locks’ but not dreadlocks. Small point but i think it is important for us to understand the distinction if we are going to use that term and exactly how it feeds into society’s enduring perception of black men as intimidating. Also the crown/warbonnet comparison isn’t really fair as a crown doesn’t have religious significance, isn’t exclusive to one culture and also kings weren’t the victims of mass genocide and oppression that continues to this day.
I get that some things can be upsetting. If someone came in your culture’s clothes in order to get laughs out of people- that would be upsetting. But most of the time I feel like people dress up in different ways because they like it as a fashion or are genuinely interested in that specific culture. I remember that buzzfeed- article were they got upset that a makeup-company had put designs somewhat similar to tribal patterns on their lipsticks. It’s just an aesthetic. many people think tribal patterns are beautiful, so they want to create stuff similar to it! I don’t see anything wrong with that. As important as it is to highlight problems we have in society, it is also important to not create problems that can cause unnecessary tension between groups.
I have a question for everyone here. I am of Southern Italian ancestry. I speak both the mother tongues, and have knowledge of family traditions. My question is…Do you consider me white, even though I have olive skin, look nothing like you physically, was raised in an entirely different culture than yours, and even though Italians are the first Latin Europeans? Do you think it’s funny or appropriate that Italians are never depicted positively in the media, even though this is what tends to dictate our interpretations of people(muslims, anyone?), sensationalizing the absurd. Do you find in acceptable for Jersey Shore to be using the ethnic slur “guido/guidette” on air, or for a lunch truck in downtown New York(Italian capitol of the US) to christen itself “Dago Joe’s”(“Dago” being an ethnic slur for a Latin European, such as Spanish, Portuguese, and especially, an Italian)? Do you know your Italian history? Do you know that we were lynched, that Teddy Roosevelt endorsed lynching Sicilians, that Calvin Coolidge encouraged Nordic immigration but restricted Mediterranean immigration? Forget that Little Caesar’s doesn’t make authentic Italian pizza or that by consuming a poor person’s food done incorrectly, you have absolutely no respect for our culture. The fact alone that you apparently don’t care about an ethnic slur being used on air and it not receiving any attention is what scares me. Not that it’s going on, that nobody seems to point and say, “that’s racist.” So, I have decided that if you’re going to be offensive, I too, as a vehement Italianist and ultranationalist, will also be offensive.
My mom wore a sari that her Indian friends dressed her in to an Indian concert that her Indian friends took her to. It was a car full of white people who shouted at her as they drove by. They told her to “dress like a proper white person”. She shouted “Pigs!” back at them but it was her friends who were horrified, as though the bigotry was directed at everyone. It’s like they were just told on the street by a bunch of strangers what kind of interactions they’re allowed to have with white people.
lady, you can’t compare a headdress to a paper Burger King crown… yes there is a meaning behind the two but the meaning of a headdress for native Americans is so deep the chances are the white college kid wearing it doesn’t have an inkling of the importance the garment originally had they just thinks it’s pretty. a Burger King crown is a paper crown that you give to your four year old when you buy them chicken nuggets so you can laugh and say “awh hahaha your a king buddy!” you can do that to someone and say “your a chief buddy!” and the historical context needs to be taken in. white Americans almost killed all of our natives it is in bad taste to put on a headdress just for dancing around to EDM.
The two main groups who take offense to cultural appropriation, in America, are African Americans, and Native Americans. This is due to the fact that throughout multiple points in American history, White America whitewashed aspects of African American culture, and claim it as their own, which silenced African American voices in history. With Native American culture, during the 19th century, White America tried to “Americanize” Native American children, which then led to a great loss of Native American culture. there are many articles you can watch on YouTube explaining boarding schools which Native Americans were forced to attend. It’s easy to say that cultural appropriation is just appreciation of different cultures, but through history that hasn’t been the case. It is easy to see why groups would get offended if their culture had been wiped away in the past.
The English language can’t really be considered a form of cultural appropriation when considered in context. For the majority of American history, groups like Native American, African-Americans, Mexicans, Asians were all forced to assimilate by law. After much of America was “conquered” indigenous Native American children would be placed in reformation schools where they had to cut their hair, change their clothes and speak English or be beaten. Similar situations play out when Britain colonized and tried to “civilize” Indian and other cultures around the world. Can it really be considered appropriation if it wasn’t by that group’s personal choice to accept it, but rather it was by forced upon them by the dominant Western, European culture that it originated from?
Why do people complain about the navajo headdress as if the tradition still exist? There is no context in wearing it anymore. Also Asians should stop complaining about being fetishized, as if Asians don’t fetishize white people. There are plenty of Asian guys that would love to “try” a white woman. Also, Aj raphael made it clear in an interview with the funbros that white women are objects to Asian men who want to beat the Asian stereotype that Asian men can’t get white women.
I am almost crying here because recently I lost a friend calling me a racist because I don’t consider cosplay racism. If I were to dress as – let’s say- Storm, I would do it out of love and respect for the character. Not to ridicule or insult a culture. Thank you for logically explaining my whole point about it being completely different from racist acts.
Wow yes you got the definition of cultural appropriation right but the “for some reason this is seen as a negative thing..” lemme explain. Ex: When the black culture has a way they style their hair but *won’t get jobs because of said hair *are called names such as nappy, unkempt, etc. *aren’t seen as professional or attractive because of said hair –AND THEN: A white person does it. and they can do whatever they want. It is praised on social media, by peers, etc. That is whats wrong with cultural appropriation. So when people (or you LAuren) dress up in something you think “looks pretty for the night” that is from another culture–have you done any research on said culture? Learned anything about it, what certain beads, feathers, colors actually MEAN to the culture you are “admiring” ???? I highly doubt it. But if you are, that is surprising. I’ll admit I did not finish this article. Couldn’t stand the ignorance honestly lol, but I will respond to one more thing. This idea that oh, “its all fun and games to laugh and joke around about things” such as cultures MAY NOT be funny to the people in the actual culture. So fucking what if you shouldn’t dress up as Pocahontas, find another fucking costume, there are plenty out there that don’t culturally appropriate. Do you think rape jokes are funny if they are made during the time of a comedy act? I sure as hell fucking hope not, considering you are a female. Making jokes at anothers expense is not a good way to make a joke, and also perpetuates stigma or negativity around any issue.
I totally agree how the difference between cultural appreciation and projecting stereotypes is huge. My primary school did this thing called “cultural enrichment day”, where we’d all dress up in traditional Japanese clothing, and learn about Japan and eat Japanese dishes. There was nothing negative about it; it was educational and fun.
People should come to India. You can say a lot of things about India, but we embrace different cultures and the diversities here and no one even knows what “cultural appropriation” is. As a Mizo Indian, we don’t wear kurtas or saris in our culture, but we now wear them, etc. No one bats an eye! Many Americans have become so sensitive these days- both blacks and whites.
Quickly labeling cultural appropriation as ” white people racism” and “just minorities hating on white people” shuts down what should be a legitimate conversation. A conversation that teaches the significant difference between appropriation and appreciation. Cultural appropriation is seen as a “negative phenomenon” according to the definition that SHE had in the article @ 0:55. On the other hand, appreciation and cultural exchange are both seen in a positive light by both of the cultures. Cultural appropriation is not just some new Tumblr thing. It has always been happening as a result of increased contact with other nations and peoples over the course of human history. But this is the 21st century and it needs to stop. Examples of appropriation include: Kylie Jenner wearing African-American inspired hairstyles like dreads and cornrows, erasing their significance and even redubbing traditional cornrows as “boxer braids”. She is being praised as fashion icon and cashing in on that cultural element by using her so-called “creativity” and status to sell her own line of beauty products. Meanwhile everyday African- Americans are stigmatized for wearing their hair in its natural form. Some companies and schools prohibit these natural hair styles. Does it really seem fair that one group is institutionally stigmatized while another group receives all the praise? There are plenty more examples such as in MTV decoded with Franchesca Ramsey when she noted on how Katy Perry poorly represented Japanese geisha outfits for one of her concerts and the whole Dark Horse music article.
Lauren, absolutely 100% well said. Every moron and media twit who gets offended by costumes should watch this. I love how you pointed out the double standards of traditional white costumes being acceptable, while any costume from a non-white culture being offensive. Yep, nothing like being equal. Keep up the good (truth) work.
cultural apporiation is more than just an adoption of a culture. its really an adoption of a culture where the original people’s who possessed that cultureis demonized or ostracized out of the very culture they started. it’s about the privilege taking advantage of the under privilege and not giving credit where credit is due. that’s the problem. all we want is representation, and credit. u can’t wear something from someone else’s culture, then think it’s okay to make fun of the very people who started it. u can’t exclude people out of their culture. that’s what happening. do whatever want, but don’t celebrated when someone outside the culture wears it, then critique when the the person belonging to the culture wears it or brings it about. thats not fair. we should practice cultural exchange not cultural appropriation
Let the people of the individual cultures decide whether certain ways of dress are considered disrespectful or not. Take it on a case by case basis and not “cultural appropriation” as a whole. It’s not hard to understand; too many people just choose not to out of laziness and/or self-chosen ignorance. If it’s culturally acceptable for non-Japanese to wear a kimono, then that’s fine; enjoy the experience (which you can get in Japan through kimono rentals). If it’s not culturally acceptable to wear attire from certain indigenous people because such attire is considered too sacred and/or valuable to them to just let anyone wear, then be respectful of that. Cultures are different, so treat them differently.
Don’t wear anything from my culture on Halloween. It makes you shallow minded and insensitive. On my culture festival, yes you are invited to share and wear. Otherwise it’s just a joke to you, like putting on mickey mouse. “Hey look what I’ve got” and then you run around, get splatted and what not. You dress like some culture, drink and get beer for mustache while feathers are on your head. What a shame. Pick something from pop culture – Disney, DC, or marvel, vampire, etc
I’ve never understood this. Like, I’m Irish and St. Patrick’s Day is the best thing ever because my American friends are actually interested in my history and heritage! We throw parties and laugh over the ridiculous green stuff and sing my playlists. If anything I think more cultures should get celebrations like it; they’re fun and I want to look into other people’s experiences too!
So, can we eat PIZZA or not? Those of us that are not Italian, I mean. Also, being Greek, can I have the letters A, B, E, H, I, K, M, N, O, P, S, T, X, Y and Z back please? We’ll issue a special license for the use of C, D, F, G, J, L, Q, R, U, V and W for now. And don’t forget to give the Arabs back their numbers (except O which has to be returned to the Babylonians).
Just so people know. Matoaka was an actual historical figure(who you all know as Pocahontas), she was taken prisoner at the age of 17 and held captive for over a year, then forced to marry a white man, she inevitably died at the age of 21. So very little about the Disney classic is historically accurate, and has been grossly romanticised, but do non natives care? Nope, they care about what looks good on Halloween and not about how natives are either incorrectly or negatively portrayed in the media, or what our “actual” struggles are. They don’t care about honouring “Pocahontas”, otherwise they wouldn’t be wearing that hokey whitewashed costume that Disney made a killing off of while covering up the horrible yet true story of Matoaka.
Excellent piece, Lauren = ) However, I am offended… you are American, yet you delivered this talk in English. That is clear cultural appropriation to the good people of UK. Don’t you know they invented English? Gosh. Next time, please think before you decide to just appropriate an entire language from another culture. ; )
People get to define what is offensive in their culture. You can’t tell them not to be offended when you use parts of their culture in ways that they find offensive. Just because YOU aren’t offended by something doesn’t mean everyone else shouldn’t be as well. If you’re using something from someone else’s culture wrong and they point it out, apologize and move on. Don’t get all bent out of shape. However, I do find it annoying when people who are not of that culture claim that something is offensive on their behalf due to excessive political correctness.
Sigh…okay. You can’t dress up as a racial/ethnic minority because politically, socially and economically they’re oppressed. Kicking someone when they’re down is never okay. Fictional characters are more likely to be oka,y as long as you’re not augmenting yourself to look like a different racial/ethnic group.
I disagree with this article because in America I don’t see the “white Americans” saying oh I’m German or I’m Polish what they want to be known as is American they really don’t seem to care as much as a Native Americans or African Americans about their culture. You said we want to learn about the culture but do you actually take the time to learn because if you did you would understand the words MY CULTURE IS NOT A COSTUME
It’s funny how she talks mostly about appreciating a culture and lightly addressed Halloween costumes. It is NOT ok to dress up in cultural attire that belongs to group of people that have been oppressed or are still being oppressed. And painting your face black to “be more accurate” DOES NOT justify black face at all! Black face and yellow face have such a long history of pain. You are NOT allowed to say what is offensive or not offensive to a culture you are NOT from.
The only thing I find uncool is blackface/Brownface/ Asian Eyes. I think that you can dress as crazy eyes, Beyonce, a Latin dancer, a Samurai, or Native American without it. Dressing like something other than yourself is the fun of Halloween. I remember when I was 4 my mother made me and my older sister Esmeralda(from Hunchback of Notre Dame) and I had so much fun. I’m Black not Romanichal Gypsy and no one was offended. So wear whatever you want just know that you don’t have to darken or whiten you skin to get your point across.
So we bring philosophy, democracy, capitalism, universities, college football and I can go on forever while blacks bring us rap music and Afros whole Indians bring us a hat w feathers. When people say whites have no culture I actually kind of feel sorry for them. They’re so deep into white culture they don’t even know it. If your mom white, Next time you’re thinking about putting on that suit for a wedding, church, business meeting, etc Dont. That’s white European style suit and so is all the clothing you’re wearing every night and day.
I agree with some of what she says here. But I do strongly disagree that people who wear a native war bonnet to a music festival really understands the cultural significance of that, other wise they wouldn’t wear it. It is not just an article of clothing or fashion look, so I don’t think she really understands the meaning behind it either. I won’t speak out to anything else here because I am not black or Japanese I will keep my comment to the Native American side of it since I am Native. There is no respect for the native culture when someone who doesn’t know anything about native culture wears something that had deep significance beyond just an article of clothing.
That term always amaze me: “cultural appropriation”. I find it ridiculous. What’s wrong in honoring a different culture, no matter what race you are? I’m a “cultural appropriator” because I dress like americans or eat their food? Would you be a “cultural appropriator” if you dress a flamenco’s dress like the spanish girls from Andalusia? As long as you respect the other culture, you can do as you like.
I’m a black girl and I’m getting pretty confused about what’s racist or not. I’ve decided that you can do whatever you need to to look like a person or represent a culture, as long as your demeanor doesn’t change. If you want to dress up as a black person and you’re pale then bronzer is okay. Just act respectable. Don’t wear blackface and then start acting violent and speaking improper English. BUT I do think cultural artifacts that have religious value or denote royalty should be off limits. That’s just my opinion and what I stick to when dressing up.
Well. Let’s see, white girls wearing head dresses does reneforce a certain message and stereotype… Let’s see, we all wear feathers and colourful things on our heads. For one, women aren’t even supposed to wear them, they’re a sign of honor, like those war badges people get. If someone who was actually In a war and fought those battles saw someone dressing up in a fake uniform having all these badges for something they didn’t even do, do you think the guy who was actually in the war would be happy? Nope. It’s not at all appreciation. It’s just ignorance.
Enjoying food from another culture, learning about another culture, wearing an item from a certain culture when invited by a member of that culture, all of those are not cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation occurs when the members of a certain culture, generally people of colour, are shamed or made fun of for wearing a certain item by another group, most often white people, for wearing that specific item, and then the oppressive group uses that item or a replica of that item for fashion or style. Oftentimes the oppressive group will insist that they are honoring that culture by wearing the item, but the people whose culture that item belongs to are still being ridiculed for wearing it.
The lady in this article talks about how wearing blackface and dressing up as someone’s ethinity,is not cultural appropriation but appreciation.That doesn’t make sense to me. The picture of the lady dressed as Crazy Eyes didn’t need to paint herself brown for people to see what character she was trying to portray. And ppl dressing as Native Americans are racist. That’s their ethnicity. That would be the same as someone dressing up for Halloween as ” Caucasian “, or “African American”. It’s offesensive. I dont get why she doesn’t see that. It’s really simple to me. If someone finds something offensive and it’s not something you have to do, then why do it if you see that it hurts that person or in this case, a collective group of ppl.
I’m laughing and crying at the same time….pathetic “logic” from undereducated sources and their followers in the comments literally cracks me up. It’s sad that most people who don’t understand this are older adults yet I, a young adult does. Culture appropriation is not appreciation. The fine line between the two is credit and consent. And to a greater extent, cultural appropriation can be racist
I’ve argued this point so many times but people always get butthurt and go straight to insults instead of actually discussing the topic. I completely agree with the article. I don’t understand why anyone would see it as bad to appreciate other cultures. If some white dude is wearing a native American piece of clothing everyone who sees him will think about native Americans and their culture. Is that not a good thing? It helps keeping it alive and helps keeping people interested in it. If you never hear about something or see something, you forget about it. Do people really think that native American culture getting forgotten is the preferable goal? I certainly don’t. The different tribes have some really cool traditions, clothes, culture, history etc. I can use myself as an example here. I’m from Denmark and vikings are obviously a big part of our history. If I see an American or whatever wearing a viking helmet (even an unhistorical one with horns. lol) I don’t become offended. I just think it’s cool that other people enjoy parts of our history as well. We even have viking museums, viking ship museums, viking reenactment museums etc. here in Denmark where you can go learn about and participate in our culture and history. You can learn to make food like the vikings, how to make weapons like the vikings, get married in the viking tradition etc. regardless of your own cultural or ethnic background. We love when people show an interest in our culture and history. Why wouldn’t we?
Cultural appropriation is NOT the same as Cultural Appreciation! First of all Black face is NEVER okay. And nothing is wrong with wanting to wear and express someone else’s cultural attire. But as long as you wear it properly, address it properly, and have some kind of awareness as to why the attire is worn. Also you NEVER take a certain cultural piece and change the name as if it’s yours. That means you always give PROPER recognition! That’s how you have respect for someone else’s culture! Just have respect! And frankly, you shouldn’t wear anyone’s cultural attire on Halloween. That’s so offensive! Again, someone’s culture is not your novelty to play around with. Have some respect!
I was actually unaware of the problems you are trying to fight, the only time I have been confronted about something ridiculous was when my favourite singer passed away and I was being bullied for mourning it, because tumblr users accused him of being a rapist. Anyway, it makes me really sick and sad that celebratating other cultures is offensive. I am deeply sorry for people who act and think like this, because I guess most of the times it is not actual trauma, but stupidity. thank you for making me aware of the problem so I could never be part of it….
Cultural appropriation is an entirely different matter. It has little to do with one’s exposure to and familiarity with different cultures. Instead, cultural appropriation typically involves members of a dominant group exploiting the culture of less privileged groups — often with little understanding of the latter’s history, experience and traditions.
I think Lauren focuses too much on race. These days it’s really not as important as she thinks it is. I’m Native, and I could give a damn who calls me an Indian, or dresses up like the ancient ones. She has a lot of intelligence that I believe would be put to much better use finding solutions to the real problems, like Fukushima, climate change, or the gap between the poor and the rich. Instead she wastes her time on issue’s that only the alt-right seems to care about. Like how the hell did Halloween become so damn important? She’s from Surrey, and Surrey is in the midst of a davastating opioid crisis. Where’s her opinion on that? She’s a politician and the only thing she seems to care about is regaining the prestige that white people lost following the civil rights movement. I get it, it sucks when people bash your race, but not everbody hates white people these days. It’s time for her to use her genius for the common good now.
I completely understand your stance. And i agree with certain aspects. My thing with the topic is that most people i see adopting a certain aspect of a culture is that they almost never have respect and or knowledge about the history or the meaning of whatever they are using. And sometimes said ignorance can be very annoying for natives of the culture. Another thing is stereotypes. Specially when those stereotypes are innacurate. My advice is to be respectful and informed when building a costume and blackface is never ever ok because of the history behind it.
this is bullshit you should not wear a headdress because it is a sacred piece of clothing that you must earn also a bindi it is a sacred thing in Hinduism or having dreadlocks because they look cool when in reality black people have been criticized for wearing their natural hair for decades. there. are something you should not wear that are religious and sacred to those people no exceptions
I think cultures are meant to be shared the only thing that I feel people shouldn’t really wear is the native headdress. Those headdresses and sacred culture specially to a small community and should be respected. I believe we can admire those headdresses but not take advantage of this because its for people who earned the right by their people. But besides that culture should be a good thing to express and pass with eachother that way we can bond and not be strangers to each other.
I’m Mohawk indian, if you want to dress up like a native American go do so! Unless your intentions are to make fun of Natives. Social media made the idea of cultural appropriation completely different, hence actually segregating races and causing more conflict between them. How I see it, there are so many other problems in this world such as: police brutality, terrorism, world hunger, etc. but God forbid someone of white skin wears dreads.
there’s a difference, people from another ethnicity can appropriately wear another’s culture attire if they were accepted to that group. Native Americans adopted several white people during the colonization and taught them the traditions and practices that made them part of the tribe. when the “free white men” came to America, Native Americans were forced to assimilate by shedding all of their clothing and traditions, in modern time people are wearing clothing that were dimmed bad by white people are now made hip by white people. do you see the difference?
I know this is late, By two years… But Halloween is coming around again. But here is something I have learned. I study Japanese and the history, I use a Japanese name because I do love the culture that much. I was recently called a racist with out him knowing facts about Japan. I use import books from Japan, And even in them tells about how the Japanese normally love when another culture appropriates them. Cause it brings love to their culture, I was respected at an Asian restaraunt, Because I was using their table manners even tho I am American. My brother was amazed cause the Asian waiter walked up to me and bowed. Even in the book, It says… “They don’t mind if a non native messes up or not, It manners that they are trying.” I returned with a bow back…. U can apriciate a culture and not be a dick… It just sucks how many people became so fragile anymore…
Las personas que utilizan elementos de otra cultura no dominante no tienen que enfrentar las críticas, la deshumanización, ni la criminalización que viven las personas que pertenecen a esa cultura. Las personas que hacen apropiación generalmente son las mismas que perpetúan el racismo. La apropiación cultural subestima a las culturas no occidentales, perpetúa el pensamiento de que son secundarias, que no son relevantes en el desarrollo de la sociedad y en la identidad de las personas que forman parte de ella. Las convierte en un producto para consumo y elimina a los grupos de color (PoC) protagonistas. Cuando las personas blancas cogen elementos de otra cultura, los medios y la sociedad las alaban, en cambio las personas que son parte de esa cultura son sistemáticamente oprimidas y rechazadas por usarlos. La apropiación es una forma de colonización, de control y menosprecio a otras culturas, pues la cultura dominante las define y las altera. La apropiación también genera estereotipos y fetiches racistas,especialmente cuando de disfraces se trata (como ya hemos mencionado antes). La cultura occidental es la cultura por defecto y al parecer nadie se disfraza de blanque pero sí nos podemos disfrazar de mexicane, de africane y de native americane. La cultura occidental define otras culturas, reduciéndolas a elementos insustanciales y prejuiciosos muy alejados de la realidad. Cosifica a las personas pertenecientes a esta cultura, pues las convierte en simples caricaturas. Una consecuencia de esto puede ser que la gente lea esa cultura como ‘extranjera’ /’exótica’ porque nuestro único contacto con esa cultura es a través de personas de nuestra misma cultura.
I just hate how people of none color are going to tell me not to be offended because I’m being too “sensitive”. You were never written up in school because your hair was a distraction only in its natural state, teased for big lips (but on white woman it’s ok and celebrated), deemed scary and violent because you decided you wanted locs or braids to make your hair “not be a distraction” but on non color people it’s seemed as trendy or fashionable because I guess subconsciously people still think when it’s white it’s right and when it’s black you better step back. Generally white cultures never have oppressed in America but black Americans are always being criticized for their characteristics and told that they must change and conform. This is the reason why some black wear blonde weaves because I know this is always an argument. But we wear weave to fit into your white world. You take black culture make it yours and act like you started it. We need appreciation not appropriation
I remember one time I went to a costume party (In Nicaragua) dressed as a Native American chief and I’m not even full Native, I’m just 28.5% according to my DNA test. Many people in that party were sayin to me that my costume was awesome and that type of stuff. That was like 2 years ago, then when I came to USA and I got invited to a costume party and I went there with the same costume some people were insulting me, they were calling me “racist”, that I was not allowed because I’m not Native and I was making fun of Native Americans. I just laughed because I like Indigenous culture and I think they’re interesting individuals. Sorry but American kids are really soft they get easily offended.
It’s easy for me to say this because I’m not Native American, but priorities need to be straightened with Indigenous issues. Native Americans have it the worst out of any race in the US in terms of poverty, drug abuse, rape, domestic abuse, homicide, suicide etc. These are the things that should spark outrage and be addressed in this country. Offending people because they’re exercising the first amendment doesn’t mean squat compared to these other things.
Preach! ‘Cultural Appropriation’ has always bothered me. You encapsulated all my thoughts in this one article. There is nothing wrong with cultural appropriation, or appreciation as you said which I like better. People who borrow from different cultures do so because they appreciate said culture, they’re not trying to demean them or trivialize them. It’s so foolish that people think that.
I still have negative feelings about “black face” because it was historically used in Hollywood to oppress would-be black actors. Also, certain things that are sacred or have personal meanings should be treated with at least some degree of tact. Wearing a native American headdress to a music festival is a good example, why would you feel that wearing something that was so important to another group was appropriate to wear to a concert. In the same way, if I saw someone who was clearly not Scottish wearing a kilt in the same colours as my family clan with no knowledge or appreciation of its meanings or origins I would be offended. Having said that, I do agree that most of these claims of cultural appropriation are garbage, a good example is the “deadlock” argument by Jamaicans when they themselves took it from Indian ascetics. There are even arguably roman accounts of the Celts wearing their hair in dreads.
Yes! Thank you! I’ve been saying this for years! I saw a fashion spread recently called “What Native American fashion looks like without cultural appropriation” it was natives wearing native jewelry and feathers, etc. but one man was wearing an English suit. How was THAT no cultural appropriation? The whole thing makes no sense and is completely illogical.
I’m so glad I found this article because I’ve really been struggling with this concept. I appreciate the beauty of different cultures and have great respect for our differences and want to learn more about it, maybe that’s why a part of me sees the appeal in wanting to embody what i find so great in other cultures. I feel that this whole “you’re not allowed to dress like us” or mix with other cultures is just more isolating and helps to maintain that segregation between cultures. On one had minority groups want to raise awareness to their cultures and want to see it more accepted in mainstream media but on the other hand we’re not allowed to explore it and incorporate it into our mainstream culture? I’d much rather be a mixed pot of beliefs and cultures. It may be ignorant of me to say but is imitation not the best form of flattery in some cases?And I’m so glad the whole point of ‘white costumes came up’ because dressing up in Medieval, Viking, cowboy costumes is deemed perfectly acceptable for any and every culture.
What I find funny about how people yell ¨Racism¨ for Halloween costumes is that the point of dressing up on Halloween was originally to NOT look like you. So… what, are we just going to get to a point where Halloween is canceled? If I dress up like Bret Micheals, is his music label going to hunt me down and sue me for some kind of contractual infringement? Because I´m not actually one of THEM? Sure, that sounds like a really drastic scenario, but how is it different from bitching about any other costume because the wearer isn´t of that ¨Origin?¨ I will say that for a war bonnet it´s a little different… I mean, people can be arrested for wearing an unearned Medal of Honor, which means there´s a precedent set in American culture for ¨stolen valor.¨ So with that in mind, its probably not a good thing to wear a war bonnet, unless earned.
I totally get what you’re saying and I think people should be allowed to freely exchange and enjoy each others’ culture as long as it is done with respect. However, oftentimes when I see people defending cultural appropriation saying that they are defending freedom and equality, I don’t see the same people fighting to end systemic structural racism, which they would do if they actually cared about freedom and equality rather than just preserving their own privilege and sense of entitlement. It is these systemic issues of structural racism that are at the core of the cultural appropriation brigade, their very argument is that because we still don’t live in a world where all races, religions and nationalities are treated equally and have equal opportunities, they should be allowed to preserve some aspects of their culture as their own. Which I think is fair enough, although I can see both sides of it.
As a musician who has loved and been influenced by Dub Reggae from Jamaica and Funk from the USA (amongst others) i take exception to the idea that as a white person i cannot enjoy, absorb and reinterpret my creative influences just because some PC idiots on the internet cannot see the difference between admiration and racism… Without ‘cultural appropriation’ we would have no Elvis, no Rolling Stones, and no Eminem… and in reverse hip-hop in the early days was influenced by white European artists like Gary Numan and Kraftwerk…
Umm… when it is something that is an expression of the culture like patterned dresses, kimonos etc… I don’t really care… but aspects of it that have sacred ceremonial significance like face paintings, tribal tattoos sacred headdresses and sacred dresses then we get pissed off. I find it ironic how any one person thinks they decide where the line is drawn. It was British, Portuguese, French and Spanish colonists who disconnected African slaves from their culture, people and land along with many indigenous people of nations all over the world, killing millions upon millions of people for simply how they look and for their land. Us saying hey I don’t appreciate you wearing face paint, tribal tattoos or people groups that is sacred to individual tribes, umm it’s very insulting when you take things that you think are ‘cool’ and devalue them is too much for you. Wear a shirt that says Africa, a pattern I don’t care but sacred things no. Blackface no, that was used to make fun of our descendants in America who were abused, beaten and tortured for being different. There is beauty in diversity and God loves us as we are we should learn about one another but in a way that is mutually accepted by those within a friendship. Definitely people get too angry because of past wrongs and personal struggles with European people and their descendants and we need to look at people on an individual basis learning from past mistakes and correcting them. By everyone is indivudal some more closely tied to slavery and the effects of colonization than others so for them being sensitive and willing to learn is important.
I remember one of my white friends was wearing a Harjuku or more specifically lolita dress for ‘Culture Day’ & my principal asked her, ‘Isn’t that cultural appropriation?,’ low & behold my Japanese friend had no problem with it, even complimenting how she looked in the dress, saying she looked ‘so cute.’ Very weird to me which battles pick to fight & how easily they believe they’re on the right side! 💗💞
THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND CULTURAL APPROPRIATION! Let’s just totally forget about context shall we? Let’s look at the fact that we can take sacred symbols i.e. the war bonnet and forget about the fact that until the 1960s The US government was forcing natives to become “civilized”. Cultural appropriation is as you described, when one culture TAKES an aspect from another culture for itself. For this to be offensive, it has to mean that you don’t regard any history of that object, or contextual aspects which would make it incorrect to wear that symbol. Cultural exchange is wonderful. When businessmen take the time to understand customs in the countries they are in and respect them, it’s not cultural appropriation because you’re not stealing the symbol and using it in a spiteful way, but instead you’re taking the time to understand it. There are totally people who don’t understand cultural appropriation, and will shoot you down for trying to learn a language. This doesn’t mean they’re correct, it means they don’t have a correct grasp of why cultural appropriation was bought up in the first place. Respect is important, and you mixed in a lot of racist examples as good examples. The war bonnet being one of them, and then additionally the face painting as black being another one. The act of wearing a kimono respectfully is wonderful and i’m glad you participated in that act of their culture, however it is not cultural appropriation as you were offered the opportunity to take part in it.
Honestly I don’t think that people should defend non natives wearing head dresses if they don’t know the origin, the meaning, and the deep religious ties that head dresses have to some native cultures. Do the people putting on these fake head dresses even know the weight of these things that they are putting on their heads? Obviously not. They are taking the sacred value of this item and completely disregarding it, belittling it to a pile of feathers. Yes, someone can think that head dresses are beautiful. Yes, someone can appreciate native cultures, but wearing a head dress is certainly not the way to appreciate them.
The only people I’ve noticed who actually complain about cultural appropriation are in english speaking countries. I remember when Avril Lavigne released her “Hello Kitty” music article she was absolutely abused, berated and scolded in North America for appropriating Japanese culture, so much so that she had to remove the article for a period of time. However, ironically in Japan the loved it. The Japanese praised her for adopting their fashion and culture. There’s a growing fetish to see who can act like the biggest victim in the western world and it’s soon fucking annoying. While GENUINE victims of discrimination, racism, sexism, homophobia are literally tortured and killed across Africa, Middle East & Eastern Europe, you have a group of inter gender pansexuals who prefer to be called “they” as they rebuke gender labellings because they are born as whatever they feel like who are harassing and bullying someone online for wearing a Kimono for Halloween because “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED UWHUSSW!!!! I’M DOING THIS FOR THE UNDERPRIVILEGED JAPANESE JIOHUEHWH8!!”. It’s all bullshit.
Your “history” is not a collective. That is American “history” you refer to when saying “blended together”. Find out where you are from and eventually you will know what cultural customs you could show on Halloween to be proud of your own history. Cultural misidentification and ramification of circumstances to fit what your egotistical desires are, IS NOT HONORING ANYTHING.