What some people like to call cultural appropriation is really just cultural appreciation. Almost everything we enjoy has a basis in someone's love and appreciation for the art, music, food, fashion, etc. of people from other cultures. We used to take pride in calling America a "melting pot", but I guess some people would prefer it to be...one of those styrofoam picnic plates with the dividers so your chicken can't touch your corn.
I do agree with the sentiment that cultural appropriation is overused, an often thrown around in ways that's simply smothering. But I also agree with the sentiment that people of color are frustrated with some white people taking from other cultures, then flipping that thing and earning a fortune off something they couldn't come up with themselves, leaving the original culture with little.
In the case of the women who went to Mexico to learn, there was no wrong done. In fact, that's the way to do it. But we've seen in music where white owned labels rip off music originally composed by black artists, and instead of promoting that, turning it into something that's closer to what their "audience" would want.
With that said, I don't think cultural appropriation is the correct term in most cases. I don't know what the alternative term would be - maybe insensitivity - but people throw out cultural appropriation because that's what it looks like.
What some people like to call cultural appropriation is really just cultural appreciation. Almost everything we enjoy has a basis in someone's love and appreciation for the art, music, food, fashion, etc. of people from other cultures. We used to take pride in calling America a "melting pot", but I guess some people would prefer it to be...one of those styrofoam picnic plates with the dividers so your chicken can't touch your corn.
I do agree with the sentiment that cultural appropriation is overused, an often thrown around in ways that's simply smothering. But I also agree with the sentiment that people of color are frustrated with some white people taking from other cultures, then flipping that thing and earning a fortune off something they couldn't come up with themselves, leaving the original culture with little.
In the case of the women who went to Mexico to learn, there was no wrong done. In fact, that's the way to do it. But we've seen in music where white owned labels rip off music originally composed by black artists, and instead of promoting that, turning it into something that's closer to what their "audience" would want.
With that said, I don't think cultural appropriation is the correct term in most cases. I don't know what the alternative term would be - maybe insensitivity - but people throw out cultural appropriation because that's what it looks like.