Originally published on Mic and republished here with their permission.. Summer is here, and itâs already brought music festivals like Coachella, Governors Ball, and Bonnaroo. There was a ⦠It wasnât until I was personally affected by cultural appropriation that it really hit home how serious this issue is. We should all be concerned about potentially appropriating other ⦠(Like I said earlier itâs still a little scary to me, even if I know itâs what I want). I don't think a bandana has any specific cultural meaning that is at risk though so wear it hon, you look great. Cultural appropriation is a term for when members of one culture adopt attributes of another culture. Privilege and erasure are at the heart of any discussion about appropriation. Turns out itâs not cultural appropriation at all. Cultural appropriation isnât only a burden for people of color and marginalized communities to carry. Itâs not that Kim K or Miley Cyrus meant to offend with their hairstyles or jewelry. That's because not all groups within a culture have the same views, he says. The whole cultural appropriation debate is in danger of being turned from a defence of minorities under the colonialist cosh into a lazy substitute for ⦠Cultural appropriation was at the heart of this yearâs Costume Institute exhibition, âChina: Through the Looking Glass,â at New Yorkâs Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are near identical head covering styles in Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism (thatâs most of the planet in terms of population). I think that any woman inclined to cover her head should be encouraged. I stuck to the basics and made use of an old bandana I had lying around. Without cultural appropriation there would be no art, no rock and roll or hip hop, no fusion cuisine etc., etc,.. Culture is a process and constantly evolving. A lot of people are confused about who can wear head wraps and turbans, as misconceptions and claims about Every other person in the media looks like you, and every other commercial ⦠Being white grants you many privileges.You are the default race in America. He is the co-author of a paper titled Cultural Appropriation and the Intimacy of Groups. If you donât understand cultural appropriation, imagine working on a project and getting an F and then somebody copies you and gets an A and credit for your work. And with those festivals comes the inevitable onslaught of cringe-inducing outfits with the faint taste of cultural appropriation, a la the notorious âhipster headdressesâ of Coachella. I am a biracial woman of Afro-Caribbean descent.