I grew up in a multicultural home; one of my parents is from India, and the other is from the United States. Growing up, I loved visiting my family in India—though, of course, international trips are expensive, so we only went for two to three months every three years. I have also visited several other countries, and I hope to visit many more. I love learning about other cultures, and I love it when others ask me about mine. It wasn’t until I reached high school and started spending more time on the internet that I heard the term “cultural appropriation.” It took me a long time to understand what that really meant, as well as how it differed from the contexts in which it is often used. 

For example, at my high school, some students in a club got the opportunity to spend some time in Dubai for a competition. It was an incredible opportunity, considering my school’s small size and lack of diversity. Many of the students who went were in classes with me, and, on the last day of their trip, I happened to speak with one of our teachers. This teacher mentioned that some of my classmates had posted pictures of themselves wearing traditional Middle Eastern clothing, and a few had even bought traditional-looking outfits. My teacher commented that none of them should try running for office, because they believed that it was culturally insensitive. They did not use the term “cultural appropriation,” though that was strongly implied. 

I was confused. The American side of my family has always been interested in and supportive of my dual ethnicity; some of them have traveled to India with my family, and they love to participate in more “Indian” things with us, whether that is food, clothing, or something else. They have worn traditional Indian clothing, like saris and kurtas, and I had never felt like they were appropriating anything. 

I definitely have seen times when people were disrespectful while partaking in a culture, but the fear of “cultural appropriation” should not prevent people from experiencing and learning from other cultures. Of course, it is harmful when someone uses aspects of another culture to make fun of it. It is also harmful to perpetuate stereotypes. 

However, it is usually not difficult to tell whether something or someone is trying to disrespect a culture as opposed to learning from it. It is possible to be offensive without intending to be. For instance, someone could come across something used in a cultural ritual without realizing it and use it in a way that may offend the people of that culture. This is a very specific hypothetical, of course, but it is possible. In cases like that, naturally, a good response would be to apologize and try to continue educating oneself. 

Engaging in cultural education does not need to be as hard as it sometimes sounds. In my experience, so many of the issues I have faced could have been bettered by people opening up their worldview and taking into consideration other cultures and perspectives. The world would be a better place if more people expanded themselves beyond just the United States or the places where they were brought up. That is one of the biggest reasons that I came to EMU; this university offers the opportunity to travel abroad and immerse oneself in other cultures. My encouragement to you is, if at all possible, to take that opportunity, as well as any others you get to authentically learn about cultures other than your own.