I didn’t want to write this, but it’s definitely time. I’ve been seeing you making efforts around town to try and stop cultural appropriation. Scolding the insensitive souls that ignorantly use other’s cultures like they were just throw-away props. Well, I must say it is a noble effort but a fair bit problematic because pointing out cultural appropriation is actually a part of MY culture. Essentially, you were trying to prevent cultural appropriation while culturally appropriating my culture’s culture of pointing out cultural appropriation. You can clearly see where the problem lies, right?
I understand you’re only trying to do good but all you’re doing is creating an appropriation ouroboros that’s just hypocritical. Imagine someone trying really hard to help but they’re only making it worse, sadly that’s you. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, I know your heart is in the right place, but your actions are not.
My culture has a very rich and beautiful, past and present. Telling people that they’re culturally appropriating has been handed down through generations and to see it used like some sort of exotic puppet by others really hurts. My grandmother taught me how to point out to white people that they shouldn’t wear dreads, just like her grandmother taught her.
Appropriation ally-ship is about saying something after seeing something. If you’d like to help you can let me know anytime you see an appropriation taking place and then let me do the rest. Believe me, I got this.
Sure it’s great to tear down the people at Coachella wearing native head dress, but it would have been way more appropriate for me to do it, culturally speaking. That’s why I’m writing you this letter, because we’re friends and I know you have good intentions. Sadly good intentions are also part of my culture and I hope you can stop appropriating that as well.