By Emmy Poppinga
If you’ve seen Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse, you remember the scene where Miles Morales is berated by Pavitr Prabhakar for saying “I love chai tea,” and Pavi compares it to ordering “coffee coffee with room for cream cream.” Pavi highlights the verbal irony of Miles’ comment: “chai” in Hindi is the same as “tea” in English. Although harmless in its intent, Miles is perpetuating a decades-old pattern of ignorance retained by Americans today and reminds us that words carry power, and stripping language away from its original meanings and people is crucial to reshape and oppress existence.
America is the most diverse country in the world—its diversity index stands at 61% according to The US Consensus Bureau as of 2020. Therefore, the ‘ideal’ of an all-white, traditional, religious America is incredibly outdated. Because we live in a culturally conglomerated country where diversity is the standard, it’s difficult for the average person to grasp the weight and depth of the many cultures that have been integrated into our society, and casual racism has become so casual that sometimes it’s hard to call out. I’d bet you didn’t know that the quote “no can do” actually originated in the 1820s as a mockery of Asian immigrants’ English proficiency.
Difficulty in understanding other cultures can lead to cultural appropriation, which, according to Greenheart Exchange, is taking an aspect of culture that is not one’s own and using it for personal interest. We fail to recognize that using traditional attire such as bindis, kimonos, and hijabs as stylistic choices has become so widespread that it goes unacknowledged as racism, and we refuse to acknowledge where those cultures came from.
Cultural appropriation fuels social inequality and racism—many cultural pieces and traditions are stolen from their rightful peoples and rebranded as stylistic choices. Rampant co-optation of other Asian cultural practices and materials has long been in circulation and often goes unnoticed. However, a universal public outrage erupted in 2019 when Kim Kardashian launched her new shapewear brand, Kimono, which used Japanese kimono designs as lingerie, rebranding the graceful garments as sexy shapewear. Kardashian’s line went as far as to attempt trademarking “Kimono” as a marketing term. However, critics argued that the production was insensitive to everything the kimono represented, a petition signed to repeal production surpassed almost 137,000 signatures, and even the Prime Minister of Japan sent Kardashian a letter explaining why she shouldn’t continue production. As a result, Kimono was canceled and renamed to Skims. By uniting together, the public fought against Kardashian’s claim to traditional clothing not belonging to her.
Cultural appreciation, in contrast, is an effort to broaden one’s perspective and connect with others cross-culturally. My friend, Aarna Bhargav, invited me to her classical Bhranatanyam solo debut, called an Arangetram. Before meeting her, I had no understanding of Indian dances, but now, because an aspect of India was shared with me, I understand how important a solo is in the world of Indian dance. Another example is sharing food. Food is always the best way to connect with others, in my opinion. Me and my best friend, Daria Egorova, made pelmeni together, a meat-filled Russian dumpling. I was previously uninformed on Russian foods, but cooking with Daria made me aware. Examples of appreciation range locally, like Westmont’s clubs hosting culture potlucks, to internationally, like World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, held on May 21.
Because of the multi-cultural influences on America that unquestionably shaped society and holidays—originally non-American festivities like Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day from Ireland, Oktoberfest from Germany, and recently added Diwali from India—it’s safe to say that immigrants, not ignorance, make America great.