Week 6: Appropriation and Ownership of Culture

Mary Qin
ASA 141
Week 6

Parminder Bahachu's article, "It's Hip to be Asian" mentions how Britain had commercialized the salwaar-kameez. Wealthy and famous British royalty and actresses who are usually seen as fashionable have begun to wear adaptations of the salwaar-kameez in recent years.  Before, the salwaar-kameez was seen as the clothing of a low-status immigrant women. But the influence of these powerful women have made this article of clothing into something that symbolizes power and wealth. To many people, this can be seen as appropriation. These wealthy women who are not of the ethnic or cultural origins of this clothing are wearing the salwaar-kameez with disregard of its original representation. Appropriation is usually seen in a negative light or as something that is "foreign", however, I find this situation to be more complicated. The fact that these influential women turned an immigrant clothing that originally had a negative stigma into something that is now seen as powerful seems positive. Why should Asian immigrants' cultural dress not be celebrated? Why should it not be normalized and made global just like western clothing?  I understand the aspect of culture sensitivity, but where should the line be drawn. Is this situation a step forward or a step backward?