Accompanied by vibrant maximalist visuals clearly embracing the kawaii subculture, alongside Japanese dancers and filmed in the heart of Harajuku (the trendy pop culture hub in Tokyo), the 2000s rockstar Avril Lavigne sang the opening line “Mina saiko arigatou!” in the music video for her hit song “Hello Kitty.” Upon its release, Lavigne was met with a plethora of non-Japanese backlash accusing her of cultural appropriation and emulating racist undertones in her music video.
Despite the myriad of backlash Avril Lavigne received from American viewers labeling the music video for her song Hello Kitty as “racist” and a prime example of “cultural appropriation,” the Japanese public generally disagreed. Though Japanese citizens pointed out the videos “poor taste,” it was regarded as a harmless video by a passionate American rockstar who took a particular interest in the Japanese Kawaii subculture.
In 2024, individuals often criticize others for ‘appropriating’ cultures. The Oxford Dictionary defines the term “cultural appropriation” as “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.” Yet the subjective definition fails to address where the meticulous line is drawn between appreciation of cultures and disrespectful appropriation.
People have all too often turned to ignorantly labeling non-native engagement with other cultures as appropriation whenever they witness a foreigner taking part in customs from a culture separate from theirs. This labeling is often blatantly false, and can deter individuals of foreign nations from wanting to take part in different cultural customs altogether.
Blaming others of cultural appropriation without proper knowledge of the culture can lead to false accusations. This can deter people from wanting to take part in foreign cultural activities altogether, which can result in narrow worldviews and an inability to expose ourselves to new ideas and customs. Falsely accusing others of cultural appropriation can also pose psychological strain to the individual merely trying to engage, learn about and appreciate a certain culture.
More often than not, individuals belonging to the culture are unphased by the engagement of foreigners in their practices. In many cases, it is encouraged that foreigners participate and interact with their culture. It can be seen as a sign of courtesy and longing to understand more about the culture itself, which can be taken as a compliment rather than a show of disrespect.
A notable example would be foreigners traveling to Japan and walking the streets of cultural heritage sites such as Kyoto, dressed in traditional Japanese attire and taking photos in the environment. When foreigners take part in these activities, many are quick to point out their “appropriation” of culture and their indication of disrespect. This was apparent when videos of globally acclaimed singer and lyricist Taylor Swift in full Japanese Geisha makeup and attire from 2011 resurfaced online.
Though commenters accusing Taylor Swift of cultural appropriation were most likely doing so with good intentions, it triggered the opposite effect. The singer had been dressed by Japanese stylists with Japanese approval and conducted in traditional procedure. .
As a Japanese-American who has lived in the country for a significant portion of my life, with all extended family residing in Japan, it is regarded as common consensus that foreigners wearing the traditional Japanese attire is seen as a gesture of respect rather than appropriation.
As long as foreigners do their research and wear traditional attire in a respectful manner—without fusing similar East-Asian cultures, oversexualizing traditional garments, or wearing the clothes incorrectly—generally, Japanese individuals will interpret their efforts as a sign that foreigners have appreciation and genuine interest in the culture.
This isn’t to say cultural appropriation doesn’t exist; it certainly does. For instance, the former name and mascot of the American football team known as the Washington Commanders was embroiled in genuine cultural appropriation with their former insensitive team name the “Redskins”. Prior to 2022, the team’s name and its accompanying mascot had drawn from outdated and distasteful Native American stereotypes. The Commanders continually faced backlash from Native American groups who felt their culture had been appropriated in the logo and the insulting name.
The difference between the incidents with Taylor Swift and the Washington Commanders was who called out the respective actions. In the case of Taylor Swift’s Geisha, it had been a horde of non-Japanese individuals who flamed the artist for her actions, while it was Native American groups themselves who expressed their frustration with the previous name of the Washington Commanders.
The issue with throwing out accusations of cultural appropriation arises when groups that are foreign to the culture take it upon themselves to label various actions as cultural appropriation. Instead, it should be the responsibility of the people belonging to the culture itself to determine if a foreigner is inappropriately or disrespectfully engaging in their cultural practices. Non-natives of the culture at hand should heed to the opinion of the native cultural group rather than rush to comment ignorantly.
Cultural appropriation is a real issue that can be resolved with research on the culture, as well as taking advice from those belonging to the culture itself. The easiest way to prevent false accusations of cultural appropriation is to withdraw from commenting when you do not associate with the appropriation in question. Do research, and talk to those who may be part of the culture to ensure you are not interfering with someone merely enjoying and appreciating a foreign custom.
