African American Culture Appropriation(hypocrisy?)

[Kangaroo Feathers]

To be fair, I'm sure many were offended by Black Knight's rather poor appropriation of cinema.

Interestingly, abominable as the film was, it had some of the most accurate armouring ever filmed.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

This is complete BS.
You using ASL doesn't take anything away from deaf people at all. No more than my learning French and speaking it took away the soul of France.
Tom

Want people to feel culturaly disrespected? Go to France and try speaking to people in English.

 

[SomeRandom]

Interestingly, abominable as the film was, it had some of the most accurate armouring ever filmed.

Well even a broken clock is right twice a day.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

You ever go to the country that the African Americans, or ANYONE ELSE are yammering about, hey stop stealing our culture? They're selling it like hot cakes over there. They sell it everywhere in the origin nation. I have yet to find a culture in the world that doesn't sell their own culture within their own borders. Tourism is a massive economic business for them. I haven't been everywhere yet, 30 or so countries, but literally every single one I been too they sell their cultural identity to tourists. Come see our ceremonies, but you have to wear our sarongs and kamen, which they ain't gonna lend to you, you gone buy those suckers, I have a batik sarong and kamen when I have to attend important ceremonies. they sell kilts in Scotland, lederhosens in Germany, and "authentic TX BS" is a cow patty contained in resin. It's everywhere.

So who are these folks speaking against cultural appropriation? I find it odd that they aren't going to the source.

Quite. I can't help but feel that an awful lot of the railing against "cultural appropriation" is done by over zealous third parties getting offended on others' behalf.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

This is complete BS.

I doubt it. The problem is we are all ignorant to another person's suffering. Its one thing to see it on t.v., its another to read it on RF. Makes me wonder.

You using ASL doesn't take anything away from deaf people at all. No more than my learning French and speaking it took away the soul of France.
Tom

Deaf not deaf. Crucial difference. Here is some info on it.

American Deaf Culture

Opinion | The hearing world must stop asking the deaf to assimilate

Im talking of minorities. Majorities, for example, and American just cant pop in another country when many of which require you to know the language and culture familarity. You can get arrested or killed for disobeying Islamic laws.

Can you imagine trying to culturally appropriate there???

It goes beyond just my learning and speaking spanish. I know basic spanish and still not "in the club" to use slang and other cultural nuisances of that given culture.

Im culturally sensitive and empathetic. Most Deaf people wont use pure ASL with hearing unless you're a CODA or culturally aware interpreter.

It goes deeper.

 

[columbus]

Most Deaf people wont use pure ASL with hearing unless you're a CODA or culturally aware interpreter.

My sister is one. I know what you're talking about. It's still BS.

It's still the culture of victimhood and entitlement rearing it's ugly head. It doesn't hurt a deaf person (oh excuse me, a Deaf person) for you to use ASL.
Tom

 

[Unveiled Artist]

My sister is one. I know what you're talking about. It's still BS.

It's still the culture of victimhood and entitlement rearing it's ugly head. It doesn't hurt a deaf person (oh excuse me, a Deaf person) for you to use ASL.
Tom

Ima forgive you just because.

Your sister is "one of them"?? (Is it an age thing, me thinks?)

OOOH good example in context.

Deaf-LGBT
deaf-homosexual

I remember you saying you dont agree with LGBTQ culture. Im wondering if its just people of differing cultures behaviors and views more than the logic of people wanting to keep their traditions aside from who or what another wants to do with it.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

So blacks can’t be faulted for appropriating from others, but others can be faulted whenever they appropriate from blacks. Nice double standard.

Are you really Jewish? I wonder if the Jews of RF can claim such a black eye

 

[Epic Beard Man]

Yesterday before I was yet once again sent to facebook jail for 30 days(reasons unrelated to that conversation) I was in a debate about baby names, a woman was complaining about how certain names bothered her, in particular they were African American baby names, like Lateisha, Ladasha, Jashanna, Makayla, Tawana, Lakeisha, Dazzline, Aaliyah, Indigo etc etc, that got me thinking where do these names come from? so naturally I started searching up the etymology of these names.

Turns out, 90% of these names origins are not African. lots of Hebrew, Latin, Engish, Greek, Arabic, Persian, loads are European, Middle Eastern or Asian, and surprisingly few actually have origins from the "mainland."

Yet I do find African Americans to be more poignant and "offended" when others appropriate their own culture like it is taboo to touch other's cultures and assimilate it into their own. Yet I find it highly hypocritical that their own names are not "of their people" yet they claim it as theirs. Or any other non African tradition. America is a gianormous multicultural melting pot, you might think that all is fair game. Are we truly that divided when it comes to what we call our own? When the truth is, it was not our own to begin with?

Considering that with comfort I'm the only African-American I'm surprised I wasn't tagged but then again many people would ask such nonsensical questions to an audience that are non-black just to get conformation bias but I digress. First and foremost, there are many African-Americans that do name their kids with African names, you are just naming stuff that are popular. By the way, and this is to correct you, Aaliyah is actually African as well:

"Aaliyah means exalted, high, and sublime. This name is of Arabic, American, African, Hebrew and origin. Feminine form of AALI. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by the singer Aaliyah Haughton (1979-2001), who was known simply as Aaliyah."

See:Aaliyah Name Meaning & Origin

True. A lot of names like Jamaal, Kamil, and the like have Arabic origins but there are several theories behind why African-Americans name themselves and/or kids these names. One theory which is more plausible is that African-Americans were robbed of their history due to slavery. Since African-Americans largely cannot race their lineage to a specific country in Africa, many black households tend to name their kids names closely related to African heritage. In addition, another theory is that the Nation of Islam has popularized a lot of Arabic names during the 40's 50's and 60's. Many within the Nation have encouraged blacks to drop their "slave masters name" like "McDonald" or "Little" or "Johnson" as they have no relationship with African ancestry. Another theory espouses the idea of a combination of the father and mother's names which is you see names like Lakeisha (although a derivative of Leticia).

But names is largely different than cultural appropriation of clothing, style, language, swag etc. when I see appropriation of African-American culture I'm referring to these things. For me, it's cultural appropriation if some white kid or Hispanic or any other non-African-American walks up to me and say "what's up Cuhz?" or "What's up Blood?" Prior to these being gang banging terms, African-Americans used these terms as a form of connection. When we say what's up "Blood" we are referring to each other as blood relatives or because we're black we are all related (in slang usage). Same thing with saying "cuhz" or short for cousin the same rules apply.

When I see cultural appropriation I see a directly similarity of what is common from within my culture expressed in another, and not just clothing, but mannerisms that accompany the copied style. But in future reference next time its best to ask a black person who lives it and sees it than (no offense to everyone else) whites or other non-black groups who are just going to give you uninformed biased answers.

But the beautiful thing about MY culture is despite it being robbed we are the only group to take an almost eliminated culture and create something in which the world loves.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

I have been dating a girl from Kenya for quite some time.

Oh boy! Does she know you like to ask white people (or non African/African-Americans) about African/African-American culture instead of asking the very people themselves?

 

[Cacotopia]

Oh boy! Does she know you like to ask white people (or non African/African-Americans) about African/African-American culture instead of asking the very people themselves?

I already asked her, but she never been to America and doesn't understand Afro-American culture either.

 

[Cacotopia]

African and African Americans are pun intended, black and white in contrast to each other.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

I already asked her, but she never been to America and doesn't understand Afro-American culture either.

But if you're asking about something in relation to African-American culture why ask an African who is not familiar with African-American culture? That is like me asking a golfer what first and goal means (which relates to American football). If you have a question about something I'd go to the people themselves. If I have a question about Judaism or a concern I ask Jews not Christians nor Muslims. If I have a question about guns I'll go to my nearest redneck (just kidding) but you get my point. If I had an issue with something what whites do or did and I asked a bunch of black folks who had negative encounters with whites it would not help me to get an honest answer would it? That is my point. But if I had an agenda then of course asking people who have a negative impression would only confirm my own personal bias against said group.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

African and African Americans are pun intended, black and white in contrast to each other.

In culture, but not when it comes to social stigmas and systemic racism.

 

[Jesster]

I don't know where that ASL discussion came from. I'd think the hearing-impaired would appreciate more people learning and using sign language. Communication is one of their common daily struggles, so more people being able to communicate with them in their prefered language more often would make things easier on them.

It's not a direct comparison (just one that helps somewhat from my own limited perspective), but I think it's fantastic when foreigners are capable of speaking my language when I need to communicate with them. I don't expect it from them, but it does make it easier for me to share information with them. If I was more capable and driven, I'd learn their language too. I hate only knowing one language and I'm a bit ashamed that it is the case.

 

[Cacotopia]

But if you're asking about something in relation to African-American culture why ask an African who is not familiar with African-American culture? That is like me asking a golfer what first and goal means (which relates to American football). If you have a question about something I'd go to the people themselves. If I have a question about Judaism or a concern I ask Jews not Christians nor Muslims. If I have a question about guns I'll go to my nearest redneck (just kidding) but you get my point. If I had an issue with something what whites do or did and I asked a bunch of black folks who had negative encounters with whites it would not help me to get an honest answer would it? That is my point. But if I had an agenda then of course asking people who have a negative impression would only confirm my own personal bias against said group.
/QUOTE]

////Oh boy! Does she know you like to ask white people (or non African/African-Americans) about African/African-American culture instead of asking the very people themselves?////

[

You are black you are on RF, they do not specify what race people are on these forums, but I assumed there would be people of "color" here. Hence why I asked this question. And since in these forums you need to maintain some sense of civility it was far better an idea to post here instead of in social media where the psychos reside. I had a discussion with her several months ago pertaining similarly to this topic, but since she has had no real interaction with Afro-American culture she didn't really make any contribution to the conversation.

But since you say you are African American, would it not be the right place to pose this question to gain your perspective on the subject?

In a way did you not just defeat your own argument?

And is no one not Afro-American allowed to talk about this? That's strange.

 

[Cacotopia]

In culture, but not when it comes to social stigmas and systemic racism.

Where is most of this systemic racism in most of Africa, I can see if you are arguing about South Africa, but where else.......

 

[Epic Beard Man]

You are black you are on RF, they do not specify what race people are on these forums, but I assumed there would be people of "color" here. Hence why I asked this question.

"People of color" does not specifically denote African-American. Alas, I wouldn't ask an Indian from India about Chinese culture no more I'd ask a Christian about Sikhism. Considering some of the people that responded you received som well uninformed answers.

But since you say you are African American, would it not be the right place to pose this question to gain your perspective on the subject?

In a way did you not just defeat your own argument?

And is no one not Afro-American allowed to talk about this? That's strange.

No. My point is this forum is not frequented by African-Americans and in fact I'm among the 1% here and with that being said I don't think you can get an accurate answer of something like the question you posed by those not of the demographic.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

Where is most of this systemic racism in most of Africa, I can see if you are arguing about South Africa, but where else.......

I'm talking about the U.S. actually. Your girlfriend and myself to those backwoods thinkers in the South we are just one word to them, that is what we have in common which is our mutual experience with the ugliness of racism.

 

[Curious George]

I don't think you can get an accurate answer of something like the question you posed by those not of the demographic.

Can I quote this and for use starting another thread?