Cultural appropriation is what it is because of power dynamics that exist in Western societies concerning race. However, we have to make one thing clear.
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Ariana Grande’s tattoo for example individually mean seven and rings but when put together mean a type of BBQ grill. With Kanji different characters combine to make different words and so the same character can be combined with different characters and mean completely different things. Therefore, it doesn’t work like English letters that you put together to spell a word. To briefly explain what I have learnt about Kanji in my Japanese classes here in Japan is that on your first lesson in Kanji you learn that Kanji are pictorial characters. So why aren’t Asian languages and Asian discourse treated with the same respect and importance?Īlso read: Not Your Costume: Why Cultural Appropriation Needs To Stop Discourse, the words we use, the slang we use, is so important in Western media.
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I am in no way an expert in Japanese language and culture but during the last four months of living here, and having lived most of my life in Asia, I have learnt that language is an integral part of any culture. This, in addition to her music video for Seven Rings, is a clear example of how the West has taken cultures like like that of Japan in an attempt to manipulate it and exercise power by profiting from it. In my opinion, it is a clear form of cultural appropriation. In the last month, there has been lots of debate and discussion on whether her new tattoo is cultural appropriation or not.