thisishangingrockcomics:

This is why I think wearing bindi if you’re not a part of the culture is a form of cultural appropriation:

• If it’s in the context of a form of cultural exchange (i.e. an Indian, Hindu, or person of any other race, religion, culture, or ethnicity which wears bindi) than that person is giving you the privilege of allowing you to wear it. But if you take it upon yourself to put it on you’re taking something of culture significance to someone, to an entire culture/ethnicity/religon/race of people, and bastardizing it for the sake of fashion.
• There are a lot of Hindu and Indian women who aren’t offended by it, but I don’t think it’s fair to justify cultural appropriation by pointing to the people who aren’t offended- what are you going to say to the many people who are offended?
• To the people who want to make the argument that they hold little cultural significance anymore: that is because white people stepped in and decided they were a fashion statement therefore robbing bindi of their cultural significance. 
• And- maybe this is just me- but the whole “it’s not cultural appropriation because I know the ~significance~” thing strikes me as bullshit. To me it sounds like: “bindi are so pretty and cool and trendy I want to wear them but to avoid being called racist I’ll read the Wikipedia page about their significance and only listen to people who tell me they’re not offensive oh see now your argument is invalid and you cant touch me because I know the ~meaning behind them.~” See, I think that’s convoluted thinking because your intention there is wearing them as a fashion statement- so you learn about them to justify wearing them because they’re pretty, instead of say, learning about the culture, what bindis mean, then taking an interest in wearing them (on that note: having interest in a culture and their practices doesn’t give you permission to step in and steal something of importance to said culture.)

That’s all I really have to say about the issue. I’m not and won’t to claim to be incredibly well educated regarding the subject and obviously I can’t lend much perspective because I am white, but when people of the culture you’re taking something from say that what you’re doing is offensive and wrong? I think you should listen to them.

Here are some posts regarding the issue from PoC’s perspective that I think you should read if you’re interested:

http://bonjoursex.tumblr.com/post/12983003733/darkjez-ask-you-say-cultural-appropriation

http://earth2snowflake.tumblr.com/post/23068174279/underwhelmingly-white-girls-who-want-my

http://insanepoet9.tumblr.com/post/23024257231

http://2girls1truthblog.tumblr.com/post/23648121418/free-lies-daughterofhungryghosts-so-today-we

http://earth2snowflake.tumblr.com/post/23104872838/evomit-studies-and-is-very-interested-in-the-culture

That last bulleted point for ALL the cultural appropriation and just about everyone who defends it with that argument and the mentality behind it.

(via rectal)