Article Response

Why a Bindi is Not and Example of C.A 

   6 October 2014

 Dear Editor,
I just read your article about why when a white person or white girl wears a Bindi, it is not an example of cultural appropriation. I agree that cultural appropriation is when adopting a specific part of one culture to another cultural group. I disagree though that you think eating sushi or wearing denim jeans or drinking tea is a culture appropriation , because a white girl wearing a bindi at Coachella is different than an arab male wearing denim jeans which is American , or an african american eating sushi for dinner. The reason for that is because a bindi is more of a religious hindu meaning. Its has more of a religious meaning to hindus than wearing denim jeans is to Americans or listening to Brahm's lullaby to Germans.

I actually agree that the big deal with cultural appropriation is when the new adoption is void of the significance that it was supposed to have and that it strips the religious, historical and cultural context of something and makes it mass-marketable. That's pretty offensive. The thing is believe that if and Indian allows another white person to wear the Bindi then its alright and shouldn't be frowned upon. 

For exmaple in this country, the henna tattoo has a cultural significance in the U.A.E. Yet if you go on a desert safari, anyone can get a henna tattoo from a local tattoo artist. The only way a local could get a little bit offensive is if a man gets a henna tattoo.