Yesterday I stopped a bunch of Chinese men carrying a model of a dragon through the streets. As a proud Welsh woman I felt they were mocking our culture and told them cultural appropriation isn't OK. Did I do good?
That's what I love about this whole "cultural appropriation" idea - that not only can people feel like they somehow "own" an idea that is actually common among many different cultures, but that other people feel like they need to enforce it on other people's behalf.
I used to work with a guy who was the most stereotypical white boy 20-something slacker, but he was big into music production, and would remix people's music on his laptop between work calls. He was already well known in Japan for this when he was hired, and he went to Japan several times a year, and ultimately married a Japanese woman.
One day an Asian girl saw a picture of him on his desk wearing a kimono and looking incredibly awkward and out of place but also doing his best to respect the culture, and decided that he was mocking Asian culture and started in on him. He just let her go until she was finished, and said, "my wife is Japanese and this is our wedding photo. We got married in Japan."
The girl just did a heel turn and stomped away. I'm not sure I would have been as kind to her if she'd have done that to me.
First off, cultural appropriation isn't when someone lives their culture around you. Cultural appropriation is when you appropriate (aka take or steal or otherwise use without consent) someone else's culture. So it would be if a bunch of Welshmen were parading through the streets dressed in Chinese clothes, carrying a Chinese dragon. What happened here was you were offended to see people who weren't like you living lives different than yours, which is usually called bigotry.
That said, cultural appropriation is a bunch of BS. Every culture has learned and adapted things from other cultures. African Americans stole certain types of music from the Irish to create The Blues, and we're all better for it. Cultural Appropriation is a major way cultures progress. You don't see scientists getting their panties in a wad whenever someone cites their research paper as "Research Appropriation."
Cultural appropriation is the laziest form of victim culture, where people are racing to the bottom of the victimhood stack because there's some sort of unearned virtue in being the oppressed for some reason in our society.
I had Biria Ramen the other day and it was spectacular! Biria is a classic Mexican dish made from beef or goat. Ramen is... well, japanese. That dish only exists because someone cared more about making something good by finding good things that mixed well, and less about "But was this made by a different culture?"
So now that you've used the term incorrectly to begin with, remove it from your vocabulary.
They should've known better than to steal your national pride like that.
Would've been funny if they were chinese but Welsh and were actually celebrating Wales and had no idea it was even the year of the dragon. They just really love Wales or didn't give a fuck about either and just really loved whales. And by that, not the sea creature but really fat people.
They should have been using a Welsh Dragon, nothing else would do. It’s invading its territory with some wingless wonder. Who would be so crass as to use a dragon without wings that can’t breath fire, when there is already one in residence. Personally they are thumbing their noses at Wales.
I gotta disagree with you on this one. It's Lunar New Year, the year of the dragon this year. Its the Chinese dragon. They weren't being disrespectful ❤️
It’s part of Chinese New Year celebration, they’re not trying to disturb anyone… I think it’s good to be more educated on their cultural celebration. But of course, it’s understandable if you feel like it’s disturbing your community some sort. It’s never a problem here, we embrace multicultural and everyone welcomes it.
Probably there's a misunderstanding. We are around the Chinese New Year, and an everlasting by Chinese beloved symbol is exactly the dragon. Meaning they do not at all mock our culture, but rather indulging into perpetuating their dragon tradition. By the way, red is the colour of luck in China...
Otherwise, if there's a Welsh dragon, why not starting a new Welsh dragon tradition. May be leading to funny exchanges ;0)
The dragon is a large part of Chinese culture. It symbolizes many things including business prosperity, bountiful harvests, good health, and protection. Emperors were assumed to have descended from the dragons. These things go back to long before your people even heard of dragons. They were celebrating their culture. Cultural appropriation is not okay, but it is your country that has appropriated their culture. Shame on you!
that... makes no sense. not sure why you're offended. chinese people who celebrate lunar new year that live in the same city/country/whatever as you and should be allowed to do so. it's okay...
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No. As they had the dragon before Wales was even a country.
So, if anything, it's them who have the case against Wales for appropriating the dragon. Especially as the dragon is only symbolic of Wales having driven out the Romans.
Wales never drove out the Romans, they left with them to fight in Europe. Wales remained roman for about 200 years after they left, the dragon is a link to their Roman heritage.
Nah no one likes the welsh anyways not even the English, so I am sure they just ignored you and had a lovely day on the Luna new year. No need to be jealous Poppy.
Seems like a camouflaged attempt at a coup. I assume that castle thing they are in front of is where your king resides, and as I see no water, clearly they are already inside the moat.
You do realize Chinese people have dragons in their culture as well like a lot of dragons. What you did wasn't just disrespectful it was bordering on nationalist ideology.
I gotta disagree with you on this one Poppy. It's Lunar New Year, the year of the dragon this year. Its the Chinese dragon. They weren't being disrespectful ❤️
The Welsh probably adopted the dragon symbol from members of Roman legions from the Caucasus region, and the Chinese were using dragons in art and mythology for 2000 years before that
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Anonymous
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The concept of "cultural appopriation" is utter nonsense. It's just another way certain types of people try to make themselves "victims" of others.
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