Cultural Appropriation

As an Italian American, the insight provided in the video suggesting how to avoid cultural appropriation opened my eyes in a way. It brought to realization the level of ignorance I’ve demonstrated in the past when reacting to Mexican food.

I love Mexican food, but it’s not a cuisine I have very often, so there’s various meals I’ve never seen before or even heard of. There’s always something new or different to try, at least for me. Displaying “theatrics” is something that seems innocent and natural from my perspective, but further pondering on it brings to light that it may be misconstrued as offensive. My aim isn’t it to make it seem as though the dish is abnormal, but more so to show that is perhaps unique.

If other people behaved in a similar way when being served a dish of pasta they’ve never had before, for instance, I’d potentially find myself insulted. This could happen without it even registering that I’ve done it in a similar way while not intending to be disrespectful. Pasta is something that’s become normalized in my life and culture, but obviously that’s not the case for everyone else.

What’s most striking about this video is that most of the younger students admitted to feeling offended at the interviewer’s Mexico-inspired costume. The older people, who also were Hispanic, seemed to be much more accepting of the outfit, however, with several even appreciating it in a playful and amusing way.

This suggests that the issue of cultural appropriation may not be as prominent or widespread in the older generation as it is with the younger one. It’s fair to see, however, why people would be annoyed with this costume considered the host is not Hispanic.