The act of taking customs, practices, or traditions from one culture (usually by a member of a dominant culture) to either mock or simplify the meaning or significance of that piece of culture. Also, taking/wearing something from another culture and appreciating it only when it is not on the body of a member of that culture.
Examples/applications of cultural appropriation:
Giuliana Rancic: OMG Kylie Jenner's dreadlocks are so cool and edgy!!
Giuliana Rancic: OMG Zendaya must smell like weed and patchouli.
Any male or female that is NOT Native American wearing a Native American headdress because those headdresses are reserved for MALE elders after a religious ceremony; it's not just a cute hat.
Wearing bindis, dashikis, dreadlocks, saris, kilts, clogs, or any other type of clothing that is not native to your own culture without acknowledging the history these clothes come from or the oppression that some people who wear those clothes have to face because they are different from the majority culture in a specific country.
Giuliana Rancic: OMG Kylie Jenner's dreadlocks are so cool and edgy!!
Giuliana Rancic: OMG Zendaya must smell like weed and patchouli.
Any male or female that is NOT Native American wearing a Native American headdress because those headdresses are reserved for MALE elders after a religious ceremony; it's not just a cute hat.
Wearing bindis, dashikis, dreadlocks, saris, kilts, clogs, or any other type of clothing that is not native to your own culture without acknowledging the history these clothes come from or the oppression that some people who wear those clothes have to face because they are different from the majority culture in a specific country.
by epitome_of_grace September 21, 2015
Something a lot of ignorant people try to discredit and write off as bullshit but it is when a person from any background takes something from someone else's culture and tries to make it their own. Literally a person trying to disassociate a culture from it's people.
Cultural Appropriation is not just Kim Kardashian wearing cornrows but becomes that when the media calls them "Kardashian Braids". More examples are if a girl were to wear an native american headress and call it a "feather hat," or A person wearing a bindi and calling it "the new forehead dot," must I go on???????
by JWizzleOnThaBlock October 12, 2016
Cultural Appropriation is the very real theft of the elements of a minority culture, stolen by the majority, and joined into pop culture, without acknowledging the original creators of that culture. Elements that the original culture are usually made fun of for embracing, but are made trendy by the majority while abusing its significance. Anyone can appropriate culture.
"Do you see Steven with that tribal tattoo? "
"Total cultural appropriation he isn't even native American and he doesn't know what they stand for. He said they just looked cool"
"Total cultural appropriation he isn't even native American and he doesn't know what they stand for. He said they just looked cool"
by thatrudeblackgirl May 16, 2016
The act of contaminating white culture with outside influences.
Proponents of this term demand that customs, practices or traditions that originated in a non-white culture be kept out of it.
Increasingly, the term is used to purge non-white culture altogether.
Proponents of this term demand that customs, practices or traditions that originated in a non-white culture be kept out of it.
Increasingly, the term is used to purge non-white culture altogether.
"You can't wear a colombian costume on Halloween, that's cultural appropriation!"
"I am colombian."
"That doesn't matter; it might trigger the other white racists."
"I am colombian."
"That doesn't matter; it might trigger the other white racists."
by Andy Eier November 17, 2015
by TheRealKingJ October 30, 2015
when white people thinks it's okay to steal all the ~~~pretty~~~ or appealing things from cultures and use them for attention (i.e basically every white female celebrity with a bindi or miley cyrus and 'twerking') . It's pretty annoying and i ask you to please stop
example of cultural appropriation:
miley cyrus: i may be a hill-billy but i can twerk!!!
white audience: lmao raise da roof!!!!!! holla!!
black audience: "hysterical laughter"
miley cyrus: i may be a hill-billy but i can twerk!!!
white audience: lmao raise da roof!!!!!! holla!!
black audience: "hysterical laughter"
by pissedoff123 November 13, 2013
Social Repose thinks him dressing in a native american headdress isn't cultural appropriation because he's a dumb emo white boy who knows everything...
by LoveVeil October 22, 2016