Cultural Appropriation Alert: Alec Baldwin's Wife Torched for Faking Spanish Accent and Heritage. And you’re already on your way to understanding more – after reading this, you’ve got the most basic takeaway down. Regardless of your beliefs, I think we can all agree this implicitly Christian country wouldn’t tolerate any of the examples I listed in this article. Just because you’re less familiar a certain spiritual practice, that doesn’t mean it’s okay to disregard its significance to other communities – especially when those communities are marginalized people of color. Yes, but more importantly, who cares? Cultural appropriation leads to a narrow look at other cultures and often exploitation of those cultures. Monastics were so connected to the human suffering of that pain that they set their bodies on fire. Dear Beloved Reader, we're going to be real with you. Especially in Berkeley, prayer flags are used like confetti, lanterns, or twinkle lights to decorate barbecues and dinner parties. Advice? You and your ex in fact seem to have already agreed to this arrangement. You’ve run out of free articles. Putting an end to cultural appropriation in fashion therefore requires a thorough examination of how IP law can be improved to better respond to the needs of the holders of traditional cultural expressions in terms of how their culture is represented by fashion designers. Folks like the, see it as a foundational “cultivate the conditions for peace, social justice, and environmental sustainability within our selves, our communities, and the world.”. A: If I’m understanding you correctly, you’re proposing to exercise your legal right to maintain physical custody of your dog while your husband is out of state. Take him at his word when he says he’s got a handle on his insecurities, and schedule a tête-à-tête with one of your friends right away. Thanks for signing up! However, when mindfulness and presence are used exclusively as ways to physically improve an individual person’s life, we’re missing the point of Buddhism. I suppose my point is that I don’t want to be an asshole, and I feel like it may be problematic for me to have these displayed, but I also appreciate the symbolism behind them. My Family Won’t Impose Boundaries on Our Creepy Neighbor. We’ve been trying for a baby lately, and while thinking up names, my husband suggested his mom’s name if it’s a girl. But the chips – which tout mindfulness and good choices – were sold at the same store that’s been criticized in the last year for selling artisanal cheese made by prisoners. He only does this when he is in a high chair or car seat. Danny is online weekly to chat live with readers. The others are surnames so seem a bit odd. I see prayer flags all the time. Asian cultural practices are – with painful frequency – stripped of their context and meaning. And well, that isn’t really Buddhist at all. I’m certain folks who are avowed Buddhists or believe in Buddhist tenets have good intentions or are entirely unaware of the implications of their actions. Is there an option here I’m not seeing? Thank you! If Everyday Feminism has been useful to you, please take one minute to keep us alive. Cultural appropriation is not just about who does or doesn’t get to participate in, wear, or try other cultures. If you’ve ever met a monastic, then you know they’re some of the most lighthearted and cheerful people around. Lucky Buddha Enlightened Beer is another example of employing Buddhism to create catchphrases. Slate relies on advertising to support our journalism. A: I understand why you fear your partner’s dubious (“at best”) reaction, but consider the alternatives: If you don’t say anything and simply stop having sex with him without explanation, your relationship will suffer, and if you don’t say anything and try to fake enjoyment during something that now feels like a “painful chore,” your relationship will suffer (not to mention your own individual suffering). Lots of best friends are affectionate, but if yours has suddenly started holding your hand on long walks together, cuddling on the couch, and suggesting the possibility of sex and romance, I think you can safely say the signs are there. Not your name: My mother, “Amelia,” married a man with two daughters. We're asking you to join our membership program so we can become fully financially sustainable (and you'll get cool perks too!) Be that as it may, perhaps we can still ask if “white Buddhism” is cultural appropriation. How do I tell him I’m done? Slate is now asking those who read the most to support our journalism more directly by subscribing to Slate Plus. A short Pinterest search yielded Tibetan prayer flags used for a “Nepal themed” room, a professional photo shoot, and – my favorite – a “boho offbeat wedding.”. Crossing the line into cultural appropriation. Whatever confusion may result is usually dependent on proximity and is fairly easily dispelled with time. And while the meaning behind the flags may be somewhat simple, their history is not necessarily simple. Not exactly the most peaceful symbol to choose when you’re trying to create a tranquil atmosphere.. Ditch ’em. The Cambridge Dictionary defines cultural appropriation as “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture.”. • Send questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. For instance, Whole Foods used to sell these Lesser Evil chips. I’m thinking of a family member to whom I’ll say, “OK, I’ve got to hang up!” and she’ll go, “OK! Oxford Dictionary defines cultural appropriation as “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. That’s not to say that her life won’t ever be informed by her appearance, but regardless she’s going to have a Black parent, a Black extended family, a Black history, and a relationship to Blackness that’s all her own, one that’s not dependent on the judgment of white strangers. I am a middle-aged family man with four kids, and we love sitting out and looking at the mountains with our new fire pit. It should be my daughter. However, because my friends always invite us as a couple and he never turns down an invite because he never has anything else going on, I never get the chance to see friends or do anything without him. Years later, I can’t get time with friends without him. Buddhism is complex, comprised of countless teachings and challenging practices. But he can do it! I can only imagine that the people who displayed it decided to adorn a place of work with a defiled spiritual symbol because it doesn’t indicate a relationship to suffering for them. When groups of immigrants from these countries came to America or Britain, they assimilated, and changed the spellings of their traditional names. Cultural appropriation is the adoption of an element or elements of one culture or identity by members of another culture or identity. Every year, we reach over 6.5 million people around the world with our intersectional feminist articles and webinars. If you’ve ever met a monastic, then you know they’re some of the most lighthearted and. Most of the time, products like these are simply banking on Buddhism to make some cash. So he never has plans. A lot of the cultural appropriation I’m referring to is inadvertent because few people can see the extent to which hollow Buddhist artifacts saturate our daily lives – making it seem okay. We’ve ran through quite a few options and are experiencing name fatigue, so I’m hoping we can get some help! Zen has become a codeword for “unwind,” for “chill.” And that hasn’t gone away. Because cultural appropriation of Buddhism creates suffering for marginalized communities. My wife and I are looking for girl names that sound good with the surname Bodhi. I know a lot of you might still be hesitant to let go of your Tibetan singing bowls, zen body oils, and laughing Buddha statues. The beer bills itself as “something consistently good natured,” complete with a laughing Buddha on the bottle itself. If anything is “problematic,” it’s that. I’m not keen on your boys’ names, definitely not anything with Bodhi in, which borders on offensive or cultural appropriation. There was a moment in the ‘90s when they were all over the movies and big wigs used them as jokes to establish a sense of calm. We’ve stopped using the fire pit/seating area outside because of fears we’ll have to entertain the neighbor for hours. It may very well be that you and your daughter encounter “weird looks” from other white people when you two are out together, but the best response to that is not to develop a policy of explaining her ethnicity to such people. It may help to remind yourself that you don’t have to “accept” your stepsister’s decision in the sense of liking it or feeling good about it. Except instead of Jesus on the cross, it was a statue of the Buddha. Q. “Sorry, you can’t join us” is still polite. We're an independent feminist media site led entirely by people of color. Help! You could buy them everywhere. The word “zen” is plastered on candles, incense, and even lotion to that same effect. Buddhism is a religion practiced by nearly 500 million people. But the extremely low wages make it nearly impossible to afford prison services and basic necessities.”. I’m on board with this idea; I think it’s a fitting tribute. • Join the live chat Mondays at noon. This is perhaps the very meaning of racial entitlement. Submit your questions and comments here before or during the discussion. Help! You’re not proposing anything illegal, and it doesn’t sound like you’ve made promises to your ex you don’t intend to keep, since you’ve made your case to him about wanting to keep the dog. She was killed in a robbery when I was 17. As they blow in the wind, they confer blessings and peace. Q. Whole Foods has been slammed hard by anti-incarceration activists for selling Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy products – a company partnered with Colorado Correctional Industries (CCI). raking a presumable zen garden in the lobby of a giant Hollywood film agency where big tobacco executives are colluding to sell cigarettes to the masses. If you ask that then you have to ask some other questions. Because cultural appropriation of Buddhism creates suffering for marginalized communities. In this case, instead of zen, it’s enlightenment. My lawyer hasn’t been much help in this regard because in our state, dogs are considered property. Lost your password? The signs are clear, right? I feel like I would be happier single and living with my dogs instead of worrying my partner will try to initiate sex. Click to learn more, 4 Signs You’re Culturally Appropriating Buddhism – And Why It’s Important Not to, Buddhism is a religion practiced by nearly, Suffering exists; it has a cause; it has an end; and it has a cause to bring about its end.”, After all, if they knew more about Buddhism, they might be aware of the, But resistance to uprooting of spiritual work has been particularly acute and strong in Native communities. Photo by Getty Images Plus. Danny M. Lavery’s new book, Something That May Shock and Discredit You, is out now. A: I’m not too worried about this neighbor just yet because it doesn’t seem like the letter writer has offered any cues yet, just engaged in friendly, long-winded conversations while secretly hoping he wanders away. And sometimes I wonder, A short Pinterest search yielded Tibetan prayer flags used for a, “Nepal themed” room, a professional photo shoot, and – my favorite – a, There seems to be an increasing understanding that white people wearing headdresses at Coachella is, I know this because the perpetrators in this case are, And while I love these folks (I’m still listening to. Cultural appropriation is real, and making "cases" for Anglicized "white" (Greek, Irish, British, Dutch, white Euro) names is ridiculous, seeing as those names are part of the cult of whiteness. New Age spirituality is often a potpourri of different belief systems sapped of historical and cultural significance with widespread beliefs ranging from occult teachings to UFO enthusiasts. 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