The cultural appropriation of Indian culture that has been happening for decades is being normalized by society. The South Asian community is speaking out and trying to combat this issue by educating others about their culture. Despite their efforts, people continue to misuse South Asian customs and traditions not knowing what they are doing wrong. Cultural appropriation is much more than outright mockery.
Cultural appropriation is the inappropriate use of customs, practices, ideas, etc. of a group of people by members of another group of people. Being unaware of the cultural significance behind these things is what leads to misused articles of clothing.
For example, the bindi is a colored dot worn in the middle of the eyebrows by South Asian women. Women wear bindis to signify marital status but it can also symbolize the third eye, concealed wisdom and a gateway to spiritual insight. Though the bindi now comes in various shapes, many white women have taken it upon themselves to misuse this cultural symbol and make it the next fashion trend. Women who are not Asian wear bindis to concerts or music festivals such as Coachella. Selena Gomez is one celebrity who was criticized for wearing a bindi at the MTV Awards in her “Come and Get It.”
Similarly, henna, or mehndi in Hindi and Urdu, is another custom that has been culturally appropriated. Henna is a dye prepared from a plant that was originally used by Africans to help manage the heat of the Sahara. It then spread to South Asia and evolved into a tradition commonly used in Hindu and Muslim weddings. The bride’s arms and feet are embellished with mehndi designs to show the love and strength the bride will have in marriage. Some believe the darker the henna is during the wedding, the deeper the love is between the couple. This tradition goes back centuries but has been reduced to temporary tattoos in recent years. Celebrities like Rihanna, Ariana Grande, and Gigi Hadid have openly supported henna tattoos which further encourages appropriation. Additionally, multiple colors are used with Western henna tattoos but traditionally, brown is the only acceptable color. Nonetheless, the main problem with this trend is that it started because of convenience, not appreciation of the cultural significance.
Outside of fashion, treatment and nomenclature of typical Indian foods and drinks have been misused. A well-known drink served at Starbucks is the chai tea latte. However, many fail to realize that “chai” means “tea” in Hindi and other South Asian languages. So when people order a chai tea latte, they are saying they want a “tea” tea latte. Comparatively, it would be similar to saying toast bread. This has been deeply ingrained in our society that it seems normal and goes unnoticed. Turmeric, or haldi as it is often called in India, is a common spice used in Asian cooking and is used as a cure for many illnesses. South Asians often drink haldi milk but this too has been added to the list of things subject to whitewashing, and the turmeric latte, or “golden milk,” was created. The same whitewashing has happened to ghee and coconut oil, both of which have health benefits and whose uses are increasing in the United States. It is good that consumers are being open to new spices, but the way they have spread and become trends makes it another example of cultural appropriation.
The picking and choosing of Indian culture is what perpetuates indirect racism in society. People want to accept the culture, clothing, and spices but not the people. There have been outcries from the South Asian community for people to educate themselves about the cultural significance behind their everyday items but people still fail to realize that South Asian culture is not an aesthetic.