of their voice in media, making it more likely that the
portrayal will be inaccurate and possibly offensive to
members of that group,” Johnson explained.
Some examples of “whitewashing” include Johnny
Depp and Rooney Mara playing Indigenous people
in The Lone Ranger and Pan, respectively, or Mickey
Rooney playing a crude interpretation of a southeast
Asian man, Mr. Yunioshi, in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Such whitewashing in Hollywood is an extension
of cultural appropriation; the production feels
entitled to borrow elements of a culture that it wants
to feature, often without consulting people from
that group to ensure a respectful, accurate portrayal
and balanced perspective in the production.
This issue is complicated by the fact that not
everyone defines cultural appropriation the same
way. Some see it as loosely adopting anything from
a culture that isn’t your own. Does arguing against
cultural appropriation mean people should only
feel welcome to act in accordance with the culture
they are born into? The answer is “no” - this is not
an argument of “the preservation of my culture is
more important than your culture”.
The real concern is the trivialization of violent
historical oppression, when people of privilege profit
off the labour of the oppressed and when racist
stereotypes are perpetuated en masse; to award
one group of people for another’s accomplishments
and have it be okay for one group to do something
that another would be punished for.
Incorporating another culture’s traditional elements
into your life is not necessarily a faux pas, but that
while the sharing and learning of different groups is a
beautiful privilege, it is important to see it as a privilege
and allow respect to lead one’s judgment.
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