The Asian Cultural Appropriation
Despite having been colonized for several years by mainlanders such as Spaniards and Americans, the Philippines has its own distinctive style that may or may not have been impacted by the colonists. The diversity of lifestyles found throughout the archipelago contributes to the country's charm. Each region has its own take on food, locations, and ways of welcoming and welcome visitors.
One of the greatest things about the Philippine culture is the respect for using the "Opo" or "Po" in their sentences. When they go to other places and ask questions, they use that word as a sign of respect. When we talk to other people we don't really know, especially the kids asking things, we are, most of the time, required to use that word. I consider it one of the most unique features of being a Filipino. And since the Philippines is a very religious country, we are taught that we should always respect the elders. But I am not really a big fan of that statement or mindset. I always say to myself that respect should be earned and not given since there are many people who took advantage of their status like being an elder to the point that they think they are always in the right position.
The Philippines, similar to any other country, does have its ups and downs. Even while some individuals are very accepting whereas others are not, there are still places where people are restricted in their knowledge and do not want to welcome a new chapter. The truth of the matter is the Philippines' economy is lagging and yet having numerous supplies scattered throughout the country is a terrifying case for everyone. For instance, the Philippines is reported to still import rice despite having several areas that grow and manufacture rice.
Almost every country experiences these negative situations, but as always we need to respect the culture and the environment itself.
When I started high school, I always get the comments that I look like an Indian. I actually have no problem with that because I do believe that Indian girls are really beautiful. They have a unique facial structure and I consider that a compliment. Most of the people who say that to me always notice my nose which can be considered an Indian. And I say thank you to them. However, I don't think that even though I look Indian, I should wear an Indian outfit as a costume. I don't have any right to wear or even look at their tradition or country as a joke or something. I think that it does not respect the ethnicity and just takes it as if it's an anime outfit for cosplay.
As per the Thomas Theorem, people are more inclined to act on stereotype-based ideas when they believe them to be real, which can result in objective outcomes.
Once individuals of a privileged class imitate traditional norms from a minority group in an unethical, insulting, or stereotyped manner, this is known as cultural appropriation. The appropriation frequently serves, to continue the taken culture's subservient position, whether by purpose or accidentally.
The term "culture" describes the fundamental elements of any particular demographic of people's existence, such as their principles, behaviors, concepts, customs, rites, dialect, voice, and events. It offers significant social and economic advantages. Social conditioning is a powerful strategy for managing a group of people inside a culture. Most people's emotional outbursts to culture, whether favorable or bad, are similar to their reactions to their families.
I saw an episode of a culinary program where a woman requested Italian cuisine and when it didn't meet her expectations, she labeled it as Chinese food. Although I did not challenge her comment, it made me wonder whether they consider Chinese food to be "restaurant quality," or just put it together in such a way that it makes no sense. Although I am not Chinese, I believe the comment is demeaning to the Chinese community. The incident reminded me of a previous news story in which Americans and British people were concerned about MSG in Chinese food while eating snacks on a daily basis and these items included MSG. At some point, maybe they ordered takeaway food from an American-Chinese restaurant and that's why it became an issue. I just find it a bit weird when these people assume that food from other places that they consider not "good" will bring them harm.
Sometimes, when the American side does their own "interpretation" of Asian dishes, it takes away the real meaning of the dish. However, I want to be clear with the statement. I am okay with other people doing a dish with their own unique twist but if they are going to not include ingredients or not do the processes properly, that is where I draw the line. For example, one of the most famous Filipino dishes is Adobo. Most people don't know this but before, Adobo only has vinegar in it and is not combined with soy sauce. And the reason for the vinegar to be in there is for the food to last longer. So when I watched a video of a white person doing the Adobo with no vinegar, I was not okay with it. I don't know if the video is still up on Facebook or YouTube, but I won't forget the day I watched that. There are reasons why techniques and processes were developed. We can't just throw these away just because we want to put ourselves into it.
Also, there's this question for one beauty pageant contestant before, questioning why Filipinos use their hands while eating. The candidate answered the question gracefully by questioning back if they use other body parts to eat. But it didn't stop there because most Westerners see Asians as "unsanitary" because of that tradition. There is nothing wrong with questioning other people's traditions, however, if you don't look at the deeper knowledge, it would cause a lot of drama because you didn't open your mind to why things happen.
There are things that we need to consider before having to acknowledge other people's cultures. The first one is to make research about it. We have to know whether an outfit is right to be worn by other ethnicities or if it has to be sacred and not be touched. Having research means respecting the culture and tradition. Also, it gives us the knowledge we should know because of history and how history influences people's behavior and mindset.
To make it simple, anyone is putting themselves at risk if they intercept something from a culture lacking knowledge, consciousness, generosity, and respect.
