Problem Of Cultural Appropriation

A Synthesis of the Problem of Cultural Appropriation To this day, many Americans will consider racial slurs a form of disrespect toward people of their respective ethnicities. In contrast, one will often disregard the preceding proposition when it comes to general use of the culture of a specific ethnicity that he does not belong to. Furthermore, this proposition will receive a similar degree of neglect when it comes to the misuse of a culture in sports. Although many possibilities come to light in favor of the justification of the use of Native American culture in sports, misapplication of a concept can bring many negative implications to light. Some of the implications that arise when sports teams use symbols of the Native American identity …show more content…
Throughout history, humans have often fallen subject to their desire for adequate entertainment; subsequently, this desire begins to outlast compensation provided by different entertainment sources. As a result, this desire gradually elevates one’s entertainment preferences to extensive measures. Sometimes these measures would include exploration of new cultures. Although it may seem innovative and non-harmful, the preceding incentive loses its intrinsic value when one—in utter disregard of a primary culture—transcends ideas and art forms from the culture at hand to an entertainment venue for his personal profit; furthermore, one can make the preceding inference when he considers the motivation behind the use of Native American symbols in sports. One can find sufficient evidence for this conjecture in an article from the Washington Post (written by Kevin B. Blackistone) appropriately but loquaciously titled, "Washington Football Fans Are as Guilty of Cultural Appropriation as Rachel Dolezal." This article compares the fanaticism of African-American Washington Redskins fans to the apparent misrepresentation of the African-American community committed by the former NAACP Spokane Chapter president, Rachel Dolezal. Blackistone begins the article by describing the arrayal of many Redskins fans on game day; for example, he notes "the feathers, the golden …show more content…
Assimilation, according to the Oxford American Dictionary, means “the process of taking in and fully understanding information or ideas.” An article from New Republic, written by Aaron R. Hanlon, and entitled “Oberlin’s Food Isn’t ‘Cultural Appropriation.’ That Doesn’t Mean the Students Aren’t Wrong,” addresses an issue closely related to the subject at