Hair & Cultural Appropriation

RaphaelaSalh

Hello, fellow curlians!

I have been wondering a while about this topic now, and was wondering what other peoples take on this is.

Culture is a very sensitive and important topic for me, aswell as for many poeple out there, so I always want to be respectful towards everybody I meet. Thats the reason I am kind of worried about this one.

I am 3c, fine hair but really curly/coily, I'm half/half but my hair has definetly its north african, curly way :faroah:. I never really knew how to handle it and my mom did not know either, so most of my life I chemically straightened it and destroyed it and bleached it to death and stuff. But then I found videos where mostly black women talk about their routine and I thought I'll just stick to the women whos hair looks most like mine and maybe I'll be also pretty. And those routines where the only ones that worked, ever, for me.

But! When I see Chanel Models or f.i. Katy Perry with baby hairs and braids it seems very off to me. That is clearly just ignorant appropriation.

So where does one draw the line with curly hair techniques and cultural appropriation?

For instance, I would like to give my hair a break for a while so it can grow in peace and I read braids would be best for that. I'm sure I would look very pretty But maybe also offensive? Probably!

I'd like to hear what other people think

Cheers!

curlypearl

I hope I'm not sounding dismissive of your concern, but to be honest, I think people should do whatever they like with their hair.

Someone once said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so that's another viewpoint.

Curly_Cakes

I think people concern themselves with things that are not really that important. Such as these cases of cultural "appropriation". I think nowadays people are way too quick to throw around that term when someone tries something not of their own culture. For example war bonnets are one thing because that is something similar to stolen valor. But hairstyles are just hairstyles. They go in and out of fashion. If someone wants to try a hairstyle then they should.

As for Katy Perry I do not believe that she appropriated the hairstyle I think it was something that she was just trying out for attention(which she certainly got about that hairstyle) if she appropriated it then she would have been claiming that it was her hairstyle and that she came up with it.

Point is if you want to do something do it. Life is too short to be lived by someone else's rules. If you want to try things from other cultures then do it respectfully and don't try to claim it as your own, give proper acknowledgements to said culture.

BotticelliBrit

Yeah . . . I kind of don't see your point at all.

People should be able to wear their hair however they like and nobody should decide that anyone one person shouldn't do something with their hair. Hairstyles don't define you. And having braids isn't ignorant or appropriation. It's just a hair style. What does it even matter?

Nobody is going to be offended by a hairstyle and if they are, then I think that's just ridiculous.

It's hair. Who is anyone to decide what type of people, what colour/religion/culture of people can wear their hair in a certain way, and which people can't? THAT'S offensive.

MsP

I really don't understand what you're saying either. You say you are biracial and are asking if it would be ok for you to wear generally perceived African American or biracial hairstyle? I'm sorry but that question doesn't make any sense to me.
That's like saying I'm Indian, would it be ok for me to wear a bindi?

JunyJu

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