White By Birth, Another Heritage By Choice

Great question, and I liked David’s answer, even if it didn’t answer much. I don’t have much too add, except to say that this post got me thinking.

There’s a community of whiteys here in Bolivia that are heavily into the whole Pachamama (Mother Earth) scene…they go to the ritual cleansings every first Friday, look forward to the solstice events…the guy I know best (white as can be) even tries to incorporate Native North American traditions into it.

Hmm…I think I was holding a value judgment in my mind when I started to write this, but I can’t remember now which way it went. Tough question, to be sure.

Really interesting article.

It can be hard to know if something is appropriation until someone is offended or hurt by it – then it’s a bit too late – but if it opens a dialogue, maybe it can be a good thing.

The problem is that in those situations, the one appropriating the culture then expects a lesson from the person from the culture they stole it from. Unfair and rude.

Huge, important topic. Thanks for tackling it.

Interesting article.
Last week I saw a white pair (both of them) dressed in kimonos visiting Futaraasan in Nikko. I asked my mother-in-law what she thought of it. Her answer – “Disrespectful and pathetic. They think they’re being oh-so-cool and spiritual, but in fact, it’s nothing but a form of cosplay.” And she was right, they were making a spectacle of themselves but for all the wrong reasons.

Similar discussion among friends this last weekend when one announced he was 1/256th Native American, and there was actually a legal definition to the “percentage DNA” one must have to be considered part of the tribe.

I, on the other hand, have no clue to which culture I belong. I have to say, though, I consider myself a Texan first… but it doesn’t quite complete the picture.

Now, for some Colbertisms:

“I don’t see race. So, for all I know, I am African-American. People tell me I’m white, and I believe them, because I am also running as a Republican.”

“Now, I don’t see color. People tell me I’m white and I believe them because police officers call me ‘sir’.”

“People tell me I’m white, and I believe them, because I dance with my thumbs out.”

“People tell me I’m white, and I believe them, because I own a lot of Jimmy Buffett albums.”

“People tell me I’m white, and I believe them, because I shop at Eddie Bauer.”

This is an interesting post, and something I’ve noticed. I don’t know how I feel about it.
On the one hand, it’s better that people are taking interest in cultures other than their own and not remaining ignorant like many do. I’m also trying to be less judgmental and not readily assume that if I see a white person in a kimono, they’re neccesarily anime fans, or that a white guy being spiritual is just a stoner.
On the other hand, those are the stereotypes and it’s hard to get around them. A huge percentage of people that claim to be into Japanese culture are not into Japanese culture as much as just the anime fanculture. The Hopi woman was right in the sense that these people tend to pick and choose which aspects of the culture they want to emulate. I can see how that would be annoying at best and disrespectful at worst.
And I can’t help but feel (not sure if I’m going to get told off for this) that white American culture is just bland in comparison which drives many people to seek out other, richer cultures to try on.

I find that within the US, most people don’t describe themselves as American. They do that when they are outside the country. Otherwise people normally describe themselves by their heritage. For example, I have Irish and Italian roots. I think there is plenty of opportunity for a person to explore and embrace their own heritage by researching their ancestors, their ancestors’ culture, etc. In doing so, they might find the answers they were looking for.

There’s a flip-side to this too…some of these cultures cash in on opportunities which, in essence, allows the exploitation of their people, and a cheapening of their heritage (as maybe some of the traditionalists would say) – maybe this adds to the confusion as to what is right and wrong? Probably keeps the line a bit blurred anyway.

Great post. I am troubled by the topic a lot and have become jaded to the point of excessive eye-rolling at Westerners practicing cultural aspects with the locals. But what a couple posters have said is, for me, true: Our own culture has become bland. For an example, Joseph Campbell lamented that the Vatican II change from Latin mass and mystery to singing folk songs about our pal Jesus took the spiritual wonder out of Catholicism. A lack of spiritual letting-oneself-go or getting away from the self in a self-centered world drives people to snort the local shaman potion, wear turbans, if not a traveler, join a more radical religious experience or do yoga. We are missing something and will do what we can to find it.

And I lament the blandness that has spread everywhere else. I snicker smugly at Thai commercials featuring pseudo-gangbangers promoting Pepsi. Western pop culture permeates all and it makes us “white people” (which as the book Things White People Like explains is not a color but a socio-economic label) struggle harder to find meaning, diversity and a place in it all. Don’t get me started on Buddhism. Westerners go to meditation/find oneself experiences while, IMHO, the local practice is offering food to statues in hopes of getting good luck, health or money from the powers that be. My task is to try to escape my own cynicism about both the original custom and the culture pirates.

What have you got against Irish Americans? Anyway, the white woman who cuts my hair tells me she has a bit of Ojibwe in her. I believe it. Her grandmother. What of it? You let your skin define you? Gees dude.

I am pretty sure I know what it means to be white, you know, being white and all, and though I don’t find it cause to celebrate and be proud (because I had nothing to do with it – it’s not like an accomplishment or talent or something) it isn’t something to be ashamed of either. It just is what it is. Am I proud that my eyes are hazel? What on earth does that even mean?

Where are you getting this persecution? You have a disturbingly heightened sense of imagined guilt. What you seem to be proud of is white skin, perhaps because of the varied ancestry or a lack of affinity for one culture or another. I don’t know. Rather than embracing your own multi-cultural heritage, you homogenize it to a color which has no universal traditions or culture per se. My own Euro-mutt ancestry is something I find interesting. It survives in a few family dishes, some distant cousins in Europe, and family names. I itemize it out to foreigners when I travel and they find it fascinating and so “American.”

I doubt (but admittedly don’t know) that you have lived a life of being told you are not good enough because you are white. Other than perhaps on a basketball court or dance floor. Historically, many of other shades have been told such, openly, frequently, and with acceptance of society (OK, even white people were told — not as whites but as Poles, Irish, etc.). But one philosophy that some internalized in the African-American community is that no one can shame you for who or what you are. That’s something you accept upon yourself. Black pride wasn’t about supremacy, it was about rising up from second-class to say they deserved the good seats in the bus as much as the next guy. You rarely hear it anymore (not like back in the day) and it isn’t a rallying cry of Hey you white guys suck, it’s more like “let’s lift ourselves up.”

Perhaps what makes your white pride sound racist to some is that claimed alliance with color without any other cultural unifier. It is the same rhetoric we associate with white supremacists. What’s their shared culture exactly? Not saying you are of that ilk by any means! Just saying the associations of that sort of pride bring that sort of thing to mind. Like a person from India sporting the swastika is likely not going to strike people first as a guy making a religious cultural statement. (By the way, the swastika is illegal in Germany these days, UNLESS you mean to use it as that previous incarnation/cultural symbol. So even there they make a distinction between two seemingly identical objects, just like I suppose there is a distinction between white pride and white supremacy.) And anyway, since most people of the world wrongly believe that white=rich and powerful, it can also just sound like rubbing people’s noses in it. Just sayin’.

By the way, no matter how white your skin is, if the percentage of heritage is right (one-sixteenth is it?), the government will give you the benefit of Native American ancestry.

I say we go find these guys who are shaming you for your skin color and lecture them until they snore. I just went to Germanfest in Milwaukee. Irish Fest is coming up. Festa Italiana was two weeks ago. Polish Fest. Greek Fest. No one protested. On the contrary, everyone attended and celebrated right along with the Irish German Italian Americans. Then there’ll be African Fest, Native American, an Asian festival (talk about vague generalization), Arabfest… it goes all summer around here and all are well attended. Half the festivals are for white folk, but even they all distinguish themselves from each other. Why? (That’s a real question for discussion.)

I don’t think the biggest issue comes from permanently adopting another culture and set of beliefs; it comes from temporarily doing so, like a tourist just passing through.
That’s also where the insult comes in. “Thanks for the hospitality! Nope, not staying, just wanted to ‘go native’ for a while!”
This is how it comes off to other NDN’s. You’re not embracing our culture, but what you think is our culture and do not settle in to find out the truth. There are a lot of issues that the Native community faces, but it seems the only dialogues we can start with any regularity are the ones about misconceptions of our spirituality, which is like ordering at a restaurant. Our culture(s) are not buffets to pick what you do and do not like about them. ‘I’ll take the sweat lodge, the ceremonies, the dress, the herbs, and some of the food. Keep everything else to yourself.”
I know I’m being harsh, but that’s what it comes off as. I think if you seek to understand in depth, you won’t question as much your dedication and right to learn about other cultures and participate in them. You also say, “Look, it’s not just about what’s well-known about your culture. I want to learn who you are as a people.”

Another great perspective, Strawberry, and this conversation keeps evolving. I’ve recently been thinking about it from another angle here in Thailand. I’ve been asked in some places, Oh, have you made an offering/prayed/payed respect to the Buddha at such and such temple? or in the case of Western people getting married to the locals, there is a certain forcing of the culture on the “white” person. I am not into any particular religious belief and sort of like it that way, so I bristle at being instructed to bow here or there or burn this or that. It doesn’t mean anything to me so I can pass it off as politely placating my host, but it occurs to me that for some with dearly held beliefs this can be a HUGE no-no, worshiping idols and all that. In some situations I can see where it is perhaps the VISITOR’S culture that deserves a little respect too. Vegetarians visiting in the bush have trouble trying not to offend the generous host who brought in a grilled monkey as a gift. (Happened to a friend of mine who did Peace Corps in Africa. Like the whole little monkey!) Allergies are usually a good excuse… I’m allergic to… um, primates. Doesn’t work so well for Buddha statues though.

I don’t understand how choosing to take part in or interest in certain aspects of another culture is “stealing.” You are not taking away others’ abilities to continue their culture; it cannot be considered stealing. Having an interest or curiosity in other cultures is a blessing and shows a lot of respect in my opinion! Granted there are absolutely people who do it “for show” or without any understanding of it but why don’t we try something new-

People are PEOPLE. My people are everyone else on the planet, my land is the earth. Why do people insist on separating themselves from everyone else and excluding others? I would happily share my customs and traditions with other people, and I’ve had people share theirs with me. No one “owns” the sweat lodge, or dances of gratefulness and prayer. No one owns the idea of God or the Creator, the house (no matter what form it comes in), certain kinds of art…the only reason different groups have different styles is because they were separated geologically from others; now that so many of us live amongst each other, the joys should be shared! I enjoy learning about the Maya people and Indigenous groups from around the world. If I choose to wear a Sari because it’s beautiful or a medicine bag because I like to carry around my crystals, who’s to tell me I can’t? Shouldn’t we be happy to keep traditions alive?

If it makes people happy or feel good to take part in traditions typically linked to other cultures, makes them feel closer to the earth or each other, it cannot be a bad thing. An American girl dressing up in a kimono is NOT disrespectful in my opinion- either she has a keen interest in Japanese culture and is happy to be able to feel a part of it (despite the fact that Japanese culture is very exclusive and nearly impossible to become a part of), or she’s having fun learning about something new. What is wrong with that? She’s not disallowing Japanese girls to wear kimonos, nor is she insulting their culture. She’s learning and having fun.

I think people need to open up their hearts and minds to others.

Wow, this article, particularly the comments are all great!

This is exactly what I have been struggling with my entire life. I grew up in a small native community in Canada’s North- as a white girl. My family has no idea of it’s cultural background past my great grandfather who moved from Europe to Canada. We have tried to figure out our culture, but there are no records to determine it. We all need culture to determine our identity and where we come from. What are those without it supposed to do as they mature and seek meaning in their life? I wasn’t raised religious, and I don’t believe in or support the European religions at all. I feel no connection to them.
When I came to this community I was only just starting school, and I was taught a lot of the First Nations culture with the other children. People from out of town used to laugh because there I was, a little white girl with blond hair and blue eyes, speaking with a Dene accent and running wild with the other kids in town. It was nice growing up here as a child, and I LOVE my home with all I’ve got.
This doesn’t mean that I don’t accept the fact that I’m white, but that’s not ALL I am, and the Dene traditions are a part of my identity as well. Unfortunately, now that I’m older, I’m told that I will never get a job here because I’m white, that I can’t trap or do any on the land activities without assistance because I’m white. Worse yet, when I practice all of the things that I have been learning when I visit the South I am snickered at by non-native Canadians, and glared at by native Canadians. It’s not that I’m dressing up and parading around the city, but I eat dry meat that I’ve made, wear items I’ve beaded or that were beaded by my friends. Because I do these things I’m judged because I’m white, and these people who glare or snicker don’t even bother to ask me where I grew up. So please, think twice before you are offended by a person practicing a culture that isn’t didn’t originate from ethnic heritage; it could originate from their individual life instead. Who knows, maybe they have had just as much or more experiences in that culture then you have had.
Your culture isn’t determined by your race, it’s determined by your experiences, your motivations, your morals, and your character. I see the fellow members of my community welcoming each other at ceremonies that I used to feel a part of as a child, but now that I’m older they just ignore me. Is that the Dene way? I’ve been called white trash, and discriminated against, and I will have to leave my hometown soon to find work.
Many of the young people in town have no interest in learning their history or their traditions, act like thugs and gangsters and beat on either their girlfriends or their children, and yet they are still respected as more culturally wise then me because of their skin? The government believes that they have more of a right to input then I do. First Nations here are legally allowed to go out and shoot as many moose or trap as many beaver as they want or need, but I can’t trap anywhere in this region, and even if I could I wouldn’t be allowed to trap enough to survive. How is that right or just? Would it be right if we gave white people special rights as well? Should I fight for these rights and wear hats and memorabilia declaring white pride. If I did I would be considered a racist pig, well, it’s like we are always told as children, how would you feel if you were the other person? I have thought about what it would feel like to be First Nations, and having people believe I am a raging alcoholic and good for nothing because of my race. It would be horrible and painful. We need to support stricter laws and sentences regarding racism. Now, to any First Nations who believe they OWN the knowledge and traditions of Native North America, why do these horrible racists in the modern world, who don’t accept you into modern “white” culture, make it alright to treat me the same way? I have no connection to them, and I’m not responsible for their actions any more then you are responsible for mine.
And it goes without saying that often what First Nations consider their culture is an amalgamation of White and Native cultures. Some First Nations consider bareback horse-riding as a cultural symbol, or bannock, etc. Horses come from white culture, so does bannock. So do firearms and metal knifes. So, IF IT IS ALRIGHT for First Nations to claim EXCLUSIVE right to practice their traditions and , THEN LOGICALLY it is alright for White people to claim exclusive right to use firearms, eat bannock made from flour, and skin animals with metal knives. As much as we wish we could get away from it, our lives owe a great deal to one another. First Nations people have the right to travel to band land and live there traditionally if they wish, but for some reason even those who have the experiences necessary to do so, do not. Why? Because they enjoy the modern conveniences of white culture as well as their own.
And don’t feed me some line about how MY culture or race destroyed the first nations, because guess what, I don’t HAVE a culture, and it’s not my fault that I was born white. I didn’t make that decision. The only culture that I ever had is slowly being surgically removed from my identity by hate from a people that grew up I regarded as my own. I had NOTHING to do with what happened to the native people. I hate what happened, I would spend my life fighting against it if I could, just as I would for all racism, but I can’t. I have equal respect for people of all races, but your race doesn’t determine who you are. It might play a huge role, and it could just as easily barely effect your identity at all. No one deserves more or less based on their race, they deserve more or less based on their own individual situations and their characters.
I guess what I really want to get across is that people shouldn’t ever use race as an excuse for saying that they deserve more than anyone else. I know that a lot of people will hate me for this, but we all deserve the same in the modern world. It’s time that we focus on growing our cultures, evolving them with the modern knowledge that holding onto hate will only cause an early death. Instead of letting cultures flicker and begin to die out, let them change for the better. If people want to try out you culture, let them try it, how else will they ever begin to understand you? Unless they lie and say that they have been practicing for years, their ignorance is merely endearing. And, if you’re so worried about people practicing it incorrectly, then why don’t you show them?

-Rachel D.