Cultural Appropriation

Introduction

Pop star Madonna popularized henna in the United States by wearing the traditional Indian tattoo in her 1998 “Frozen” music video. Such usage can raise questions of cultural appropriation. (YouTube screenshot)

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Overview

For Foram Mehta, a journalist and content developer living in Washington, D.C., her earliest memory of feeling shamed for her Indian culture came in elementary school, when she showed up to class with fading henna tattoo stains on her palms.

“I wasn't quite aware that I was straddling the line of two very different worlds: the one at home with my immigrant parents, and the one at school with American [all non-Indian] kids,” she says. So, it was a surprise to her when she attracted negative attention for her henna.

Henna, which is called “mehndi” when applied on hands and feet, is generally used in many South Asian festivals and celebrations, but most popularly during weddings. It symbolizes good health and prosperity in marriage.

Gucci was accused of cultural appropriation when its 2018 fashion show in Milan featured white models wearing turbans, similar to those worn by Sikhs. (Getty Images/Venturelli/WireImage)

“Kids sneered at it, asking me what ‘disease’ I had. I avoided wearing henna to school after that for many years,” Mehta says.

Some years later, pop singer Madonna popularized henna in the United States by sporting it in her 1998 “Frozen” music video.1 Singer Gwen Stefani also wore aspects of Indian culture such as bindis — a decorative mark or jewel worn on the middle of the forehead by Indian women, especially Hindus — on red carpets and in music videos in the 1990s. Suddenly, it appeared that cultural Indian symbols were ubiquitous.

“My culture had arrived, it seemed — albeit on the wings of these fair-skinned goddesses, but here it was on America's center stage,” wrote Mehta in a 2020 blog. “There is a fine line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation, and I find that the vast majority of people outside the [South Asian] diaspora are constantly treading it.”2

Cultural appropriation refers to the use of objects or elements of a nondominant culture in a way that does not respect their original meaning or give credit to their sources and may reinforce stereotypes and contribute to oppression.3

“Often, it encompasses the assimilation, exploitation, survival and resistance of socially marginalized cultures from more dominant, mainstream cultures,” says Benedetta Morsiani, a research fellow in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures at the University of Westminster in London. In today's globalized world, where different cultures are constantly in contact with each other, cultural appropriation is inevitable, she says.

Appropriation vs. Appreciation

On the other hand, cultural appreciation is a process in which people try to understand and learn about a culture different from their own in an effort to broaden their perspective and connect with others. The distinction between the two comes down to context. “Context is critical because it allows us to determine if the intention behind adopting an aspect of a culture is meaningful,” wrote Ashley Wells, who works at the National Institutes of Health as a strategist in reviewing policies to eliminate discrimination against Native Americans.4

However, not everyone agrees on the naming of these terms or their meanings. Morsiani says she views cultural appropriation as a part of “transculturation,” the process by which a culture is changed by adding new elements or altering existing ones. In her view, acts of cultural appropriation can be part of this ongoing, evolutionary process of absorption and transformation.

Any cultural group or community might define cultural appropriation differently. There is broad agreement, however, that when a cultural source gives consent, is acknowledged as the source and, in the case of a commercial pursuit, benefits from the commercialization, it is not cultural appropriation, says Monica Boţa-Moisin, founder of the Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative. This venture is an advocacy program that supports the recognition of cultural intellectual property rights in the fashion industry. “In other words, when the source community is involved in decision-making and reaps benefits, it is OK,” she says, adding that the benefits can be monetary or in another form.

Pop singer Adele faced a backlash for sharing an Instagram picture of herself wearing a traditional African hairstyle at a 2020 carnival. She did not apologize or remove the post, but said she understood the concern that it was cultural appropriation. (Instagram screenshot)

Some debate the concept altogether, saying there is no such thing as cultural appropriation, because they believe there is no such thing as an original culture. “We tend to think cultures are sets of rigid commandments and norms,” wrote Eric M. Ruiz, an entrepreneur and marketing professional. “But in reality, what we call the ‘Black culture,’ the ‘Latino culture’ or the ‘hip-hop culture’ are but a loosely grouped confederacy of ideas that are malleable and vary depending on context and circumstance.” Cultures have been borrowing from one another since before the agricultural revolution, he said, and, therefore, it would be arrogant for any one group to claim appropriation, because groups cannot exert ownership over things or trends.5

Social media has played a huge role in the conversation about cultural appropriation vs. appreciation. These platforms have increased transparency on cultural appropriation, as it is easier for people to see — and call out — celebrities or brands for what they consider the misuse of someone else's culture. For instance, pop singer Adele was accused of cultural appropriation after she shared an Instagram picture of herself wearing a traditional African hairstyle at a carnival in August 2020.6 Adele did not apologize or remove the picture from her Instagram. In a 2021 British Vogue interview, she said, “[I]f I take it down, it's me acting like it never happened. And it did. I totally get why people felt like it was appropriating.”7

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Social media offers a platform for free, open dialogue among not only experts, but anyone who feels impacted by culturally appropriating images and behaviors, giving a voice to historically marginalized people, says Morsiani. Therefore, experts say, social media not only increases awareness among the public, but can also help to develop collective ways to redress grievances.

However, the problem of defining what is and is not appropriate — and who gets to define it — remains.

While it is difficult to draw a precise line regarding such a delicate political matter, there is broad agreement that only members of a given culture can give an authentic expression of that culture, says James O. Young, professor of philosophy at the University of Victoria in Canada and author of Cultural Appropriation and the Arts.

Sherri Williams, a communications professor at American University in Washington, D.C., agrees. “Those who belong to that culture know what the line is, and they are the ultimate source to determine when the line is crossed,” she says. Williams says the line only appears fluid to those unaware of a culture's history and background. So, when people see someone appropriating their culture, “they see a continuation of the oppression they historically experienced,” she says.

The Influence of Social Institutions

There is a wide range of spheres in society that can lead to cultural appropriation, from literature to music to holidays to movies. Another one is the fashion industry. In 2015, French designer Isabel Marant was accused of culturally plagiarizing from a Mexican Indigenous community. Several clothing pieces from Marant's collection drew criticism from the Mixe people of Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec, who said it had similar embroidery and bore a striking resemblance to their traditional costume. One of the items, a dress, cost $182, while the original retails at about $20.8

The Mixe community called for reparations, looked into legal action and asked Marant to give them recognition for creating the design. Marant's office released a statement doing so, saying that Marant “does not claim to be the author of this tunic and these designs.” A year later, Gucci faced backlash for showing white models on the runway in turbans similar to those worn by Sikhs. Turbans are sacred to the Indian religious group, as it is the most visible marker of Sikh identity.9

The lack of cultural education represents one of the main reasons behind the production of culturally appropriated garments in the fashion industry and beyond, says Morsiani. Fashion brands’ actions are purely dictated by financial considerations and, most of the time, fashion designers, marketing strategists and other professionals behind their productions are simply ignorant and not aware of what these images can provoke, she says.

The Mexican Indigenous Mixe community sought reparations from French designer Isabel Marant after several pieces from her 2015 clothing line featured designs and embroidery resembling their traditional costume, as seen in this tweet from Susana Harp Iturribarría, a senator from the Mexican state of Oaxaca. (Twitter screenshot)

Halloween or costume-themed music festivals, such as Coachella in California, are also avenues that often lead to appropriating cultures. White celebrities such as beauty mogul Kylie Jenner have posted photos on Instagram wearing cornrows or box braids hairstyles as a festival trend; these are styles that Black women have been wearing for centuries.10

“Events like Coachella and even Halloween can be minefields for blunders when it comes to cultural appropriation,” says Jenni Avins, a cultural and lifestyle journalist based in Los Angeles. “Don't dress up as an ethnic stereotype. Someone else's culture or race — or an offensive idea of it — should never be a costume or the butt of a joke,” she wrote in The Atlantic. 11

Su-Jit Lin, a Chinese writer based in Georgia, agrees. In September 2021, the first major superhero movie featuring an Asian lead, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” generated over $212 million in revenue in the United States and $400 million worldwide. It then caused a debate about whether non-Asian kids should dress as Shang-Chi.

“While the AAPI [Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders] community was excited for representation and the elevation of an Asian hero into a headliner, various groups also pre-emptively — and necessarily, which is sad to have to add — issued guidelines on how not to be racist in their costumes,” Lin says. “There is a way to do it that isn't disrespectful.”

A majority of Americans (58 percent) in a 2019 Pew Research Center poll said that they regarded wearing another culture's traditional clothes as a Halloween costume to be acceptable. However, that view changed when it came to the use of blackface. The poll found that 53 percent said it was not acceptable to darken skin to appear as a different race for a Halloween costume. Acceptance of blackface among survey respondents was higher among older white people without a college degree and least accepted by younger generations, particularly those with a college education.12

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A national debate over blackface erupted in 2019 when a picture of then-Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam surfaced of him in a 1984 medical school yearbook with someone using blackface to appear as singer Michael Jackson. Many people and groups called for his resignation, including the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus; Northam apologized for the action but refused to step down and served out his four-year term.13

Issues of cultural appropriation are also present in the food industry. “I've seen far too many folks [not of Indian ancestry] profit from Indian cuisine through their work,” says Nandita Godbole, an Indian cookbook author and food writer now based in Atlanta. The cookbook and food journalism worlds are particularly blind to the concept of integrity and respect toward people of color, she says, and those in the field do not offer credit or recognition to their source because that would be admitting appropriation.

“[I] find that products like curry powder erased the identities of the source of those flavors, taking away any regionality, or authenticity,” Godbole says. Curry powder is a commercially sold blend of spices used in Indian cooking.

However, some argue that it is hard to apply cultural appropriation to the culinary world in general. Jess Kapadia, former senior editor at the Food Republic website, says swapping recipes and sharing chef knowledge is now at the heart of cooking and wrote in her blog that “… no food belongs to anyone anymore.”14

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Background

Academic Origins

The concept of race is an important factor in understanding the roots of cultural appropriation and its ties to colonialism. Racism and colonialism created the power structures that make cultural appropriation feel like another incidence of theft from people and cultures that have long been historically exploited, says journalist Avins. In fact, the term cultural appropriation was coined by academics in the 1980s around conversations about Western colonialism and its effects on global cultures.15

Uncle Tom's Cabin, an 1852 novel about slavery in the United States, was written by Harriett Beecher Stowe, a white woman. Some modern readers have criticized it for portraying Black characters in a stereotypical fashion. (Getty Images/Fine Art Images/Heritage Images)

British anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor helped lay the foundation for analyzing culture and its influence in societies, birthing the future path of cultural studies. Tylor, who is regarded as the founder of cultural anthropology, constructed the phrase “cultural diffusion” in the late 19th century. The term describes the process of transmitting aspects of culture between societies.16

While discussions and debate about cultural appropriation have occurred in some form for centuries, the actual term and the modern issues associated with it came to prominence in the late 20th century. Many experts credit the overall idea to the 1976 academic paper “Some General Observations on the Concept of Cultural Colonialism” by British art historian Kenneth Coutts-Smith. In the paper, Coutts-Smith introduced the notions of “class appropriation” and “cultural colonialism.” In 1979, sociologist Dick Hebdige made one of the earliest references to cultural appropriation in his book Subculture: The Meaning of Style. He documented how some white British communities copied cultural or revolutionary symbols from marginalized groups, such as the Punk movement borrowing from Rastafarian culture.17

Storytelling Controversies

For centuries, people have created famous works about a culture other than their own.

The BBC's 2020 production of Indian writer Vikram Seth's novel A Suitable Boy drew criticism because the series had a white screenwriter. Many said the show was inauthentically written to suit a white audience. (IMDb screenshot)

In 2020, for example, there was a huge public backlash against the BBC television production of Vikram Seth's novel A Suitable Boy. A white screenwriter adapted the Indian novel for the show, which follows the efforts of a mother trying to arrange a marriage for her daughter. Many people said the series was “white-washed,” rewriting the story inauthentically to suit a white audience. Writer Tufayel Ahmed argued that the series should have been scripted by an Asian screenwriter. Such writers abound in Britain and rarely get the opportunity to work on such notable projects, he said. “It's all well and good for big production companies and broadcasters to affirm their commitment to diversity and representing multicultural Britain more consciously, but the reality of television — and many other industries — is that it is currently gamed to keep white writers in and writers of color out,” Ahmed wrote.18

But some saw it differently, arguing that the show opened a cross-cultural dialogue. “This, I feel, is an example of cultural exchange vs. appropriation. Otherwise, you venture into dangerous territory where everything is like for like: Only people of a certain specific identity represented in the art can be allowed to create,” says Reneysh Vittal, an Indian-born fashion merchandiser, who now lives in New York. “From my own experience discussing the series with non-South Asians, it invited conversation on subjects they may not necessarily have had much insight into.”

There have been many controversial examples throughout the years of art or stories being portrayed or created by people who came from outside the topic's original culture. Some of these have included:

• Uncle Tom's Cabin, a novel about slavery in the United States, was written in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe, a white woman. The book was initially criticized by some white people for portraying Black characters in a positive light. Years later, Black critics called these same characters stereotypical and generalized.19

• Singer Al Jolson became an icon performing in blackface, perhaps most notably as he sang “My Mammy” in the 1927 film “The Jazz Singer.” While what Jolson did was common for its time, using blackface to portray Black characters is now considered offensive by present-day viewers.20

• In 1961, “Breakfast at Tiffany's,” now regarded as a cinematic classic, features white actor Mickey Rooney playing the Japanese character Mr. Yunioshi, using yellowface and prosthetic teeth. The portrayal was called “one of the most egregiously horrible ‘comic’ impersonations of an Asian in the history of movies,” according to a 1996 study.21

• “Half-Breed” by Cher was one of the most popular songs of 1973. Cher, a white woman, sang a story of a half-white and half-Cherokee woman, including the racial slurs thrown at her. In a video singing it, Cher wore a full Native American headdress.22

• Steven Spielberg, a white man, directed the 1985 movie version of The Color Purple — a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, a Black woman, that tells a coming-of-age story of a young Black woman named Celie. Many Black people contend that Spielberg's film gave a misleading picture of Black Americans and distorted their history.23

• In a 2016 biopic of legendary jazz singer Nina Simone, Hispanic actress Zoe Saldana wore a prosthetic nose and skin-darkening makeup to play the role. Simone's estate would not endorse the film, and news of the casting decision caused outrage. In 2020, Saldana apologized for taking the part.24

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Current Situation

DEI Education

In response to growing racial and cultural awareness and inclusivity, educational systems and professional workplaces have realized their responsibility to educate people on cultural appropriation and implicit — or explicit — bias or prejudice.

Some schools and universities now include instruction in how to identify instances of cultural misappropriation and how to mitigate its risk of occurrence. “The best way to make sure you use elements of another culture respectfully is to inquire through direct interaction and cultural exchange with representatives of the respective communities. And in the case of commercial uses, always follow the ‘Three Cs Rule:’ Consent. Credit. Compensation,” says Moisin, the Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative founder.

In the corporate world, more companies are focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training. Amid the nationwide and global protests over racial inequality that erupted after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, CEOs from Walmart, Bank of America, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Johnson & Johnson and other major corporations announced plans to help fight racial injustice, including strengthening their DEI efforts. Many companies also pledged to donate to organizations that focus on helping the Black community. Corporate America spends about $8 billion a year on diversity training, according to McKinsey & Co., a management consulting firm.25

Some 8,000 company-owned Starbucks stores, including this one in New York, closed for a day in May 2018 to provide employees with diversity and racial sensitivity training after an incident in which two Black men waiting in a Philadelphia Starbucks for a friend were asked to leave. (Getty Images/Anadolu Agency/Atilgan Ozdil)

Companies have also promised to diversify their boards, change their hiring practices to be more inclusive and create DEI advisory committees. Between May and September 2020, the number of job postings for positions dedicated to DEI efforts within a company increased by 123 percent, reported Indeed, a job search site. While traditionally it was mostly big organizations that created positions dedicated to advancing DEI efforts, “now we're seeing companies with fewer than 500 employees hiring their first DE&I leader,” said Valerie Frederickson, a human resources consulting firm CEO.26

“We are seeing more companies provide DEI training and initiatives for their employees than they were a few years ago,” says Julia Taylor Kennedy, executive vice president of Coqual, a New York think tank that researches DEI issues. “Quickly giving employees a nuanced understanding of systemic racism, sexism and other prejudice; filling in educational gaps; and contradicting a lifetime of biased messaging is a big challenge.” The best education, she says, gives employees some basic understanding of key concepts, encourages them to engage more actively on these topics and imparts a sense of how much there is to learn, grow and seek on their own.

The size of the challenge leads many to argue that mandatory DEI training does not work. Some even say it can do more harm than good. “There's pretty wide agreement that you can't train away bias. Biases are mostly subconscious, and exposure to training can sometimes activate them rather than help to suppress them,” said Frank Dobbin, a professor of social sciences at Harvard University. A 2019 study supported this claim, finding “very little evidence that diversity training affected the behavior of men or white employees overall — the two groups who typically hold the most power in organizations.” What most experts agree does work is recruiting more diverse workers, especially in management positions, having a mentorship program and creating diversity taskforces.27

However, there is also a growing pushback against DEI education in general, with critics arguing that the programs are “political correctness” and “divisive.” In September 2020, then-President Donald Trump issued an executive order barring government contractors and federal agencies from providing diversity training. Trump defended his decision by saying the trainings were “racist” and “teaching people that our country is a horrible place.”28

Shortly after Trump's order, some companies and universities stepped back from diversity training efforts to avoid controversy. The University of Iowa paused its trainings out of fear of losing federal research grants. Stanford University released and later withdrew a memo outlining changes that departments should make to diversity training programs, including prohibiting references to racism and unconscious bias, to comply with the executive order. A group of Google employees said the company began rolling back its DEI initiatives to avoid a backlash from conservatives. Google said its commitment to diversity and inclusion remained strong and that the company was seeking “to make sure we're building our [D&I] capability.” President Biden reversed Trump's executive order during his first day in office.29

Cancel Culture

Debates over cultural appropriation often bleed into what critics call “cancel culture.” This is a modern form of ostracism in which someone is expelled from social or professional circles — whether online, on social media or in person. The phrase is believed to have originated from a slang term — “cancel,” referring to breaking up with someone — first heard widely in the 1981 song “Your Love Is Cancelled” by the band Chic. Now, when someone is accused of committing appropriation, there are often immediate calls to cancel them.30

For instance, Shane Dawson, a popular YouTube content creator, was “cancelled” in 2020 after old videos of him in blackface and using racial slurs surfaced. He made an apology video taking responsibility; however, YouTube decided to cut his channel off from its ad service, stripping him of future profit. The next year, rapper Iggy Azalea announced she was quitting the music industry after a public outcry over accusations that she appropriated Black culture and speculation on social media that she darkened her skin tone in a music video as a part of “blackfishing” — a term used to describe white women who darken their skin through makeup or wear Black hairstyles to appear racially ambiguous.31

“The debate over cancel culture has turned the subject of accountability into a lightning rod,” says Coqual's Kennedy. It is important to hold people accountable for their behavior, whether intentional or not, and leaders’ actions and words have heightened impact because others follow their example, she says. But that often is difficult because of today's volatile social climate, she says. “I wish we could engage in a thoughtful conversation about appropriate accountability instead of fruitlessly debating cancel culture,” Kennedy says.

Psychologist Kimberley Wilson believes one of the biggest mental health risks of online cancelling is the “pile on” — the fact that within minutes a person could be verbally attacked by thousands of people. “For the ‘cancelled’ person, it can feel as though they are being attacked by the whole world,” she says. Cancel culture often denies the cancelled individual the most basic of human opportunities, to apologize and to be absolved, says Wilson, “because the road to redemption is blocked by the indignant mob.”

Some wonder how much public punishment of those who violate certain norms genuinely changes things. Journalist Mehta, for instance, thinks cancel culture encourages a lot of what she calls performative allyship, a form of surface-level activism through rhetoric that does not result in actual change. She says she has seen first-hand how things go back to normal once a public furor subsides. “It'll get better for a while because people are being held accountable, but it'll continue to get worse in the long run unless we overhaul the racist systems that facilitate cultural appropriation,” she says.

Cancel culture, as it is framed today, is a straw man used to discredit or gaslight the anger of marginalized people who are not given basic respect, says Frankie Huang, a Chinese American culture and food writer based in New Jersey. “White folks, and those who side with them, often home in on the crassness of [critics’] responses, and shift the conversation towards how violently they're attacked and away from their own indiscretions that started everything in the first place,” she says. There would be no acts of “cancellation” without prior acts of disrespect, and this causal relationship is often obscured by fragile white people who feel entitled to civility and cannot stand being called out on their own lack of it, she says.

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Outlook

“A Barometer for American Society”

Now that cases of cultural appropriation are being called out more frequently, will these instances die down, or keep happening at a growing rate?

Mehta says there is hope that shining a spotlight on cultural appropriation will reduce it to some extent. “But, again, looking to history as an example, it will take sustained efforts from everyone to redefine a culture of white supremacy, which fuels cultural appropriation to begin with,” she says.

Huang thinks that cultural appropriation will continue at the same rate. She believes it will be pointed out more often, as more marginalized people learn to spot these instances and feel more justified in going public with their displeasure. “It will take a long time for white people to understand what's going on, though, because so many of them feel completely innocent and attacked. So, it's hard for people to feel accountable for systems of oppression they benefit from that they had no hand in building,” she says.

Chockie Tom, an Indigenous rights advocate, sees a duality. “There is always going to be an element that chooses to double down and remain willfully ignorant,” she says. But she also sees changes that point to progress.

One of the biggest indicators, she says, are the actions by major U.S. corporations, such as Disney, a company that is both an influence and a barometer for American society. Disney has made a visible effort to update culturally appropriative elements of rides in its amusement parks, such as removing negative depictions of Native people, she says. Disney has also added warnings of inappropriate content to its older films — such as “Peter Pan,” due to its portrayal of racial stereotypes — and collaborated more with people from nondominant cultures that they have historically exploited, she says.32

Another important indicator of change is that these conversations are being led by people from cultures that have historically been victimized, Tom says. “However, because the biggest cultural indicator of a dominant culture is appropriation, it's obviously going to continue being an issue while those dynamics are in play,” she says.

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Pro/Con

Can one use elements from another culture respectfully?

Pro James O. Young Professor of Philosophy at the University of Victoria; author of Cultural Appropriation and the Arts . Written for CQ Researcher, February 2022 Cultural appreciation is the admiration of a culture other than one's own and its products. One appreciates when one admires without taking, though appreciation can involve acquiring cultural products by free exchange or gift. Genuine appreciation requires understanding, respect and the recognition that one can learn from the members of another culture. Cultural appropriation, however, is when a person takes something — a style, story, song or another product — and uses it in the course of creating something new; for example, a new song in the style of another culture. Cultural appropriation can be wrong in two ways: when it causes harm that violates a right, or when it causes profound offense. Harm can come in a variety of ways, such as violating property rights, creating or perpetuating harmful stereotypes or violating a culture's right to privacy. Acts are profoundly offensive when they transgress against a culture's deeply held moral or religious convictions. Cultural appropriation is profoundly offensive when, for example, it is perceived by members of a culture as sacrilegious or insensitive to a shared history of oppression. While no one has a right not to be offended, deliberate and gratuitous offensiveness is morally objectionable. It is wrong, for example, for a non-Sioux to wear a Sioux war bonnet. When a non-Sioux does so, it is comparable to the act of mocking another person's religious beliefs. That said, not all cultural appropriation is profoundly offensive. If one understands a cultural product, one is unlikely to use it in offensive or otherwise objectionable ways. One will be less likely to misuse something that is considered sacred if one understands it and grasps the role that it plays within a culture. The white rap artist Eminem is an example of someone whose cultural appropriation is rooted in appreciation and understanding. He does not cause harm to African Americans or their culture, and his cultural appropriation is not the source of profound offense. A style such as hip-hop is not ownable, so Eminem can appropriate the style without violating property rights. Since he respects and appreciates the culture and the musical style from which he has appropriated his music, his work is not objectionable. He is accepted as a successful practitioner of an African-American musical style by African-American musicians. In the end, appropriators ought to acknowledge the cultures from which they have borrowed.

Con Foram Mehta Journalist; author of the essay, “Being Indian Wasn't Cool for Me. Now White People Are Profiting From It.”. Written for CQ Researcher, February 2022 As an adult, I've seen the proliferation of traditional Indian culture being taken over by others. This ranges from yoga classes run by white teachers saying “namaste” to images of Ganesh — the Hindu deity worshipped for removing obstacles — splashed onto yoga gear. What's more, elements of Indian cuisine, such as turmeric or Ayurvedic foods, are being “discovered” in the white community. Such Anglo viewpoints see something that is new only to them specifically as new and unclaimed in general and, thus, ripe for the taking. This results in the renaming or rebranding of culture; for example, haladi doodh (turmeric milk) has now become “golden milk.” I've come to learn and accept that, like with other multifaceted issues, cultural appropriation brings out complex emotions in those affected by it. As a first-generation American — a place I thought was utopic in its melding of cultures and universal access to opportunity and success — I felt seen and accepted when singers such as Madonna and Gwen Stefani popularized aspects of my culture. I humored people's curiosity about a thousand-year-old culture, whose sole representative I had become to them. Worse, I chalked up their often racist questioning to harmless, endearing ignorance. As an adult, having lived in New York and San Francisco, where cultural appropriation is rampant and unchecked, it has become clearer to me that it's a symptom of a more deeply rooted culture of white supremacy and colonization. We can trace this history from Columbus and the genocide of Indigenous peoples to slavery and Jim Crow, and the many wars America has sponsored and fought. We've long been a country that's not only looked the other way at racism and cultural appropriation, but actively promoted it by making it OK to take what's not ours — attempting to erase the identity of those being dispossessed, then repackaging the loot as something original and newly “found.” This reality is sobering because it reminds me that assimilation comes at a cost, and I'm cognizant that it takes work to decolonize ourselves. Cultural appropriation is an extension of colonization. To fix the former, we must understand the deeply pervasive effects of the latter. It's going to take collective work, including by the people being appropriated, to adopt a mindset that rejects colonialism and white supremacy. That means authentically promoting and celebrating diversity, not assimilation.

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Discussion Questions

Here are some issues to consider regarding cultural appropriation:

• What is the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation? Why does this difference matter?

• How can someone respectfully use elements from another culture?

• Social media has made it easier for people to call out acts of cultural appropriation and voice their feelings on it. What are the effects of this? Do you think this is a positive or negative aspect of social media?

• Who is Edward Burnett Tylor? Why are his academic contributions significant?

• Some say diversity training for employees is not effective in curbing bias. What are their arguments? Do you agree?

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Short Features

Understanding ‘Exploitation Chic:’ When Profit Meets Appropriation

Cultural appropriation can take many forms. One such form: “exploitation chic,” when members of one culture profit from another culture's struggles or misfortunes. For example, in 2010 the fashion house Rodarte presented a collection inspired by women factory workers in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, one of the world's most violent places, especially for female factory employees, who receive meager pay and work in unsafe conditions. The company later apologized for offering the clothing line. 1 In this interview with CQ Researcher freelance correspondent Meehika Barua, Indigenous rights advocate Chockie T. Tom discusses the historical dynamics behind “borrowing” from another culture and how one can promote cultural empowerment. The transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

CQ Researcher: How does exploitation play a role in terms of cultural appropriation? For example, a designer collection in the genre of exploitation chic?

Chockie T. Tom, Indigenous rights advocate. (Screenshot)

Tom: The main component that is always missing from these questions, and in theorizing in regard to cultural appropriation, is the recognition of the power dynamics. Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) cultures are seen by the dominant culture as outdated, strange, simple and are “othered.” Meanwhile, the dominating and privileged culture is seen as glamorous, worldly, progressive and the norm. The historical context for this is rooted in genocide, invasion, violent expansionism and white supremacy. With this viewpoint, it is simple to dehumanize and devalue nondominant cultures. When you look at the historical circumstances that lead to the creation of a dominant culture, and the dehumanization of others, appropriation is just another aspect of the exploitation that is inherent to the cultural power dynamic.

In terms of exploitation chic, I think especially in popular culture, there have always been different cultural looks that come into style, whether it be Native American-inspired looks, ethnic restaurants or midcentury tiki culture. However, there is a difference between buying jewelry or visiting restaurants run by people with different backgrounds and cherry-picking from other cultures, which inevitably leads to cultural erasure.

CQR: Do you think one has a responsibility when taking inspiration from another culture?

Tom: At this point, following all the conversation and published work on the subject, creating homages or taking inspiration without collaboration from another culture is unacceptable. While it is not uncommon to be inspired by experiences and aesthetics from other cultures, why would anyone take something rather than going to the source? If you are trying to appreciate a culture, you should be supporting the people.

Making a conscious effort to buy from Indigenous makers or Black-owned businesses or going out in Chinatown to support the community are all good options. With organizations, it depends on what your motivation is. As someone who is Native, even when I go into other Nations’ lands, I make sure to connect with the people to make sure I'm being respectful. It is important to support the efforts of the original inhabitants of unceded, stolen lands. If you like something about somewhere, research it. Make sure that any organization you work with is run by locals or people with ties to that place. I also recommend double-checking that they are not missionaries, as that is inherently problematic.

CQR: When does borrowing become exploitation?

Tom: In relation to a dominant and nondominant culture, borrowing is not possible. Due to the power dynamics in place, a dominant culture taking is inherently appropriative. Even within the more acceptable “cultural exchange,” there is still an element of “othering,” as well as dominant cultures profiting from signifiers that are not valued when they come from the original culture. Cultural exchange implies an idealized mutual and beneficial sharing of cultures and beliefs and a level power dynamic; but coming from a dominant culture, there are still inevitably uneven power relations. A lot of times, individuals from nondominant cultures feel forced to create cultural exchange to even be acknowledged.

CQR: Is there a way forward for cultural borrowing?

Tom: As access to technology strengthens cultures and more voices are heard, the only way forward is through cultural empowerment, collaboration and consent. In my industry [hospitality] in particular, it is good that these conversations are being led by the right communities, but until the performative aspect is replaced with action, those dynamics cannot be overturned. [Because I am] one of the few Indigenous individuals who can speak on these issues with my professional background, companies are more than happy to pay me for my time, because it makes them look good. But beyond featuring me, there is not necessarily a plan moving forward to do more than pay lip service to the ideas put forward. Another example is brands featuring Black bartenders during Black History Month, but then actively avoiding marketing toward urban markets. Being inclusive and diverse is not the same as uplifting or being anti-racist.

[1] Daniel Hernandez, “Fashion, make-up lines inspired by Ciudad Juarez spark apology,” Los Angeles Times, July 30, 2010, https://tinyurl.com/2p88mm3k.

Bibliography

Books

Crayton, Lisa A., Everything You Need to Know about Cultural Appropriation, Rosen Publishing, 2018. A children's book author uses historical context, current events and teen-friendly examples to help young readers grasp the magnitude of cultural appropriation, including how they may be unknowingly participating in it.

Eboch, M.M., ed., Cultural Appropriation, Greenhaven Publishing, 2019. As part of a publishing house's ongoing series, opposing viewpoints are presented on this subject, such as what constitutes cultural appropriation, how it hurts those it seeks to celebrate and how to be inspired by a culture without insulting it.

Huhndorf, Shari, Going Native: Indians in the American Cultural Imagination, Cornell University Press, 2001. A University of California, Berkeley, professor of Native American studies traces a pattern of cultural imperialism in American life that emerged in the late 19th century and persists today.

Young, James O., Cultural Appropriation and the Arts, Wiley-Blackwell, 2008. A philosophy professor at the University of Victoria in Canada investigates the moral and aesthetic issues to which cultural appropriation gives rise, including ownership and responsibilities.

Articles

Avins, Jenni, “The Dos and Don'ts of Cultural Appropriation,” The Atlantic, Oct. 20, 2015, https://tinyurl.com/4nb59jfx. A writer explores the ubiquitous nature of cultural appropriation in the 21st century and how to carefully move forward on the concept.

Freeman, Hadley, “Indian summer,” The Guardian, Sept. 8, 2000, https://tinyurl.com/bdf5kr7d. A fashion writer explains how major Western designers began experimenting with Indian-inspired clothing and jewelry for the first time in their fashion collections.

Huang, Frankie, “Can We Fix America's Food-Appropriation Problem?” Grub Street, New York Magazine, Aug. 4, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/4zzkdrcc. A Chinese-American writer explains why the Asian community was outraged when a white woman used what the community regarded as racist language to promote congee, a traditional rice porridge, and the problem with the media coverage surrounding the viral incident.

Lang, Nico, “Gwen Stefani still doesn't know what racism is,” Daily Dot, May 30, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/3xkhm36h. A writer does a deep dive into how celebrities refuse to see the problem with their contributing role in cultural appropriation, even after being called out regularly.

Lin, Su-Jit, “Breaking Bao: The Origin and History of a Not-So-New ‘Trend,’” Smart Mouth, Substack, April 19, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/2syv3rmn. A Chinese-American writer explains the origin of the Americanized version of baos — traditional Chinese stuffed buns — that are now found in Instagram-focused U.S. gastropubs.

Mehta, Foram, “Being Indian Wasn't Cool for Me. Now White People Are Profiting From It,” The Bold Italic, May 5, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/2p9eah9y. An Indian-American journalist draws from her experience of seeing appropriation of her culture and wonders where the line between appropriation and appreciation is.

Vittal, Reneysh, “How I Fell In and Out of Love with Cultural Appropriation,” Vice, Nov. 2, 2016, https://tinyurl.com/y7txs66w. A writer born and raised in India who immigrated to the United States as an adult reflects on U.S. celebrities appropriating his culture and compares his generation with the current one in terms of awareness about the issue.

Reports and Studies

“What I Hear When You Say: Cultural Appropriation,” PBS, 2017, https://tinyurl.com/ysyt2z87. An interactive guide provides in-depth research and resources on understanding cultural appropriation, its origins and its importance.

Brown, Anna, “About a third of Americans say blackface in a Halloween costume is acceptable at least sometimes,” Pew Research Center, Feb. 11, 2019, https://tinyurl.com/2p8vzsec. A public poll showcases Americans’ views on using elements from different cultures for Halloween costumes.

Chang, Edward H., et al., “Does Diversity Training Work the Way It's Supposed To?” Harvard Business Review, July 9, 2019, https://tinyurl.com/2p8kbpf3. A group of researchers document their findings on the effectiveness of diversity training for corporate employees.

Kleisath, C. Michelle, “The costume of Shangri-La: thoughts on white privilege, cultural appropriation, and anti-asian racism,” Journal of Lesbian Studies, PubMed, March 18, 2014, https://tinyurl.com/2p9fbbp4. A professor of multicultural studies in Washington state digs into the relationship between cultural appropriation and white privilege and how interracial and transnational relationships influence white racial identity.

Mosley, Ariel J., and Monica Biernat, “The new identity theft: Perceptions of cultural appropriation in intergroup contexts,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, PubMed, Aug. 13, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/2f9n9bau. Two University of Kansas researchers conduct five experiments to see whether Black and white Americans would have different views on whether instances of cultural exchange constituted cultural appropriation.

Ntabubashe, Merveille, “Implications of Cultural Appropriation of African and Black Culture,” ResearchGate, January 2020, https://tinyurl.com/565stmd3. A Université Libre de Bruxelles grad student discusses African-American hairstyles, their ties to African culture and heritage and the controversy around them when appropriated by white people.

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The Next Step

Fashion

Alfonso III, Fernando, “Fashion designer called out for cultural appropriation over its $1,190 pants,” CNN, Sept. 12, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/2p9hm47n. Some experts on fashion and Black history said a pair of Balenciaga sweatpants, which resembled a pair of boxer shorts peeking out from the waistband, was appropriating Black culture.

Mendoza, Jordan, “Is my Halloween costume offensive? What to know about cultural appropriation,” USA Today, Oct. 25, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/2p97zcvb. Parents can help their children avoid culturally insensitive costumes and wigs on Halloween, even when they admire a character from another culture.

Sinha, Arushi, “What the Pharrell x Tiffany's sunglasses say about the state of cultural appropriation in fashion,” Vogue India, Jan. 25, 2022, https://tinyurl.com/2p92sk73. When singer Pharrell Williams wore a pair of sunglasses from his new collection with Tiffany & Co., social media users were quick to point out the sunglasses closely resembled a 17th century artifact from the ancient Mughal Empire.

Food

Krishna, Priya, “Who Owns a Recipe? A Plagiarism Claim Has Cookbook Authors Asking,” The New York Times, Dec. 2, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/2d296nz5. U.S. copyright law rarely protects recipes, making it relatively easy for cookbook authors to steal from other chefs or monetize cultural traditions.

Ravindran, Jeevan, “Jamie Oliver says he's hired cultural appropriation specialists to advise on cookbooks,” CNN, Jan. 24, 2022, https://tinyurl.com/4tnv83cm. British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver said he hires teams of cultural appropriation specialists to vet his recipes before they are published in his cookbooks.

Yu, Yi-Jin, “‘We're family’: How the I-Collective is bringing Indigenous people and food together,” Today Show, Jan. 13, 2022, https://tinyurl.com/yup3brcx. A culinary collective spotlights Indigenous cuisine while bringing attention to cultural appropriation in the food industry.

Hair

Biggs, Jade, “Kim Kardashian says North wanting ‘matching hair’ is part of reason for past cultural appropriation backlash,” Cosmopolitan, Dec. 15, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/2dm8wuaj. Kim Kardashian addressed criticism that she has appropriated Black hairstyles in the past by saying she sometimes matches her hairstyle with her eight-year-old daughter, who is half Black, when her daughter requests it.

Dodgson, Lindsay, “Rihanna is facing a backlash for getting white models to wear braids at her Savage X Fenty fashion show,” Insider, Sept. 25, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/yc7vra9y. Some social media users criticized Rihanna's recent fashion show for including white models with their hair worn in a style traditionally worn by Black women.

Stevenson, Alysia, “Are You Guilty of Appropriating Black Hairstyles? (The Answer is Probably Yes),” Femestella, Feb. 2, 2022, https://tinyurl.com/2k8ps6wz. A style and beauty writer gives advice for how women can avoid harmfully appropriating Black hair culture.

Music

Ahlgrim, Callie, “MØ says the music video for Major Lazer's ‘Lean On’ was ‘cultural appropriation, for sure,’” Insider, Jan. 30, 2022, https://tinyurl.com/4wzwdxs5. A Danish singer-songwriter featured on one of the most popular songs of the last decade acknowledged that the 2015 music video of the hit appropriated Indian culture in a way she did not understand at the time.

Karimi, Faith, “What ‘Blackfishing’ means and why people do it,” CNN, July 8, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/2p8937jw. Music artists including Iggy Azalea and Ariana Grande have been accused of “blackfishing,” attempting to appear Black by darkening their skin or appropriating style from Black culture.

Nguyen, Terry, “The thirst for Jack Harlow, Gen Z's breakout white rapper, explained,” Vox, Jan. 5, 2022, https://tinyurl.com/2p9b4xhm. Jack Harlow is the latest white rapper to face accusations of cultural appropriation, but some think he handles the issue more deftly than his predecessors.

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Contacts

Centre for International Governance Innovation
67 Erb St. West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 6C2
+1-519-885-2444
cigionline.org
An independent, nonpartisan think tank that provides peer-reviewed research and analysis to influence innovative policy for the digital age, such as reports on cultural appropriation.

Commisceo Global
1950 W. Corporate Way, PMB 25615, Anaheim, CA 92801
818-532-6908
commisceo-global.com
A global company that offers customized cross-cultural training and eLearning programs, as well as cultural awareness resources.

Coqual
142 W. 57th St., 11th Floor, New York, NY 10019
212-315-2333
coqual.org
A global nonprofit think tank and advisory group that focuses on addressing workplace barriers and bias of underrepresented populations.

Creative Equity Toolkit
8 Victoria Rd., Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
+61 2 8821 9169
creativeequitytoolkit.org
An initiative run by Diversity Arts Australia and The British Council that applies an action-oriented approach to increasing cultural diversity in the arts through research and tools.

Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative
culturalintellectualproperty.com
An advocacy program that supports traditional textiles, cultural sustainability and cultural heritage in the fashion industry.

Diversity Science
10121 S.E. Sunnyside Rd., Suite 300, Clackamas, OR 97015
612-524-5841
diversityscience.org
A company comprised of social psychologists, data scientists and practitioners who provide evidence-based Diversity, Equity and Inclusion solutions and training for organizations.

Groundwork for Change
Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
groundworkforchange.org
A website run by Indigenous people that provides information on colonialism, racism, privilege, allies and more.

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Footnotes

[1] Madonna, “Frozen (Official Video),” YouTube, Oct. 26, 2009, https://tinyurl.com/4wjywfem.

[2] Foram Mehta, “Being Indian Wasn't Cool for Me. Now White People Are Profiting From It,” The Bold Italic, May 5, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/2p9eah9y.

[3] Arlin Cuncic, “What Is Cultural Appropriation?” Verywell Mind, Aug. 29, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/4rth9r5e.

[4] Ashley Wells, “Appropriation and Appreciation: What's the Difference?” National Institutes of Health, Nov. 1, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/yc44cdzp.

[5] Eric M. Ruiz, “I've Learned This the Hard Way: There's No Such Thing as Cultural Appropriation,” Observer, Jan. 18, 2017, https://tinyurl.com/muw3z48w.

[6] “Adele accused of cultural appropriation over Instagram picture,” The Guardian, Aug. 31, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/mt3wcb9f.

[7] Giles Hattersley, “Adele, Reborn: The British Icon Gets Candid About Divorce, Body Image, Romance & Her ‘Self-Redemption’ Record,” British Vogue, Oct. 7, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/rf8jekay.

[8] Linda Sharkey, “Isabel Marant Accused of Copying A Traditional Mexican Design,” The Independent, June 19, 2015, https://tinyurl.com/2p95z6ks.

[9] Naomi Larsson, “Inspiration or plagiarism? Mexicans seek reparations for French designer's look-alike blouse,” The Guardian, June 17, 2015, https://tinyurl.com/f6zjnn4t; Olivia Petter, “Gucci Criticised For Putting Turbans On White Models,” The Independent, Feb. 23, 2018, https://tinyurl.com/2p8jwrda.

[10] Dillon Johnson, “Cultural Appropriation at Coachella 2018 No Longer Phases Me As a Black Man,” Teen Vogue, April 21, 2018, https://tinyurl.com/ymwzuu89.

[11] Jenni Avins and Quartz, “The Dos and Don'ts of Cultural Appropriation,” The Atlantic, Oct. 20, 2015, https://tinyurl.com/4nb59jfx.

[12] Anna Brown, “About a third of Americans say blackface in a Halloween costume is acceptable at least sometimes,” Pew Research Center, Feb. 11, 2019, https://tinyurl.com/2p8vzsec.

[13] Zachary Basu, “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam apologizes for racist yearbook photo,” Axios, Feb. 1, 2019, https://tinyurl.com/3b7hz29e; Laura Vozzella and Gregory S. Schneider, “Gov. Northam refuses to step down, despite flood of calls for his resignation over racist photo,” The Washington Post, Feb. 2, 2019, https://tinyurl.com/4tmfwr26.

[14] Jess Kapadia, “I Still Don't Understand The Cultural Appropriation Of Food,” Food Republic, June 6, 2017, https://tinyurl.com/3v8tufmh.

[15] Jeremy Helligar, “This Is Exactly What Cultural Appropriation Means,” Reader's Digest, May 14, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/mry79mxk.

[16] “What I Hear When You Say: Cultural Appropriation,” PBS, p. 2, 2017, https://tinyurl.com/ysyt2z87; Brian Vincent Street, “Sir Edward Burnett Tylor,” Encyclopedia Britannica, Jan. 1, 2022, https://tinyurl.com/yckktvr9.

[17] “What I Hear When You Say: Cultural Appropriation,” op. cit., p. 3; Helligar, op. cit.

[18] Tufayel Ahmed, “Is white Welshman Andrew Davies really the most suitable writer for A Suitable Boy?” Radio Times, July 13, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/mv48ma2c.

[19] “Uncle Tom's Cabin,” Cornell University Library, 2022, https://tinyurl.com/8z5fc7sa.

[20] Seth Abramovitch, “Blackface and Hollywood: Al Jolson to Judy Garland to Dave Chappelle,” The Hollywood Reporter, Feb. 12, 2019, https://tinyurl.com/2s3drsux.

[21] Jeremy Helligar, “10 Examples of Cultural Appropriation You Never Thought About,” Reader's Digest, Jan. 5, 2022, https://tinyurl.com/23d8xyjk.

[22] Ibid.

[23] E. R. Shipp, “Blacks In Heated Debate Over ‘The Color Purple,’” The New York Times, Jan. 27, 1986, https://tinyurl.com/42vvnbk7.

[24] “Zoe Saldana apologises for playing Nina Simone: ‘She deserved better,’” BBC News, Aug. 6, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/yjaud6yw.

[25] Kevin Stankiewicz, “CEOs are offering plans and investments to address racial inequality after George Floyd death,” CNBC, June 11, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/ydcqvror; Theresa Agovino, “Companies Try a New Approach to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Honest Conversations,” SHRM, Aug. 4, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/5yrt7d36.

[26] Stankiewicz, op. cit.; “Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter: Quick Take,” Catalyst, June 24, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/yy4arwdd; Jane Kellogg Murray, “Jobs in Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Have Risen 123% Since May — Here's How To Get One,” Indeed, March 29, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/bdkd8bp4; Roy Maurer, “New DE&I Roles Spike After Racial Justice Protests,” SHRM, Aug. 6, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/3sjrde3s.

[27] Poppy Noor, “So your company uses diversity training. Does it even work?” The Guardian, March 10, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/d96tp82j; Edward H. Chang et al., “Does Diversity Training Work the Way It's Supposed To?” Harvard Business Review, July 9, 2019, https://tinyurl.com/3f7p57b9; Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev, “Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev explain why diversity training does not work,” The Economist, May 24, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/2we98azr.

[28] Hailey Fuchs, “Trump Attack on Diversity Training Has a Quick and Chilling Effect,” The New York Times, Oct. 13, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/muf4jmk4; “Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping,” Federal Register, Sept. 28, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/bddna84v.

[29] Jessica Guynn, “President Joe Biden rescinds Donald Trump ban on diversity training about systemic racism,” USA Today, Jan. 26, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/2bmup9v7; April Glaser, “Current and Ex-employees allege Google drastically rolled back diversity and inclusion programs,” NBC News, May 13, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/4exw22vv; Tammer Bagdasarian, “After backlash, Stanford takes down diversity training memo that followed Trump order,” The Stanford Daily, Nov. 17, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/bdzaw9hf.

[30] Clyde McGrady, “The strange journey of ‘cancel,’ from a Black-culture punchline to a White-grievance watchword,” The Washington Post, April 2, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/mr3563n3.

[31] Maurice Cassidy, “This Is Why YouTube No Longer Pays Shane Dawson Any Ad Revenue,” The Things, Jan. 26, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/yck8hp64; “Iggy Azalea quits music amid blackfishing controversy,” Perth Now, July 15, 2021, https://tinyurl.com/yc8zhwr4.

[32] Bryan Pietsch, “Disney Adds Warnings for Racist Stereotypes to Some Older Films,” The New York Times, Oct. 18, 2020, https://tinyurl.com/2p8nmdyw.

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About the Author

Meehika Barua is a freelance journalist who has written for the U.S. edition of Vogue, The Guardian, Glamour, The Washington Post, Al Jazeera, The Independent, Oprah magazine and other publications. She covers cultural, lifestyle and social issues, sometimes through the lens of tech, health and human rights. Her most recent CQ Researcher report was titled Career Change.

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