How big a problem is "cultural appropriation" in the United States?

[notadmblnd]

70. When I posted, there was no one else who had posted in the thread

that had identified themselves as non-white. While I have read some of the other threads (which I have not posted in), for the most part- are exactly what I said.

The word Appropriation means the action of taking something for one's own use, typically without the owner's permission or basically to steal. I don't see how a "culture" can be stolen from? One can adopt styles from a culture, however the culture loses nothing, therefore nothing has been stolen.

I'm getting to be a pretty old bird and I think I can say that back in the 70's I never once heard an African American complain about the white hippies stealing their style by wearing the Afro hairstyle or a dashiki. I also never heard a white person complain when my African American husband oiled up and laid out in the sun at the beach. I could go on with examples of different cultures being borrowed from and other whites and non-whites not complaining.

However, the only people who are talking about it being a problem are people here at DU, and yes, most of them are white.

There was a thread here yesterday where there were some very good posts, it was about Elvis and how he appropriated from the African American in his music. I don't know if you participated or not, but someone had posted a video of African Americans paying tribute to him and expressing their feelings in regards to his appropriation. As I recall, it was not a hindrance to them. They were already hindered in their endeavors. In fact, their feelings were pretty much just the opposite