Brian Phan

OPINION: Appreciation or Appropriation?

The topic of cultural appropriation is a tough one to pin down, since it is such a complex, multi-layered issue. It has a draining impact, reaching down to all the roots that make up a culture, from music, to art, to food, to clothing. When appropriation occurs, it is an exploitation of the marginalized culture, and there becomes a cultural imbalance of power. This power dynamic is troubling and affects many minority groups — therefore, choosing to bring this topic to light during this week was important because it has an impact on many of the students on our campus. Representing the issues that several members of our UP community encounter was part of the reason why VSA thought it was so important to be involved in DDW.