To Own or Not to Own is the Question: Cultural Appropriation

APPROPRIATION: 1. the act of setting apart or taking for one's own use 2.a deliberate act of acquisition of something, often without the permission of the owner

"Permission of the owner..." A debatable context of words when you are not talking about monetary appropriation but cultural appropriation. Dance is the topic that comes to surface since this is the world in which I work in and with that I will discuss. It's a passionate and sometimes convoluted subject.

In the recent, this topic of appropriation has been a very involved discussion amongst friends who are also fellow dancers. We all represent a wide spectrum of cultural diversity and find ourselves facing a personal responsibility to explore our viewpoints in this matter. In these discussions I came across my own new found revelation about the the topic of cultural appropriation. Often times there can be this pre disposed assumption that one race outside another are the ones that mostly appropriate of other cultures. I recently saw an incident in a video of a dance group made up of mostly puerto rican and perhaps other latino/a dancers name their video a particular dance genre from Puerto Rico and grossly misrepresent the art form. I found myself saying "wow it's not only those outside a race, but people of color in their particular race are appropriating their own culture." These people are creating this misrepresentation yet there is this privilege or entitlement that is attached that seems to give them license to do so. It's not that it's given to them but it seems to be taken. But do they really know what they are taking?

There is a double edged sword that has developed it seems asking which is the worse or lesser crime in this matter when it comes to who does the appropriating. Yet, First begins the question of ownership. Does an art form such as a particular dance and it's traditions depending on geographical location belong to a certain race of people? Is there a purity in its inception? Some would debate that question of purity, saying that there is a melting pot causing a racial ambiguity in our racial lineages. Yet there are some unmistakable identities when it comes to dances and origins. For instance, African culture has permeated throughout time, crossing border lines of countries, influencing cultures in music and dance. It is one of the most appropriated cultures in many countries including the United States. Yet do many Africans today have the right to call certain genres of dance their own and state claim whether it's an entire dance form or a contribution they made? If not why not and why not feel a certain protectiveness over it without being considered racist or ostracizing. Do they have the right to feel angry that certain dance forms are being misrepresented and taken out of context. There is a miseducation and lack of integrity on the parts of those that choose to adapt these cultural dance art forms. It is running rampant and I would say people are running a muck. It has caused myself and my fellow dancers to take a deep evaluation in how we represent and express certain dance genres. It's equally become a point of frustration for those of us that do make concerted efforts to learn and represent cultural dances with respect and integrity.

Easy come, easy go people find it "easy" to bounce in and out of cultures but do little to educate themselves on the history of many cultures. Many want the benefits and the results that come from the com modification of cultural art forms. People don't want to be in the skin of some nor appreciate.. but the talents or what one has are. No one wants to walk in their shoes.. but they want what they have to offer. No one wants to see the grit and grim of how certain songs or dances were born in cultures and what sacrifices were made to make them. Many art forms such as dance have been born out of pain, struggle and life. Many fail to see or acknowledge that. Yet they find it so easy to take... take and take. Never giving back and showing an injustice. I looked at video after video of dances on the city streets in Colombia. I then started to think..this dance Mapale with clear origins in the African culture has become a poor peoples "commodification" for the sightseers and tourists. The onlookers watch and pitch money at the dark skinned young men and women that hustle and dance with fervor to earn a living in the the city tourist attractions. They have had to take their cultural dances and become the jigaboos and minstrel sideshows like african americans in the US often had to. You then have to ask and who made the profit? who saw the profit? Well I beg to differ it would be them.... It also sheds a whole new light on people here in the US that throw together a half assed performance of the same Mapale dance at a local festival when you think of the immense talent and yet struggle of the young kids over in Colombia. Hmm.. all I can do is shake my head. Do you get the picture? These things I take issue with with a deep passionate distaste in my mouth of those that "take it and fake it".

For those of us that do choose to delve into another culture not only is there a personal responsibility one must have, but an empathy and yet resilience in one's skin to take the possible criticisms and disapproval for doing so. For some of us it simply resonates with our soul to relate to other cultures. There is no shame or blame in that as the soul has no color... what it expresses is the essence of who we are when true. But personal responsibility I must repeat must take place to respect. I have had to take my own advice in all this as I have had my own personal experiences as an "African American Black" woman not a "Afro Latin" woman who performs other cultural dances outside of my own. Big difference to some. I know people wonder why I am teaching salsa, dance it etc. I know that my dreds and skin are not as highly liked on that stages or palable to the audiences in the Salsa World I travel. We get sorta dismissed so to speak. Someone is always looking for a reason for it to be ok to do what I do. I get " soo.. are you dominican? " I have learned to laugh and say " no.. I am black" They proceed like they still don't get it or missed what I just said.. They then ask " where you from? and where are your parents from" I say, " my parents are both black" They still look at me blankly.. I find I have to say " I grew up in NY some in Spanish Harlem.. a puerto rican and black neighborhood" then... only then i get " oooooooo see that's why! " or " you MUST have something in you" I have learned to laugh.. But in reality.. I am like.. why must I be anything but what I am? I mean i feel flattered in some ways.. then I think deeply sometimes and think.. what? what does all that mean.. LOL! why do I Have to give a full report and figure out how to appease someone about my race and background? Or the nasty ass looks I get when I am dancing at times like.. "who she think she is? or what she think she know or why is she doing that? " I think what always comes up for me is that I always have to remind myself of the world I live in and to be mindful of it. We may be one creature in nature in our inner selves, but the world defines us differently and right off .. it's the color of our skin. Unfortunate as it may be.. this is the reality we live in. It is always a constant battle to redefine.. and try to shift thought and perspectives of others to change their way of thinking.. Yet there will always be this sort of box people will check off and they don't care about the "other" box.

I take it seriously to try not to "take it and fake it". I don't own what I dance in it's cultural form, but I own how I dance it. That belongs to me and no one can take that away. It has been a labor of love to be appropriate and not appropriate. I hope there can continue to be a conscious shift and awareness in the decisions we make when we move through cultures. To take our thoughts and constructively let our bodies express truth in a message of transformation in how we respect one another and the skin we were born in. To acknowledge struggles that have built bridges so that we MAY have the opportunity to break bread at the table of cultural uniformity and yet respect individuality. Let us take note.. and take a sober estimate that it is all bigger than us and a greater work at hand.. OWN your own work and who you are and ask yourself: To own or Not to own.. is the question.