I popped back in from my twitter hiatus to share this post a friend sent me.
I fully agree with everything in this thread!! https://twitter.com/missrinaelia/status/1273540820184870913
I do whole-heartedly believe that in certain situations it’s not considered appropriation (i.e. it’s a gift from a person of that culture, or you’re in that country and are engaging in the culture), but I feel like more often than not, this is not the case.
Many people online use the Japanese or Asian aesthetics as just that, an aesthetic. I feel like if you have a developed knowledge of that culture and have done your research on it so that you can accurately portray the culture, it’s more along the lines of appreciation.
But keep in mind, appreciation is still knowing the boundaries between what is appreciation versus what is appropriation. Ultimately, this boundary is different depending on a person’s experiences and background! What I may see as appropriation, may not be seen as such by others.
Once again, I do not speak for all Japanese-Americans and I certainly do not speak for Japanese people who have had a very different experience.

I am just a very tired mixed-Japanese-American girl from Hawaii who is tired of feeling like the things I was bullied for are trendy.
You can follow @HANASHlMA.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled: