Styles of Appropriation

1. A white woman with blushing cheeks and green eyes stands center looking to her audience with a smirk. She’s out at a park with the sun shining on her big curly Afro-like hair. The curls of her hair have defined loops and has been teased to give a wilder look to it. It’s from page 136 saying “You can have an Afro *even if you have straight hair*” Below the title it gives instructions to go from bone straight hair to the intended Afro above. It explains by the end of the instructions to fluff up your hair with your fingers and “viola the Afro the straight-haired girl”.

The editor approved of a Caucasian woman to appear in her magazine to appropriate African American hair. The beauty of African American hair has to be shared as a new trend among those of non-African descent. She goes to explain to make extra slippery hair stiffer by adding a holding hair spray. The Caucasian woman gives a smirk in the photo appearing confident and without error. The curls in her hair still don’t resemble African American hair and have more of a Spanish wave to them and have been frizzed in attempt to replicate an Afro. (Cultural appropriation)

2. An African Indian child with fuchsia and white paint spread across her cheeks, chin and nose. She is off centered looking to her audience with a stern look. On her head is a head dress that is fuchsia with big feathers, beads and silk. The beads are embroider to make round patterns using diamonds and rubies. Her hair is bonded into to two pig tails draped over to the front of her shoulders with pink silk ribbons to keep them in place. Her garment is fuchsia with silk, beads and frills with a picture of a Native American chief and buffalo on her chest made from bead as well.

The child looks very stern and engulfed into the culture. Her attire has Native American roots yet have been altered with colors that are not traditionally Native American. The picture of a Native American and buffalo on her chest made out in beads gives story of why should could be dressed in feathers with pig tails. The paint on her cheeks and chin gives a feeling of celebratory war paint. The fuchsia paint mixed with white to give shadow effect to show the intentional smearing of the celebratory war paint. The gems and beads are to identify prestige or royalty of a divine figure. Her headdress is of a crown and he hair to provide emphasis on her beauty. (Cultural exchange/appreciation)

3. A Latino man explains his name change on his resume from Jose to Joe. He has tan skin and soft accent and wears clothing of typical American culture. A button up blue collar shirt, a blue thermal and a blue long sleeved striped shirt all with a backwards cap. He has a goatee that is neatly shaved. His voice is monotone. He is sitting down for most of the video. He types on his computer searching for job listings and makes edits to his resume.

An average American man of Latin descent has a common name, Jose’. He is an average American with no threatening tones and no threatening build. He dresses in American culture fabrics because he is American. He cannot survive in America by continuing forth with his birth name. He has to assimilate his name to be a competitor when job searching. He white washes his name from Jose’ to Joe. He immediately gets call backs and a new job. Jose had to appropriate the dominate culture or assimilate for his survival. (Assimilation/cultural dominance)

4. A white man sitting with his legs crossed. He has long deep brown hair with a long beard to his chest. His mustache is thick and brown with the ends curled and twisted. As he sits with his legs crossed he places the back of his hands on his knees with his fingers touching each other to the sky. He is in a bright gold like dress with beige pants and soft shoes. His dress like attire has embroidered designs in red. Around his neck are wooden beads and a varmala. He sits on top of a blood red pillow with golden embroider. He has blue sun rays glittering behind him

A white man is attempting to use satire on the Indian culture. His eyebrow is raised as if he is confident of his position.