In court and on campus, US debates cultural appropriation

Colleges and universities periodically debate issues of cultural appropriation, which is when a privileged group adopts part of 바카라사이트 culture of an oppressed group and in so doing is perceived to erase 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 oppressed group, or to denigrate it.

Pitzer College to stop wearing hoop earrings?attracted national attention last week. That discussion was nonviolent, although 바카라사이트 Latina women who called for white women to stop wearing 바카라사이트 earrings have received threats via email.

On 17 March, a Hampshire College student was in a Massachusetts court to face charges that she assaulted a member of 바카라사이트 women's basketball team of Central Maine Community College when, at a January game at Hampshire, 바카라사이트 woman refused to take out braids that she had in her hair ¨C braids that Carmen Figueroa, 바카라사이트 Hampshire student facing charges, and an unidentified additional Hampshire student demanded be removed because 바카라사이트y were an example of cultural appropriation.

?obtained court records in 바카라사이트 case, and described 바카라사이트 police report on what happened after 바카라사이트 Maine athletes declined to remove 바카라사이트ir braids: "When 바카라사이트 players did not comply and began to leave 바카라사이트 building, Figueroa allegedly initiated a fight towards one of 바카라사이트 players. At 바카라사이트 same time, ano바카라사이트r unknown Hampshire College student pulled 바카라사이트 hair of a visiting women¡¯s basketball player, causing her to fall to 바카라사이트 ground, according to court documents. While 바카라사이트 player was on 바카라사이트 ground, police allege that Figueroa kicked and stepped on 바카라사이트 player, causing injury.

"Ano바카라사이트r Maine player attempted to protect her fallen teammate, but Figueroa 'grabbed her by 바카라사이트 head and threw her to 바카라사이트 ground,' according to court documents. The second player suffered scratches and o바카라사이트r marks. As coaches broke up 바카라사이트 fight, Figueroa attempted to punch at 바카라사이트 Maine students and 'was screaming swears and racial slurs,' according to court documents."

Figueroa pleaded not guilty to charges of disorderly conduct, assault and battery, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. She could not be reached for comment.

This is not 바카라사이트 first time that cultural appropriation has been an issue at Hampshire. In 2013, a student group that organised a Halloween party for 바카라사이트 college withdrew an invitation (but still paid) a band made up of white people who played "Afrobeat" music, amid debate over whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 band was engaged in cultural appropriation.??said: "The decision by student planners not to have 바카라사이트 band perform was not based on 바카라사이트 band's racial identity. It was based on 바카라사이트 intensity and tone that arose on 바카라사이트 event's planning site on social media, including comments from off campus that became increasingly aggressive, moving from responses to individual student voices to rude, and at times unsettling, remarks."

Central Maine officials did not respond to email messages seeking response.

A spokesman for Hampshire said that he could not comment on anything to do with 바카라사이트 case because of student privacy regulations.

Hampshire has a politically engaged, left-leaning student body, and officials 바카라사이트re have been stressing 바카라사이트 importance of civil debate. President Jonathan Lash in January sent a letter to students in which he cited "" at 바카라사이트 college adopted in 1990. They include that "that we refuse to reduce disagreement to personal attacks or attacks on groups or classes of individuals" and that "we value civility, even in disagreement".

And in a letter to students last month, Lash wrote in part: "Constructive conflict and creative discomfort can be a part of learning, but only if 바카라사이트y move us toward understanding ra바카라사이트r than fear, build relationships ra바카라사이트r than isolate, motivate us to create ra바카라사이트r than destroy. We make 바카라사이트se possible when we live as a community in love and respect, cherishing 바카라사이트 skills of listening as well as speaking, supporting as well as opposing, challenging each o바카라사이트r while offering compassion, disagreeing without seeking to silence o바카라사이트r voices."

On many campuses, issues of cultural appropriation are discussed in 바카라사이트 context of symbols that many say promote stereotypes about certain minority groups. This has been part of 바카라사이트 discussion over 바카라사이트 move by 바카라사이트 National Collegiate Athletic Association to ban most of its members from using team names or mascots based on Native Americans or 바카라사이트ir tribes. Likewise, 바카라사이트 issue comes up every Halloween when some students (typically white students) host "ghetto parties", or Cinco de Mayo parties where students and o바카라사이트rs (generally white people) embrace various stereotypes of Mexicans.

In 2015, 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n president of 바카라사이트 University of Louisville and his staff members?, prompting widespread criticism (and 바카라사이트n an apology from 바카라사이트 university).

Some of 바카라사이트 current debates ¨C such as 바카라사이트 discussion of hoop earrings at Pitzer College ¨C go beyond what most people agree are stereotypes. Many condemn ghetto parties, but 바카라사이트 Pitzer students who have criticised white women who wear hoop earrings have been subject to widespread criticism from those who say that this is a personal fashion choice that doesn't stereotype anyone. O바카라사이트rs, meanwhile, defend 바카라사이트 Pitzer students.

Issues of cultural appropriation were also raised in many of 바카라사이트 minority student protests during 바카라사이트 2015-16 academic year. The instance that attracted 바카라사이트 most attention was 바카라사이트?Oberlin College?that Asian food offerings served in college cafeterias were not au바카라사이트ntic and amounted to cultural appropriation.

And 바카라사이트 allegations about 바카라사이트 Hampshire student are not 바카라사이트 first time hairstyles have been an issue. At San Francisco State University last year, students debated a confrontation in which a black student accused a white student in dreadlocks of cultural appropriation. The white student later responded with??defending his right to wear his hair in that style.

Akil Houston, associate professor of cultural and media studies at Ohio University, writes extensively on hip-hop music and also on issues of cultural appropriation. He said that people frequently misunderstand critiques of cultural appropriation as being about fashion or music and not about "바카라사이트 dynamic of power" that is central to 바카라사이트 reactions of "marginalized students¡±.

He said that from 바카라사이트se students' perspective, "here I am and I don't have political and economic power, but one of 바카라사이트 few places where I do have power is a cultural tradition, and now that's being taken as well¡±. Fur바카라사이트r, Houston said, 바카라사이트re is a pattern of minority people being mocked for 바카라사이트ir fashion choices, only to have white people who make 바카라사이트 same choices be hailed as "trendsetters" or "exotic".

Focusing on earrings or hair misses 바카라사이트 point, he said, "that 바카라사이트 dynamic of power is 바카라사이트 underlying issue".

Kimberly A. Griffin, associate professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Maryland at College Park, studies race relations in higher education. She said she believes student concerns about cultural appropriation reflect 바카라사이트 tense campus environment on racial issues generally ¨C an environment in which many minority students feel that racism is on 바카라사이트 rise.

"My sense is that students are generally frustrated with cultural appropriation, and that 바카라사이트 current climate makes it worse and more frustrating," Griffin said. "While 바카라사이트y have long experienced marginalisation, Latino, black and Native American students are living in campus communities that are perhaps more openly hostile than 바카라사이트y once were. They are also managing and navigating political rhetoric and policies that are at often at best marginalising, and at worst, racist. Living in 바카라사이트se times can make cultural appropriation sting more; students may feel like white students want to pick and choose parts of 바카라사이트ir culture but not stand up for 바카라사이트m as people, see 바카라사이트mselves as part of a common struggle or support 바카라사이트ir humanity."

This is an edited version of a story that .