Politics of Respectability
re·spect·a·bil·i·ty
rəˌspektəˈbilədē/noun
noun: respectability
the state or quality of being proper, correct, and socially acceptable.
While women from marginalized communities are ridiculed for their ethnic and or cultural expression, white women, due to their privileged status in America can adopt the very same expressions and receive praise.
rəˌspektəˈbilədē/noun
noun: respectability
the state or quality of being proper, correct, and socially acceptable.
While women from marginalized communities are ridiculed for their ethnic and or cultural expression, white women, due to their privileged status in America can adopt the very same expressions and receive praise.
The Bindi
“Fans and music media alike praise these celebrities for their bold “fashion” choices. But when someone like me or my mom wears the bindi out in public, we are either stared down with dirty looks, told to go back to where we came from, or exotified as having magical qualities.” Raisa Bhuiyan
Turbans
A 2013 study showed that most Americans associate turbans with violence
(Wyler). This phenomenon is due to the association of Islam and terrorism and
turbans and Islam. While some followers of Islam wear turbans, Sikh men
primarily wear them. Vogue and other high-in fashion magazines use turbans in
their editorials for high-fashion because turbans have aesthetic value. While
Sikh men and women that wear the turban for religious reasons are met with violence,
white women and men can wear the turban and be perceived as fashionable and
non-threatening.
Sources Bhuiyan , Raisa. Not your ‘Fashion Dots’: The Continuous Appropriation of Bindis. Shamelessmag.com. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2014. http://shamelessmag.com/blog/entry/not-your-fashion-dots-the-continuous-appropriatio/
Marriott, Michel; Special To The New York Times (12 October 1987). "In Jersey City, Indians Protest Violence". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved 1 December 2014. Wyler, Grace. Study Shows Americans Think Turbans Are for Terrorists http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/study-shows-americans-think-turbans-are-for-terrorists http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/repeatability Header Photo: http://www.gurl.com/2014/10/16/cultural-appropriation-information/ |