On "Pan-African" vs. "Pan-Asian"

So I took myself a (relatively) long break from writing in this blog during my Winter Break from work. And I needed it. But it's time to get back to work, and here I go.

While I was taking my break (outside of my quick-hitter about "Shooter"), a couple holidays went by: Channukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. Now, I, myself, (half-assedly) celebrate Christmas. But I've tried to do my part in at least partially understanding those other Winter-time celebrations that I did not grow up a part of. At this point, I probably know quite a bit more about Channukah than Kwanzaa.

So, being aware of that fact, I decided to do myself a little bit of Kwanzaa research over the break. I already knew the very basics behind Kwanzaa (that it had been created as an "African-American" holiday, drawing from various "African" traditions as a means to give African-Americans a true holiday of their own during this time). As a result, I had a basic appreciation for the intentions behind Kwanzaa, and the symbolism of its celebration.

But, as I got deeper into my research, I had some issues. While reading about the "Seven Principles" and the Swahili names given to them, I had a little bit of an itch. The problem being that I lived in Tanzania for a year and a half, and I actually speak Swahili (nearly fluently) and am very familiar with (recent Tanzanian history). And so I noticed that most of the words were taken from President Nyerere's terms for the socialist experiment he engaged in with Tanzania's fledgling independence. The meanings had been slightly altered to pertain to ALL Africans, but the roots were clear. And that all made sense - the problem being, of course, that - having lived in Tanzania - I know too well what a dismal failure that grand (and well-intentioned) experiment proved to be. Tanzania is now one of the poorest countries in the world and similarly corrupt, and so it just struck a sad chord within me to see those hopeful (but ultimately failed) terms as the foundation of the Kwanzaa celebration.

So I went further in and read of some of the traditions associated with Kwanzaa . . . and something about it all just hit me in a strange way. So much of it seemed like a bastardization of various African cultures. I had spent so much time correcting folks when I came back to the States about the difference between "Tanzania" and "Africa" - it just seemed so wrong that this whole holiday derived from attempts to further such confusion.

It really bothered me. And I had trouble understanding why. None of it pertained to me, directly. It's not my culture, or racial background. I don't have the same history. I live in a different time (Kwanzaa being conceived in the midst of the Civil Rights era). Why should I really care one way or the other? In fact, I should be for it, considering my heavy involvement in issues of race and general support for all things that give some pride and power to folks of color.

And yet it still bothered me.

And then I figured it out - my problem was that I was associating the "Pan-African" movement and ideals with all things "Pan-Asian." And I am not a fan of Pan-Asian happenings.

Because, to me, "Pan-Asian" almost solely refers to the bastardization of Asian cultures. To me, "Pan-Asian" represents all those things that cause all the non-Asian folks out there to think we're "all the same." We all look the same. We all eat the same food. We all speak the same language. Etc. To me, that's what "Pan-Asian" represents.

I hate it when I walk into a "Chinese" or "Thai" or "Vietnamese" restaurant that actually serves "Pan-Asian" foods. That people don't automatically realize that "Pad Thai" is a Thai dish and doesn't belong in a Chinese restaurant kills me. When people reference interchangeable Asian nationalities that eat dogs, I want to cry. When people listen to somebody speak Japanese and ask me if I can understand. When people think that Korean and Japanese cultures are "basically the same" (ignoring the history of hatred between the two). When people have "Asian fetishes" without realizing that Asian features run the full range of human skin tones, body shapes, and facial appearances.

All of this pisses me off to no end. All of this frustrates me and drives me nuts because I know I can do nothing to educate people out of any of it.

And so, when I relate "Pan-African" to "Pan-Asian," I have so much inherent distaste bubbling to the surface that I can't get over it - and so I find myself projecting those feelings onto Pan-Africanism.

And I realize that that is unfair. African-Americans (mostly) don't have the privilege of knowing their actual ethnic roots. They can't say which nation their ancestors came from. They can't know which specific traditions their ancestors took part in. They can't know which language their ancestors spoke. The ultimate insult and degradation of slavery is that it stole the slaves' past and history and traditions. African-Americans who have come from slavery can never know where they truly, specifically, came from. All they can know is the continent. And so an equal embrace for all things "African" - whichever nation or ethnic group that stems from - makes sense in that light. Because what else is there?

"Pan-African" and "Pan-Asian" are not the same. Not even close. I came from immigrants whose ethnic and national origins I know. And that gives me the privilege of getting all hot and bothered when other folks don't honor that specific heritage and instead lump me in with "all those Asians." African-Americans can't say the same - and so they do not have a similar privilege (or reaction). And, as a result, I find myself wondering if that can partially explain why so many African-Americans I know (friends and otherwise) don't really care to differentiate between various forms of Asian-ness. And why Asian-Americans and African-Americans continue to have so much trouble connecting and finding common ground in this country.

Who knows? All I do know is that a little bit of research and self-reflection can go a long way - and that has allowed me to appreciate Pan-Africanism on a whole other level.

What do you all think?

On Cultural Appropriation

What is "cultural appropriation"? Boiled down, it's taking something from a culture that isn't yours. Period. There are all kinds of different explanation behind that definition - positive forms, negative forms, etc. - but that's pretty much what it is: taking from somebody else's culture.

Now, this is something I've thought about a lot, largely due to my bi-racial background. Since I feel like Chinese culture is not really "mine" in a number of ways, I make sure that I think carefully about any Chinese cultural traditions or values that I want to take on (or re-adopt). In simple cases, I make sure that I am asking family members who actually grew up with these traditions or values to explain it to me. In situations where that is not possible, I try to do as much research as possible in advance - so that I truly know the story behind it. And if it feels right, then I try to engage it with as much respect and honor and self-consciousness as I can.

But it gets sticky - because taking on traditions that you did not grow up with is difficult. There are a lot of opportunities to make mistakes and accidentally make a mockery of what you are trying to honor. And the question always follows: what gives me the right to try to adopt this tradition? What is my purpose behind it? And am I ignoring larger parts of the culture as a whole to just pick and choose what I like?

Mind you - this is how I feel about my attempts to gain a better foot-hold and understanding of Chinese culture, one I am linked to by blood and immediate family members (although my grandmother's death severed the most direct link). And I still don't quite consider it my right - to some degree - to take on aspects of this culture, since I was not raised fully "Chinese." It's difficult.

However - it becomes much less difficult when a person has absolutely no blood or birth link to a culture. Then - it becomes simple cultural appropriation (and I seldom use that in a positive way).

Now, by no means is "cultural appropriation" solely a problem of white people, but it stands out more in that context. First, because white people in America often lament the lack of their own culture*, and so try to compensate for this perceived lack by borrowing from others. Second, the situation of white privilege often puts white folks in a naive mentality where they believe it is their right to take from any culture that they desire - that being barred from that would be "unfair" or "not inclusive" or (this is the one that I hate the most) some form of "reverse racism."** So I will mostly address "cultural appropriation" from an angle of white folks borrowing from non-white cultures (but repeat that it can go in a lot of different ways).

The most obvious examples (ones I see here in Portland all the time are): Zimbabwean marimba music, "African" drumming, Brazilian capoeira, and Zen Buddhism. I'll just try to hit them up in order (and, by no means are these the only ones).

There is a large contingent of white "liberals" in this town who love to play Zimbabwean marimba music. Now, I'm not going to go into the psychology of this obsession, but let's just say these folks are REALLY into it. Which should be fine. Because music is an art-form that should be shared and appreciated cross-culturally. However, these white liberals like it so much, they learn to play it. Again - not so bad, as learning to play a kind of music is a form of further appreciation (if in the comfort of their own home).

No - the problem is that these white Americans form "Zimbabwean marimba" bands, that play "traditional" Zimbabwean marimba music. First off - how can they possibly be a "Zimbabwean" marimba band, if none of the players are Zimbabwean (and I do know, for a fact, that they aren't - and I'm talking about multiple bands)? Second - why the Hell are they playing "traditional" Zimbabwean music? It is not their music. How is it "traditional" if Zimbabwean people aren't playing it? Some of these bands sing in Shona.

My question is why? Why? Why this kind of absurd theft? Appreciation is one thing -but this is mockery. It is not honor or respect. Respect is not claiming to play "Zimbabwean" music if you are not, yourself, Zimbabwean. Respect is not singing in a language you do not speak fluently, nor do you have opportunity to speak on a (very) regular basis. Respect is not stealing "traditions" out of context and that have no direct connection to you.

How could this be okay? Well - if these groups just said they played marimba music. Maybe make a nod to "Zimbabwean influences," but without a claim to play the music. If they NEVER played anything "traditional," and if they sang songs in their own damn language. Music is all about influences and adapting styles to your own. Therefore - if they truly like the music, they can adapt it to have songs with lyrics relevant to their own lives, in their own language. Why try to pretend to represent Zimbabwean music, when a Zimbabwean band could do so much more effectively? Why believe that that is okay?

On another level, this kind of thing bothers me in that very little else of "Zimbabwean" culture is known or actively appreciated by these folks. Seldom have they been taught by a Zimbabwean teacher, nor do they have any true Zimbabwean friends. They - perhaps - may know some Zimbabwean folks (not always), but never are those truly their friends. People they see and talk to regularly. Confide in, listen to, support, etc. So if they are not willing to put in that effort and social investment, how have they the right to profit from somebody else's culture in this way?

That's what kills me.

"African" drumming is much the same. I don't need to go into it in detail, but it's even worse, in some ways (because - although different styles of drumming in Africa are similar, most people are learning West African styles - specifically Ghanaian, Senegalese, or Gambian)***. Again - appreciate, learn (from an "African" at least), and play - but never claim it as "African" and please go immerse yourself in the culture - all of it.

Quickly - capoeira. For those unfamiliar with capoeira, it is a Brazilian martial art/dance style with roots in the African slave trade in South America. As slaves were not allowed to practice anything that resembled aggression or violence, these slaves (and later, their ancestors) disguised their martial arts and rebellion as a dance - capoeira. It's a beautiful story - quite inspiring. But - again - it kills me when I see an all-white-American troupe doing an exhibition for even more white folks. Practice on your own. Learn from a Brazilian master. But don't f-ing exhibit it in public as education/entertainment. If any of these things were truly for only the person, themselves, out of respect and appreciation - then there would be absolutely no need to bring it to the masses - that is the job of those whose culture it is. And if they don't choose to do so - respect that and don't take it upon yourselves.

Finally - Zen Buddhism. This one's more sticky for me because it's (vaguely) a religion. But it bothers me. As a (part) Chinese-American, it bothers me that the majority of Buddhists and Buddhist temple-goers in this town are white. That feels wrong. White Buddhist "monks" choosing Chinese or Hindu names - when they don't speak Chinese or Hindi (except for a smattering of terms). This one hurts me more as a representation of Orientalism**** than anything else. Because - obviously, this one is less public and more personal, which treads on territory I don't have a right to dispute. However . . . it doesn't feel right.

So - a number of examples, but there are so many others out there (I'd like to hear other people's pet-peeve forms of cultural appropriation). But it all boils down to - do not share what it is not yours. Do not presume to teach what you have not been immersed in. Learn only from those who have right to claim it. And question - deeply - your need/interest in learning and taking on aspects of another culture - and why it is only that one single aspect of the culture you are taking on, while leaving all the rest. Doing anything else is an insult. Anything else is disrespectful and smacks of privilege and ignorance.

And causes me to get all uppity and pissed off.

This is a topic I could go much deeper into, but I think that would work better as a conversation or dialogue. So, hopefully there are some timid non-commenters out there ready to ask some questions and get some clarification (and to challenge me if I sound just too sure of myself, and too judgmental).

But I leave you with this - we all learned as children (most of us, at least) that - if it isn't ours, we should leave it alone. And if we borrow something, we should do it with the intention of giving back. Why should culture and tradition be any different?

* I'll address this is at a later date, but - in short - I call B.S. on those claims.

** This will be an even longer post. Just thinking about it has me ready to spit fire.

*** I suppose the "Africa is not a country" post will have to happen sometime, as well.

**** This single post has touched off so many future off-shoots - the Orientalism discussion definitely needs to happen.