Several weeks ago, I was talking to a girl about her phone case, which had an image of the Hindu god Ganesh on it. I was asking her if she knew about the Hindu religion, and she replied with a curt 'no,' and replied that she chose the case simply because she thought it looked cool.
My sister returned from college at the beginning of May, and she was telling me a story about a friend of hers in the dance club she was in, who has an Om symbol tattooed on her shoulder blade, simply because she is a fan of yoga. Numerous times while scrolling through Instagram, I have seen pictures of women wearing bindis, and calling it a fashion trend. Also, I have seen many pictures of people who have gone to Hindu temples, and posed for pictures next to the idols of the gods, relating to them as their "aesthetic."
The proper definition of cultural appropriation is when elements and beliefs of a culture are misinterpreted and adopted into others. In simpler terms, the deeply religious and philosophical aspects of cultures are incorrectly used by others, without understanding their true meaning. As a Hindu and an Indian, I do feel insulted watching people talking about Om and yoga, as if the ancient Hindu symbol's only use to be meaninglessly chanted while sitting in the lotus position, or if I see people talking about Bindis, and how Selena Gomez and Beyonce have made them into the latest trend. I do believe that aspects of different cultures around the world should be celebrated and understood, yet culturally appropriating them is not the way to achieve this.
Now I am positive that Hinduism is not the only religion and culture to face cultural appropriation. Tattoos with Chinese or Japanese writing have become extremely popular, but when they are translated, they are simple words such as "water" or "wind." Celtic Knots and Ying-Yang symbols are also freely used, with no understanding of what they mean. The Muslim "hamsa" symbol has become a new fashionable sign, showing itself on all sorts of jewelry and clothing. It is not a crime, in this age of heavy globalization, to adopt aspects on other religious and cultures, but there should be a degree of respect and understanding given to them.
So how can we cure this new phenomenon? People should not be discouraged to explore other religions and cultures. If a non-Hindu wanted to learn about Hinduism, and they understood and respected the Om symbol and all the gods, it should not be a crime for them to embrace the culture. The same would go vise-versa. As long as you can explain to somebody why you have a Om bracelet or a hamsa tattoo, and why these items have significance in the world, it is perfectly alright to use these symbols. Cultural appropriation is a problem that does have a negative effect for more people, and ignorance is not bliss in the situation. Learn the culture, embrace the culture, and display your culture with pride.
