Teenager Tries On Saree, Sparks Conversation On Cultural Appreciation
The recent media campaign where Mira Filzah became the talk of the town for cultural appropriation because she was donning full Indian bridal couture to promote contact lenses became an impromptu lesson on the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation.
While some netizens were jumping on the bandwagon with pitchforks, there are others who decided to use the issue to bring across on how multiculturalism is appreciated in the Nusantara.
A teenager named Yen Yen decided to share a photoset of her wearing different ethnic clothes with the caption;
“Nak try Saree full set.”
nak try Saree full set ? https://t.co/WS14n7Q84f pic.twitter.com/U3MzfFppL1 — 月?? (@yennierubyyen) August 20, 2020
In an interview with mStar, Yen Yen shared how she wants to spread positivity instead of fueling the fire by sharing pictures of her friends and her donning traditional clothes from other cultures. Yen Yen believes that by wearing clothes from the different races teaches her to learn and appreciate their cultures.
“Dan ini salah satu cara untuk mengeratkan hubungan sesama kaum. Cuma kalau rakan-rakan Muslim, mereka boleh menggayakan pakaian mengikut kesesuaian agar aurat tak terdedah.” – Yen Yen
This is one way to encourage multi-racial unity, only for Muslim friends, of course they will have to dress up modestly while wearing the traditional clothes.
Yen Yen also mentioned that she is comfortable with wearing the ethnic clothing of other races because she’s used to mixing around with friends who are Malays and Indians. Her teachers will also organize regular potluck activities with them and they learn to appreciate the cuisines of various cultures.
cg pp i pun ckp zaman sekolah dia, mmg saling berkunjung ke rumah kawan pada hari perayaan. dear malaysians, throw away those political racism matters, focus on the good. learn to accept and tolerate each other, together we build a harmonical malaysia ❤️?? pic.twitter.com/7R2jyukxDJ — 月?? (@yennierubyyen) August 20, 2020
She is of the opinion that as a multicultural society, we should focus on the good by appreciating and developing a sense of tolerance for each other instead of being entangled in political racism ideologies.
Reporter’s Opinion: Wearing the traditional clothes of other cultures have always been encouraged and it was a non-issue till a few years ago when the concept of cultural appropriation spilled over here. It is a term that has been abused and misunderstood when applying to local context.
Cultural Appropriation happens when the adoption or copying the element of another culture’s practice with the intention to exploit it for monetary gains, use it out of context with the intention to disrespect the culture it came from or to steal it and call it yours.
So basically, if you decided to design a batik print saree and call it “Peranakan” traditional wear or rebrand tasbih as “spiritual energy beads” for some new agey cult, and then sell it, yes you are guilty of cultural misappropriation.
Or a certain rendition of modern kurung that took the modesty out of the baju kurung itself some years back.
Let people discover and enjoy being beautiful in clothes from other ethnicities. As long as they learn to respect the do’s and don’ts of wearing such clothes, it is fine. As for the significance of certain items, we can always teach each other respectfully.
We have lived in a cohesive multicultural society for a very long time and while racism still exists, that is a bigger problem to tackle and reeducate people on rather than the little issues of someone deciding to wear clothes that doesn’t belong to their culture.
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