Unconscious Diversity
Posted on November 17, 2019
Photo: The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/27/fashion/kim-kardashian-west-kimono-cultural-appropriation.html/
Since I came to New York, I saw a lot of Japanese words such as sushi, ramen, manga, anime, origami, karate, emoji, bento, and karaoke. I sometimes found the words that were used in different meanings from the original ones. For example, I was surprised when I saw kombucha for the first time because it was different from kombucha that I had drunk in Japan. Japanese kombucha is kelp (kombu/昆布; a kind of seaweeds) tea made by dissolving kelp powder in hot water. Also, it was surprising for me that futon means sofabed here, unlike Japanese futon such as mattress laid on the floor.
These encounters were exciting experiences for me. I could enjoy imagining why these words were used in these meanings and how Japanese culture has interacted and fused with American culture through them. However, I experienced a different feeling when I was browsing an online fashion site to get a winter coat. I found the word “kimono” as one of the categories of clothing on that site. “Do they sell kimono?” I wondered so and clicked it. Then what I found on that page were not Japanese kimono but clothing such as long cardigans or capes. I could understand why people call this clothing as “kimono” because its structure is a little similar to the part of the structure of kimono. However, I felt a little something wrong with this usage. I wondered if they understand what the traditional kimono is. Although this thing was not so uncomfortable for me, this reminded me of the American celebrity, Kim Kardashian. She tried to name her underwear brand “kimono” and to apply for trademarks for it this June. I learned this news from the online petition that asked Ms. Kardashian West to change her underwear brand name. That petition also asked USPTO (the United States Patent and Trademark Office) to deny her apply. I felt a strong resentment when I learned this news, and many Japanese people, including me, signed this petition. The mayor of Kyoto city sent a letter to her. Her act was also accused by other countries, including the United States, as a cultural appropriation, and she finally renamed her brand name.
While I was searching about this case, I also found the case of Canadian singer, Avril Lavigne’s song “Hello Kitty” that was introduced as an example of cultural appropriation. She used some Japanese words in this song and danced with Japanese dancers in Tokyo in the music video. Some people accused her of depicting a stereotype of Japanese culture and women in her music video. It was interesting to me that most of the critics were non-Japanese media or people. Most Japanese didn’t think her video as racism and didn’t accuse her. (Although I also watched this video, I didn’t feel uncomfortable so much. Besides, people didn’t get so angry about her video because Avril was talking she loved Japan and its culture.)
Why did Japanese people react to each case so differently? In the case of Ms. Kardashian West, she was going to use the word” kimono” in a totally different context from the original one without any respects to traditional Japanese clothing as culture and the feeling of Japanese to kimono. Also, another big reason to react to her was that kimono was one of the Japanese critical traditional cultures, and we were proud of it. Therefore her act became an explicit cultural appropriation to many Japanese. (However, I (maybe also many Japanese) am happy if many non-Japanese people enjoy wearing kimono as “clothing” in the right way.) On the other hand, the Japanese didn’t regard Avril’s video as insulting Japanese culture. Rather, people don’t have any questions about the situation that non-Japanese people treat Japanese culture in these ways, even if these ways were a little strange for us if its contents are not essential for us. It has been “natural” for Japanese, and we have not cared about it.
I felt the big difference between the United States and Japan on this point. Through my study life in NYC, even only three months, I faced topics such as racism, the problem of Western Centric perspective, white men’s privilege, and decolonizing, almost every day and everywhere. I felt that new conflicts might appear by too arousing discussions about these topics at first. It is slightly similar to that most Japanese might think that people react to Avril’s video too much. However, I gradually realized the following thing. Raising discussions about these topics is an extraordinary effort to keep “diversity,” even if it causes new conflicts or some people feel uncomfortable. It is natural and comfortable for many people (especially major group) not to care about the voice of other communities (especially minorities). To keep “diversity,” it is needed to pay attention and respect to other minority communities consciously. However, it is not easy to do. I have neither knowledge nor experience to judge if these tens of thousands of discussions have contributed to a better society in the United States. However, I think there is no doubt that people have faced these topics and discussed consciously for a long time with extraordinary effort and pain. They have been “trained” to care about the voice of minorities through these efforts, even if some people may say it is not still enough.
On the other hand, how about Japan? Of course, the situation and background of Japan are very different from the United States. However, we will not be able to avoid the discussion about diversity soon if we like it or not. As I said above, many Japanese think the situation as natural that the problem might be hidden, and it is unconscious. Avril’s video may not be a problem for Japanese at this point. However, it may arouse the wrong recognition about Japan. Thinking of something as natural is the same as not feeling and not having any questions about it.
How might we intervene in people’s “unconsciousness”? Although I cannot find an answer yet, I want to seek it through these two years in the circumstance that has much diversity, the Transdisciplinary Design program.
EH
Reference
[1] Design as Symbolic Violence: Reproducing the ‘isms’ + A Framework for Allies – By Dr. Joanna Boehnert
http://www.decolonisingdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Boehnert_Onafuwa_Design-as-Symbolic-Violence.pdf
[2] Tristan Schultz, Danah Abdulla, Ahmed Ansari, Ece Canlı, Mahmoud Keshavarz, Matthew Kiem, Luiza Prado de O. Martins & Pedro J.S. Vieira de Oliveira (2018) What Is at Stake with Decolonizing Design? A Roundtable, Design and Culture
[3]New York Times, “Kim Kardashian West and the Kimono Controversy”, June 27, 2019
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/27/fashion/kim-kardashian-west-kimono-cultural-appropriation.html/
[4]Wikipedia, Cultural appropriation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_appropriation