Anna Rinaggio, Campus Carrier opinions editor

Americans have a long history of appropriating the customs and holidays of other cultures. Many see days such as Cinco de Mayo and St. Patrick’s Day as reasons to party rather than as opportunities to learn about a different culture. Although some people are starting to realize that this behavior is problematic, there are plenty who think that it is totally okay to “celebrate” like that. Celebrating a holiday with respect and an understanding of its history and the culture behind it is great; using these holidays as an excuse to get drunk and dressed up in a “festive” manner, however, is not. 

“Cultural appropriation” has turned into quite the buzzword over the past few years, so before we dive any further, let’s make sure that we’re all on the same page about what appropriation is. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, cultural appropriation is “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of practices, customs, or aesthetics of one social or ethnic group by members of another (typically dominant) community or society.” Essentially, it’s taking something from another culture that you are not part of and using it in a disrespectful way that does not acknowledge the original culture or history of the practice. 

Appropriating holidays is unfortunately pretty normalized in the United States. Cinco de Mayo is one example that faces this kind of treatment. Some Americans use this Mexican holiday as a reason to eat tacos, get drunk and wear sombreros, but at the end of the day, hardly any of them actually know what they are celebrating, nor do they care all that much. They aren’t looking to actually acknowledge the Mexican victory over invading French forces in the Battle of Puebla — they just want an excuse to have fun. 

Part of the reason cultural appropriation is so prevalent is because people aren’t aware that they are doing it. They want to participate in the celebrations that all their friends are doing, and they simply have no idea that they are being disrespectful to the original culture. That does not mean that their actions are not harmful, though. They may not have malicious intentions, but they are participating in a watered-down version of the original holiday that does not respect the reason it is celebrated in the first place. 

Thankfully, the internet has been helping educate people in recent years, and more of us are starting to realize the different ways that we have been participating in cultural appropriation. It is easier than ever to not only learn that you are appropriating, but also to learn about the history behind all these holidays, therefore making it easier to stop appropriating and start respectfully celebrating. 

It is on each one of us to take a step back and evaluate the ways in which we may be participating in cultural appropriation. When celebrating a holiday from a culture that you are not part of, ask yourself a few questions before you start going crazy with the celebrations. Do you know anything about the culture the holiday stems from? Do you know why the holiday is celebrated? Are you wanting to actually celebrate the holiday and acknowledge its reason for existing, or are you really just looking for a fun night out? If your answer to that last one is the latter part, consider just getting together with some friends in the name of fun rather than to “celebrate.” 

We have the tools to educate ourselves and denormalize appropriating holidays. Now, it is merely the matter of keeping ourselves and our friends in check. Call people out if you see them “celebrating” in a disrespectful way. Have conversations with those around you so that “I didn’t know” can no longer be a valid excuse for appropriating. By doing this, we can normalize doing the research on the holidays of other cultures and celebrating in a way that respects the people and their history.