Originally Posted by
Sapphire Mermaid
Cultural Appropriation is a huge issue, I completely agree. And I completely agree that they shouldn't have cast a white person to play a black goddess. It's Old Hollywood all over again.
What I am about to say is in no way lessening the fact that these decisions were wrong and should never have been made. I just feel there are some issues with calling certain situations out as cultural appropriation should be done so very carefully, which I know from personal experiences, so please, hear me out here:
Where the line falls fuzzy for me is when you actually, genuinely come from a cultural background that is anything but what you look. Personally, my great Grandmother was, what people here know as, a half cast. She was half Indigenous Australian, half European Australian. Personally, I am as white as they get. My skin is pale. I burn easy, I don't tan, my hair is naturally blonde, and I have blue eyes. I use the palest of any make up brand you can find, because that's the colour I am. So many times I have been called out for cultural appropriation of Indigenous Australians, but it is in my blood. Just because I am freaking pale (seriously, I almost glow in the dark), should I not respect my cultural heritage in case people think it is cultural appropriation? Indigenous Australian hair styles included dreadlocks, but if I do that, I am called appropriator. If I paint my face in traditional ways, I am called appropriator. If I use traditional smoke ceremonies, I am called appropriator. But I am of that culture.
My great grandfather was Irish, and my grandfather was too, but I don't have the accent because my mum didn't, so should I stop enjoying my family's history and showing my respect to them with Celtic knots and symbols, even though I was raised with a Grandfather that took pride in his family history and identity? Should I not have learned Irish Dancing, worn traditional dance dresses, and shared it with the world, simply because I am not labelled as Irish because of where I was born?
I was raised with pride in my heritage, and I was raised with acceptance of other cultures, purely because I am from so many. If I share something from any of my cultures with someone, and they go away with an understanding and can use it in their every day life to help them get through this world, I don't mind. Again, when things are done ignorantly like they were with Hannah in this case, I think it is all sorts of wrong. Use another name. Use a different mer icon. They all could have applied in this situation. Pick any of the hundreds of white mermaid legends to go with. Better yet, use a black mer to portray a black goddess! Give someone else a go at the spotlight for a damn minute.
All I want anyone who has read this to take from what I have written is that not everyone you think is culturally appropriating, actually is. You don't know their family history, you don't know their identity. Please just be kind and ask nicely before you scream appropriation at them. It has happened to me, and it is hurtful. I am an open book. If you want to ask, just ask. Most people would want the same before they are called ignorant.
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I know how deeply personal this is, and how horrific the consequences of the misunderstandings in society, that lead to fear, that lead to anger, that lead to hate, that lead to deaths.
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