I was watching "South Central" on TV today. One of the gang leaders was wearing a big Ghanaian necklace. I was thinking, "I wonder what Ghanaians are thinking" as they watch the screen.
It reminded me of last year when I showed the movie "Interrupters" to my students in Nouakchott. There was footage of a gang leader from the 1970's who was wearing a traditional Fulani hat. The hat is a symbol of Fulani identity and culture, particularly of the life in the village as cattle-herders, worn as protection from the sun and dust in the hot, arid climate of the fuuta. My Fulani students in the room stared at the screen, and one of them said loudly, "Hey, where did he get our hat?" It was so funny to see their reaction and I start laughing whenever I think of their expressions of complete bewilderment.
I wonder if it is equally perplexing for Americans to see aspects of their culture appropriated in a completely different context. For example, does Chris Brown know that his popular hairstyle can be seen in villages everywhere around the world?
I wonder if it is equally perplexing for Americans to see aspects of their culture appropriated in a completely different context. For example, does Chris Brown know that his popular hairstyle can be seen in villages everywhere around the world?
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