A Utah mom inadvertently sparked a fire when she threw a Japanese-themed birthday party for her daughter, Caitlyn, and posted about it on her blog. Tumblr somehow got a hold of it, and some users started dragging the mom for encouraging racism. One commentator, who happened to be Japanese, however, came in to set the record straight, and it was pretty much the mic drop of the century.
The mom in question, who runs a party planning blog called The Gala Gals, is just one of the latest people to enter the fierce modern debate on cultural appropriation, and when it is and isn’t okay. Do you dress up as people from other countries in order to make fun of them? You’re probably a racist. Do you like wearing a kimono because you appreciate its beauty and historical significance to Japan? Go right ahead. A strong argument can be made, after all, that stigmatizing the sharing of cultural elements only creates more distance between us.
Read how this latest Tumblr spat played out below, and let us know what your take on the issue is at the end!
The party was cute. They were admiring the culture and having a fun theme. In Japan they admire different cultures, they have low riders and cholo style, they cosplay, they embrace all different cultures and styles from around the world. The kids were enjoying the Japanese culture and learning about it. When people get angry and turn it into hatred, then everything changes. It causes friction and the side that once wanted to support or embrace others, will stray away.