Cultural Appropriation in China?
Living in China is the best way to ensure that your life is spent constantly tying yourself up into intellectual knots. My ‘quandary of the week’ this week was about cultural appropriation.
Let me set the scene. Cultural appropriation is a situation where someone from a dominant position in society inappropriately adopts a tradition from someone in a less dominant position. And we all know what this means through a European/American lens, a white person there is clearly trespassing on someone else’s culture if they inappropriately wear afro wigs, Sikh turbans or Native American headdresses, for example. But I can potentially see plenty of grey areas to this too. For example, is it cultural appropriation when someone who speaks with an accent from a more affluent part of a country adopts a regional accent from elsewhere? Or what about when a white person becomes a fan of hip hop - with its specific African American historical context - and then starts wearing clothes associated with that style? I guess the key aspect is in what kind of adoption is deemed ‘appropriate’ and ‘inappropriate’, and we can all see how these definitions can change as society progresses… or regresses.
In China, there’s an academic term for cultural appropriation, it’s 文化挪用 [wénhuà nuóyòng]. This is way above my conversational pay grade, so I have no idea how many people even know this oblique reference. I asked a few Mainlanders, Hongkongers and Taiwanese people in my circle, and even the ones who knew it didn’t really think it applied to China. So although the dominant culture here is the Han, there’s no reckoning that a Chinese Han person wearing clothes from a minority ethnicity could be deemed intrinsically inappropriate or offensive.
It is common practice here for Han Chinese tourists to take photos of themselves in local costumes when they visit areas populated by ethnic minorities. The people I asked told me that they wouldn’t associate this with the concept of cultural appropriation, and that the behaviour of the wearer was based on respectful curiosity, thousands of years of cultural intermingling, and a genuine appreciation of the aesthetic beauty of the garments. When I asked about what the minority ethnicities themselves might think about this, for most people it was the first time they had thought about it in that way. The ones who answered did so confidently, saying that the ethnic minorities aren’t offended. At the very worst, it was a kind of Chinese ‘cosplay’ done out of reverence rather than mockery.
It’s a tricky one to figure out, because China exists outside the specific history of colonialism and slavery that typifies the way we look at cultural appropriation in Europe and the Americas. So it’s inaccurate to do a like-for-like comparison, and I try not to impose my own cultural baggage onto anyone else. What muddies the waters further is that the government in China has made a point of pushing the narrative of 和谐 [‘harmony’] between Han Chinese and the other 55 officially-recognised ethnicities in China, so anything that speaks against this is seen as political sacrilege. So there’s zero chance that I could witness an open debate about this, even if my Mandarin skills were up to it. Which they most definitely aren’t.
Now we’re getting to my quandary of the week. We had been invited to a traditional Chinese wedding, which in itself is quite rare in Shanghai. Most people these days have modern weddings which would be recognisable to anyone around the world. But this was very different, the bridal party were all dressed in amazing traditional attire and performed a variety of ceremonies that harked back to rites of old. So in a way, the wedding was a sort of traditional Chinese ‘cosplay’, where our fellow Chinese guests were dazzled to a rare experience in just the same way as we were. With this in mind, we had been told that the bride would appreciate if we respected the occasion, and were encouraged to wear formal Chinese attire.
I’ve lived in China for almost a decade, and have made a point of never wearing anything traditionally ‘Chinese’, lest it be misconstrued as a disrespect to my host country. Yet we were convinced that this was clearly a case of ‘appropriateness’, so we bit the bullet and got some Chinese-style suits made. That would have been the end of this anecdote, were it not for what happened on the night of the wedding. Luckily we arrived early, so we were able to see guests as they trickled into the venue. And it soon became clear that there had been a massive miscommunication. None of the other guests were wearing anything approaching traditional Chinese clothing. In fact, many of them appeared to be wearing clothes that they had worn earlier that day. We’re talking jeans, even sweatpants. Meanwhile I was sat there looking like a poor imitation of Sun Yat-Sen.
We solved the issue by quickly removing our jackets, and we were able to blend in with the other guests a little easier. But not before we were noticed by the bride and groom themselves, who both greeted us with straight faces. One day I would like to get them drunk and ask them what they truly thought about our ridiculous appearance. I hope it will become a funny family anecdote that they can tell their kids in the future. But until then I will add this to the countless other embarrassments that seem to have constituted my life up till today.
If there is any moral to this story, let it be this. The definition of cultural appropriation can indeed change over time, perhaps even in China. Sometimes it takes a generation, and sometimes it literally takes FIVE MINUTES OF TESTICLE-SHRINKING TORTURE. So when in doubt, don’t be an arse, and wear your regular clothes.
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Tax Travel
We’ve reached Lisbon in Portugal, and at this point I should explain why we’re doing so much traveling.
It’s not *just* because we’re making up for being away from Europe for 4 years, although that’s a big part of it. It’s also because every 6 years, everyone on a work permit in China is obliged to leave for 30 days in order to avoid being taxed on their global income. So we decided to spend the month of August visiting a combination of places which have some kind of family significance (🇬🇧🇨🇿🇦🇹) as well as places we’ve been hearing about from Asia for many years (🇲🇹🇵🇹).
We thought that at this point we might have become a little tired of being on the move for so long. And it’s true that we’re starting to get bored of all our clothes. But Lisbon has far too much to offer to make weariness an option. Unfortunately that includes tapas bars, where it’s way too easy to over-order on the unpasteurised cheeses and the white port cocktails. So maybe that’ll fix the problem with our clothes, since we’ll soon be needing a whole new wardrobe of elastic-waisted sweatpants and loose-fitting muumuus. 🎈🐷
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The Ninth Person On This Trip
We decided to bring three generations together for a Czech family pilgrimage, in this one unique window of opportunity: while Denny and I were visiting Europe from Shanghai; while Dad and Ann were still young enough to travel; while memories of our family history were still fresh in our minds; and before my teenage nephews Benjamin and Jacob flew the coop to university. On top of that, having been unable to spend any time together as a family during COVID times, it was also the perfect way to force us all to be in each other’s company for a week. The last time I saw my nephews, they were children. Now they are mountain-sized adults, whose cheeky personalities I feel like I’m getting to know for the first time.
Along with my brother Daniel and his wife Helen, the 9th person accompanying us on this trip is the spirit of my Grandmother (Babička). We started the trip in Prague, where she had ended up after the war, and where my father and uncle Jirka were subsequently born. And we’re making our way down to her birthplace of Vienna. But yesterday we made a special visit to the sleepy town of Milevsko in Southern Bohemia. That’s where Babička’s parents in Vienna (the Neumanns) had desperately sent her and her sister to live with their grandparents (the Aschermanns) after the annexation of Austria into the German Reich in 1938. She was 17, her sister was 15, and their little brother had been too young to travel, so had stayed in Vienna with his parents.
Babička was the only member of the Neumann and Aschermann families to survive the holocaust. The building where she lived in Milevsko has since been knocked down and rebuilt into a hardware store. And the local synagogue has since been reconsecrated into a church.
At the entrance to the church, there was a very nice memorial to the old synagogue, and to the victims of the holocaust from the town. Despite all this loss, the fact that the Aschermanns’ great great great grandchildren could pose for a photo in front of this memorial was enough to feel like we were breathing fresh life into the memory of my family, and all the other Jewish families of Milevsko.
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My Rabbi Aaron
I want to introduce you all to my Rabbi in North-West London, Rabbi Aaron Goldstein. He generously made time for an impromptu coffee together while I’m here on a short visit.
He’s an amazing leader for the local community, as well as a tireless advocate for women, for the Jewish diaspora in Ukraine, for immigrants in the UK, for LGBT+ inclusion, for Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, for democracy in Israel, and for many more causes that a lot of us talk about but don’t know how to support. And on top of all that, he’s just… a nice guy.
We only had 20 minutes together, but just knowing that people like him exist makes me feel a bit better about this forsaken little planet. 🌍💙
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Fifteen Years of Nurture
For the last 15 years, I have nurtured a network of HR and Talent leaders around the world, but especially in Tokyo. My ethos was always simply to treat everyone as human beings, rather than to commoditise relationships by treating them as “clients” or “candidates.”
I’m not sure I was always successful in this endeavour. But now that I’ve retired as a headhunter, I’m happy that I can still count so many of them as friends. And I’m grateful that a handful of these special people were able to make some time for a meet-up in this special city.
過去15 年間、私は世界中、特に東京において人事および人材リーダーのネットワークを築いて来ました。私の理念は常に、すべての人を「顧客」や「候補者」として扱うことで関係性を商品化せず、人として関わることでした。
この取り組みで常に成功したかどうかはわかりません。しかし、ヘッドハンターとして引退した今でも、たくさんの人をまだ友人と呼べることに満足しています。そして、少数の特別な人たちと時間を共有し、この特別な都市で集まれたことに感謝しています。
これからもよろしきお願いします❣️
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Touchdown Tokyo!
東京にタッチダウン🗼‼️
Touchdown Tokyo!
I’m back in the country where my love affair with Asia first started back in 1999. 😳
And what better way to spend the day than people-watching in Shinagawa, kaiten-sushi in Shinjuku, scramble-crossing in Shibuya, and a coffee date in Akasaka with the beautiful Sonya Ito. 💜👫💜
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You're In The Right Place
This week marks one year since the beginning of the Shanghai citywide lockdown. 🔒🏙️
Shanghai today has now fully re-opened to visitors. The streets are busy with tourists, and smiles are returning. Long-term planning has started to creep into our consciousness again, which is a stark contrast to our day-by-day existence one year ago. So does it feel like normalcy has returned?
To those who can finally visit us in Shanghai, it probably seems that way. But for those of us who’ve been here the whole time, I feel like we’re only now beginning to process our feelings towards this city, and what we want our lives to look like from now on. Relationship status: It’s complicated.
As for Denny and me, we’re still doing well, and we’re still holding on to the same sense of adventure that first brought us here 8 years ago. But I’m also aware that I’m not posting as much on social media as I used to, which has got me thinking about why that was. Maybe I’m just used to this city, and don’t feel like sharing what has these days become so familiar. Maybe that’s it. Maybe. Whatever’s going on, I’m glad that there are still occasions when I look up and see something I haven’t noticed before, and feel inspired to share some thoughts.
I’m sure these are feelings that many people would have experienced at some point over the last year. So if you’re one of those people, I hope you’re well. I hope you’re in the right place. And if you’re not entirely sure, then maybe that’s OK too. Just remember to look up every now and again, and see what signs present themselves. 🙄
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Three Tips for Visiting Singapore
It WAS NOT a mistake to spend the last two weeks in Singapore, reconnecting with a city that I love. 🇸🇬🥰
But it WAS a mistake to wait until the end of my trip to post photos. Thank you to everyone who could make it for a reunion. And sorry to those I missed, I physically couldn’t squeeze in one more thing!
3 key points I’m glad I remembered:
1️⃣ Don’t be in a rush. You’re on the equator.
2️⃣ Don’t eat spicy laksa wearing anything white.
3️⃣ Dry between your toes. This place is fecund.
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The Great Escape
It’s been almost 3 years, but we’ve finally made The Great Escape from mainland China! We still can’t believe it’s real. 🤩
We’re spending a week in Hong Kong to decompress, before heading on to California for Christmas and New Year. We’ll be back to Shanghai in January, and if everything goes to plan we hope to do a similar trip to Europe next Summer. 🤞
The first adjustment is definitely the language. It feels bizarre not to be surrounded by Mandarin, and I need to stop reflexively saying ‘ni hao’ and ‘xiexie’. And from now on I need to remember not to curse so brazenly, lest I receive a well-deserved slap in the face.
On second thoughts, who cares? SLAP ME HONG KONG, WE’RE BACK!!! 🇭🇰💚
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Onwards and Upwards
I swear I used to be 177cm tall. But these days I’m a solid 176. 🤷♂️
This won’t do. My life has shrunk enough over the last 3 years, I refuse to let the same thing happen to my height. 😡
So I got myself a fresh new haircut, and now I’m up to 178. 🙌
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Just Call Me Master
Writing a postgraduate dissertation about modern China - as a foreigner, living in China, at a Chinese university - isn’t exactly easy these days. But creativity will always find a way.
I’m happy to have threaded the needle, and have finally received my Masters in Philosophy. Big thanks go to my supervisor, my professors, and everyone in the School of Humanities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.👨🎓🎊
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The Mosaic of China Podcast Enters its Third Season
Like many of us in Shanghai, I’ve been feeling thoroughly displeased for the last few months. But I’ve decided that it’s time to come out of mourning for ‘life before COVID-Zero’ and to start living again. Or at least to enjoy whatever window of freedom we have been granted for this moment.
Luckily, I found 200 people who felt the same way, and we gathered in Shanghai to celebrate the Season 03 launch of the Mosaic of China podcast. With a fantastic slate of 30 new guests coming up over the next 30 weeks, this season is the reminder we all needed that there are still some amazing people under our noses, representing 30 unique perspectives on what it’s like to live and work in China. A true Mosaic.
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The Humanising Effect of the Well-timed Selfie
I’m posting this photo from an excursion I took in South-West China just yesterday. Before raising my camera, the people on this tourist bus were keeping to themselves. Afterwards, the whole bus erupted into joyful waves and shouts of “hello” in English.
Yes, the timing of this photo coincides with the Chinese government’s belligerent response to Pelosi’s provocative touchdown in Taiwan. Yes, there is a strand of disgusting ugly nationalism that is on the ascendancy in China, just as it is in many other parts of the world. But I’m posting this for the simple purpose to remind everyone that we should never equate a regime to its people. And we should never let the shrill voices of populists and isolationists deafen us to the humanity of others.
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Alamak! SPR RIP 2006-2022
Alamak! Today marks the end of my status as a Singapore Permanent Resident. SPR RIP 2006-2022. 🇸🇬🙏
Filing my final paperwork here at the Singapore Consulate in Shanghai, I couldn’t help but reminisce about what this status has meant to me over the years. Buying and selling two properties, setting up two companies, getting a driving license, employing three domestic workers, raising two dogs, the list goes on.
I haven’t lived there since 2012, but I will always consider Singapore to be a home from home. I will always have unquenchable cravings for mee siam, nasi padang, roti prata and ais kacang. And I will always remember the meanings of MRT, ERP, CBD, PIE, HDB, PAP, LTA, and - now most importantly - CPF.
As a fitting accompaniment to this event, Shanghai offered up a blazing 39℃ afternoon. So I marked the occasion with a sweaty walk home in the sun, a smile on my face and a twinkle in my eye.
Wa seng zao liao! See you again soon, Singapore.
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Surly Teenagers in a Mall
I’m posing like a surly teenager whose parents have allowed them to go to the local mall. Because that’s exactly how it feels like to be in Shanghai right now. We’ve been granted more freedom, but we still don’t have any agency, and there still isn’t much to do. So you end up mainly shuffling around like listless teenagers, bemoaning authority figures and their stupid rules. Some of our friends keep getting ‘grounded’ at home, and the same might happen to us, for reasons our teenage brains can’t process. It’s, like, so unfair.
So when people ask me how I’m doing, I usually find myself answering just like a teenager. I mumble something about being ‘OK’, while it’s quite clear that I’m being antisocial, short-tempered and petulant. But putting one foot after the other and ‘getting on with it’ is how I survived my teenage years, and that’s what I’m doing now. It’s an awkward phase I’m going through.
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