Fashion is a vital aspect of ethnic cultures—one that can emphasize celebration and tradition—however, it’s now under scrutiny once again. When searching on Google for traditional Chinese clothing, the qipaos (traditional Chinese dresses) are cropped from maxi to mini dress length. There are some tops that imitate the high collar that distinguishes the qipao style, but they make those tops look like something for everyday wear.
Qipaos are normally worn for cultural celebrations like Chinese New Year and for brides during their wedding ceremonies. They are not meant to be worn to go grocery shopping or for lounging around the house.
Senior Sirun Zhu said that she disagrees with the concept of people wearing qipaos for fun since it’s disrespectful to Chinese culture. “Sometimes I’m just scrolling [online] and I see someone wearing a sexualized version of qipao, and [they] don’t even understand the historical significance behind it,” Zhu said. “[They’re] wearing it just because [they] think it looks cute. But [they] don’t respect the people, and [they] don’t respect the culture.”
An anonymous Lane senior said that she feels uncomfortable with the idea of South Asian I-Days clubs wearing traditional clothing as costumes whereas she usually wears them for weddings and celebrations. “I know some people who say they just joined a South Asian club because they have cute costumes, but don‘t even know that the headpiece jewelry they wear is called a Maang Tikka,” she said. “It just felt weird watching I-Days when most other clubs have so many people who join because they’re connected to their culture and are proud to show it, whereas the South Asian clubs were mostly people dancing in costumes from a culture they weren’t connected to.”
Senior Krisha Pandey, who is Nepali and South Asian, said that she has also noticed the appropriation of Asian culture, especially with bindis, henna, and traditional clothing, saying that social media has made these trends more visible throughout the years. “It feels frustrating when people only value parts of a culture when it becomes trendy, while the people from that culture still face stereotypes,” Pandey said. “Social media helps raise awareness, but sometimes people focus more on attacking than educating.”
Pandey also said that this perpetuates the notion that foreign cultures are mainly seen as aesthetics rather than meaningful traditions, and spreading awareness would help people understand the difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation. “Cultural exchange is good when it comes with respect, but the problem starts when people take from a culture without understanding or acknowledgment,” Pandey said.
