I am an Anthropology/Archaeology student, and I get really mad when others get angry about “cultural appropriation.” In fact, I get annoyed when people use the term “cultural appreciation” too.

Yes, there are some ignorant people out there who take aspects of other cultures out of context. Yes, there are people who “pick and choose” things they like in another culture and adopt them.

If these adopted aspects of another culture offend you, whomever you may be, then I feel for you. I am human, just like you, and am quite capable of empathy.

Still, I have to ask: Where would we be if no one ever borrowed from another culture? Where would we be if human beings refused to adapt, or to adopt behaviors/art styles/tools/(insert human creations here)?

Even as a write, the sense of “otherness” (contained in the condemnation or defense of borrowing from separate cultures) created horrifies me.  I understand that humans like to divide into groups, that humans like to distinguish themselves as individuals, but everyone truly needs to pause for a moment and think.

The internet does not distinguish color, culture, ethnicity, familial ties, political beliefs, or subcultures (not until we bring them up, anyways).  Our language may reflect our culture, but we are all human.  Our DNA is extremely similar. Race isn’t even real in a scientific sense. If we look back in time far enough, we are all related to the same people, who lived on the African continent.

So why is everybody so angry?