The Complexities of American Appropriation-Innovations within Religion
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Date
2022-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
The United States of America is an extraordinarily diverse place full of people with infinite beliefs and whose identities are composed of unique intersectionalities. Perhaps because of its foundation as an immigrant nation, Americans are often explicit in their desire for "foreign" ideas and practices. In many cases, this is framed as a "return" to ancestral traditions. Consider Yoruban religion, Rastafari, or Hindu-inspired yoga. This desire leads to Americans appropriating and innovating these "foreign" ideas and practices. For example, Beyoncé reimagines an African deity Oshun in a very Americanized individualistic nature, encouraging Black women to find a divine inner beauty within themselves. This, among many other examples, of an innovated depiction of a religion receives both immense praise as well as severe criticism. The severe criticism comes from various people groups who find issues with this reimagined vision of what the religion could be. These people groups, or self-delegated gatekeepers so to say, feel that they must protect the traditions of the past by proclaiming the innovation to be inauthentic. The severe criticism, often from the gatekeepers, contain multiple complex layers of race as well as possible capitalistic commodifying motives paired with "cultural theft." The immense praise centers around the celebration of self-discovery, the innovated religion/practice relatability, and a couple other example-specific commendations. Continuing with the example of Beyoncé, she receives praise from many individuals regarding her opportunity for others to access an African heritage as well as an African representation in a white colonial America. On the other hand, Beyoncé receives criticism for commodifying an African idea as well as misrepresenting Africa through stereotypes. These new imaginations of what the religion could be offer something unique to individuals, yet they contain a complicated nature to them. I find that religious individuals firmly remain on one end of the spectrum where an appropriated innovation is either authentic or inauthentic. I believe that when Americans appropriate/innovate a "foreign" religion or practice, it can be found as both atrociously offensive and immeasurably valuable to some people/cultures, and I encourage others to understand that there are deep complexities and complications that arise from the dynamics of appropriated innovation.