I'm in Chicago, just a little over 2000 miles away from my home in Northern California, and I just saw the most beautiful display of cultural appreciation. An African-American man and his Tibetan wife were wearing Indian saris pushing their I-want-to-eat-you-up crazy cute brown baby down Michigan Avenue in a baby stroller. And it looked so natural. My imagination (as usual) is working overtime and I made up at least 10 stories about who they are, where they're from and where they are going all before I made it back to my hotel room from dinner at China Grill just now.
I do realize that there are some people that find it odd, unusual and maybe even insulting to see people wearing clothing from a culture that is not their own; however, I find it most beautiful. I really do. And while I know I've probably asked this before (on my Facebook page for sure), I am yet again curious: What articles of clothing do you wear from a culture other than your own? Do you consider it a celebration of culture to see - for example - a Latina in a kimono, a Caucasian woman in African attire or a Black woman in a sari? Without knowing the person intimately, it's hard to determine a person's motivation, isn't it? Maybe My Beautiful Chicago Family was born and raised in India? Maybe they're on their way to an Indian wedding. Or maybe they're like me, and they just love beautiful fabrics and clothing. (And yes, I own several saris. In fact, my husband even wore the one I got him at our wedding.)
When I see beautiful cultural displays such as the one I've described, I choose to believe that there is some type of celebration going on. Truth be told, I want to go wherever they're on their way to or wherever they've just come from. But because that would be considered stalking (LOL), I choose instead to imagine the best...and not the worst....and that's simply because it makes me feel good.
2 comments:
I think it's beautiful to show appreciation for other folks' cultures. I personally had a hard time between two wedding dresses: an indigenous Ecuadorian embroidered dress OR a Sari. And I'm Mexican!
We need to embrace other cultures and allow others to embrace ours as well because we all have things to share.
Coming to Montana, I was introduced to Native American Culture. I fell in love with them and often get mistaken as a Blackfoot native. I often wear feathers in my hair, and introduce myself as Mexican when in Chicago and Blackfoot when I'm in Montana.
-Bitron
Post a Comment