Millennial Mind

When is it 'cultural appropriation' v appreciation?

Do terms like 'cultural appropriation' make sense in multi-racial Singapore with its habit of mixing up cultural practices to produce unique food, fashion and other cultural items?

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An American company recently launched its own line of refashioned mahjong sets - sporting symbols as eclectic as lightning bolts, Arabic numerals and sacks of flour.

The idea, its website explained, was to give the centuries-old Chinese game a "modern makeover". It said that for Kate, one of the company's founders, "the artwork of the traditional tiles, while beautiful, was all the same - and did not reflect the fun that was had when playing with her friends. And nothing came close to mirroring her style and personality".

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on January 31, 2021, with the headline When is it 'cultural appropriation' v appreciation?. Subscribe