cultural appropriation

14 Stories

Accused of Being a 'Pretendian,' College Prof Comes Clean

Calls emerge for UC Berkeley's Elizabeth Hoover to resign after admitting she's not Native American

(Newser) - A California college instructor accused of falsely claiming Native American ancestry is now admitting she's white and apologizing—and it was one of her closest friends who conducted a good amount of the probing that led to her apology. The hubbub stretches back to February 2021, when Elizabeth Hoover,...

Stefani's 'I Am Japanese' Comment Raises a Ruckus

Entertainer defends her embrace of Japan's culture in her career

(Newser) - Gwen Stefani inadvertently sparked a conversation about the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation this week in an Allure interview. At one point, Stefani declared, "My God, I'm Japanese and I didn't know it," then added after a pause, "I am, you know."...

Disney World Under Fire After Performance by 'Indianettes'

Texas high school band and dance team performed at Florida theme park

(Newser) - Disney World is being widely criticized after a Texas high school band and drill team performed in one of the Florida theme park's parades over spring break and was accused of appropriating Native American culture. In video of the Port Neches-Groves High School performance, which went viral, the school'...

Amid 'Blaccent' Criticism, Awkwafina Quits Twitter
Amid 'Blaccent' Criticism,
Awkwafina Quits Twitter
the rundown
Feb 8, 2022 1:19 AM CST

Amid 'Blaccent' Criticism, Awkwafina Quits Twitter

Actress, comedian says it was never her intent to hurt anyone

(Newser) - On Saturday, Awkwafina posted on Twitter for the first time in more than two years. Within hours, she announced she was quitting the social network, or at least turning her account over to her social media team, per her therapist's suggestion. It all has to do with cultural appropriation...

Minnetonka CEO: Sorry We Appropriated Native Culture

Company promises to do better

(Newser) - You might think Native American people are in some way involved in Minnetonka moccasins, but you'd be wrong. And on Indigenous People's Day, the CEO of the Minneapolis-based company formally apologized for its cultural appropriation, NPR reports. "We recognize that our original products, some of which are...

Michael B. Jordan Gets Schooled by Nicki Minaj

She points out his new rum brand J'Ouvert was poorly named

(Newser) - A month after Kendall Jenner got slammed for her "migrant chic" look in an ad for her 818 Tequila, there's another celeb with a booze-brand problem. Actor Michael B. Jordan says he'll be changing the name of his rum brand, J'Ouvert, which Nicki Minaj joined other...

Gwen Stefani Pushes Back at Cultural Appropriation Critics

The singer is defending herself more than a decade after the Harajuku Girls moment

(Newser) - Gwen Stefani has no regrets about the Harajuku Girls. When she was singing for No Doubt, she inspired thousands of girls to buy a bindi at the mall and wear it to school, but “cultural appropriation” wasn’t a familiar phrase in those days. It’s a familiar...

'Another Academic Racial Fraud,' This Time in Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin-Madison grad student CV Vitolo-Haddad confesses to being mostly Italian

(Newser) - Apparently, academics pretending to be Black is a thing? Earlier this month, George Washington University professor Jessica Krug resigned her position after penning an admission on how she'd faked being Black. Now, out of Wisconsin, a similar case. Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , University of Wisconsin-Madison PhD student CV...

She Lied About Being Black. Now, GWU Takes Action

Jessica Krug's students are in need of a new professor

(Newser) - A professor who admitted to lying about her Blackness won't be teaching this semester at George Washington University, the Washington Post reports. Jessica Krug, who taught African and Latin American studies, is being replaced but hasn't yet been fired. "We certainly want the classes to continue, and...

Book Tour Canceled Over 'Safety Concerns'

Flatiron Books brings Jeanine Cummins' tour to an end

(Newser) - Hoping to catch the author of American Dirt at your local book store? No longer: The publisher has nixed the rest of Jeanine Cummins' tour over safety concerns, USA Today reports. The best-selling novel, about a Mexican mom and her son fleeing for the US, has received a mix of...

Latest J-Law Ad Called 'Ignorant and Gross'

Critics ask latest collection features a white woman

(Newser) - Dior has taken a public hit—and buckled a little under the pressure—after featuring Jennifer Lawrence in an ad for a collection celebrating Mexican culture, the Hill reports. Critics say the French fashion house should have used a Mexican actress for a collection about Mexican horsewomen known as escaramuzas....

She Knew Dress Was 'the One.' Twitter Says It Shouldn't Have Been

But Utah's Keziah Daum says she has just shown love for the culture

(Newser) - When Keziah Daum first saw in a vintage shop the red dress she ended up wearing to prom, she appreciated its elegance and "knew it was the one," she tells ABC News . Some research into the dress revealed it was a symbol of female empowerment and reinforced her...

Native American Fans Hurt Over Portrayal in New Harry Potter Story

'I'm broken hearted…my beliefs are not fantasy'

(Newser) - Native American Harry Potter fans are feeling hurt, betrayed, and angry over JK Rowling's newest entry to her magical universe. History of Magic in North America: Fourteenth Century-Seventeenth Century was published online this week and focuses on Native American wizards, the Guardian reports. According to Mashable , the short story...

Yoga Class Nixed for Being 'Offensive'

University of Ottawa student group cites 'cultural appropriation'

(Newser) - For the past seven years, Jennifer Scharf has been teaching a yoga class for disabled students at the University of Ottawa, and she was all set to start it up again in September, the CBC reports. But an email from the school's Center for Students With Disabilities, part of...

14 Stories