And now there seems to be another identity scandal that involves a scholar who is accused of not being Cherokee.
I will never become American enough to understand this “don’t touch my identity” drama. This is a legacy of being an immigrant nation and having no other way to avoid getting lost in a mass of people than grasping on to artificial identity constructs.
I always say things like, “in Spain we do this and that” or “our Calderón is so much better than your Shakespeare.” Hispanic people don’t seem to have a problem with it. To the contrary, they always keep including me with, “we, the Hispanics” or “as one of us, you understand.” But if somebody did object, I’d tell them to go stuff themselves because, in all probability, they don’t even remotely do as much for disseminating and raising the prestige of the Spanish culture as I do. So what makes them more “Hispanic”? An accident of birth? Yes, how hugely enlightened. Let’s all police each other’s DNA profiles now. And maybe even measure a few noses while we are at it.
I would feel nothing but happy and honored if somebody from, say, Australia or Denmark wanted to be Ukrainian and practice the language and the culture of Ukraine. But as I said, I’ll never be American enough to understand why one needs to begrudge a completely arbitrary identity to anybody else.
Clarissa's Blog 
The whole concept of “cultural appropriation” seems weird to me. I do not understand it. But many people feel that it is really important to avoid. One friend of mine says she loves saris, but would never wear one unless specifically asked to do so by a Hindu woman, as it is not her right to do so. Can anyone clarify??
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I don’t get it either. I’d be overjoyed if the traditional Ukrainian flower and bow headpieces caught on. Or the Ukrainian embroideries that are very unique.
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I will never become American enough to understand this “don’t touch my identity” drama. This is a legacy of being an immigrant nation and having no other way to avoid getting lost in a mass of people than grasping on to artificial identity constructs.
Seriously? That’s not really an American thing or an immigrant thing or some current newfangled nonsense. It is very old.
Limpieza de sangre?
The one drop rule?
The paper bag test?
Gente de razon v gente sin razon?
Casteism?
Sumptuary laws anywhere?
Tignon laws?
Every single war about who is a Christian and who is a heretic?
Various Sunni v Shiite conflicts?
These are all attempts to say who is part of a group and who is not and what rights and privileges they should have as a result of their group identity. Nobody is post modern and post nation state enough to treat their entire identity as some cosmetic lifestyle choice.
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Evidently I’m postmodern enough because this is incomprehensible to me.
The religious wars of the reformation era were actually about preventing people from being different and not from being the same.
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