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opinion Panther Prowler • March 26, 2021
Mixed race fishing is a gateway to cultural appropriation Adalia Luo DPS Editor
Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza Staff Writer
In our world today, racial fishing is a prominent form of other cultures freely and proudly, without question of backlash. modern cultural appropriation and erasure, popularized by In turn, the experiences of actually mixed people of color social media. As White creators continually make themselves are dismissed. Mixed peoples’ are often told that they are only appear to be a different race than they were born, falsifying their white passing because they don’t fit westernized stereotypes of experiences and their background, they commit harmful erasure, people in their racial group, while these people have literally speaking over people of color while simultaneously mocking stolen their identities. The experiences of those whose cultures them. Racial fishing represents the fundamental paradox of are being appropriated have to not only face the trauma that modern racism: the White colonialism this intrinsically leaves behind, but also culture of stealing and trend-ifying aspects face harassment for calling out these of POC appearance and tradition, but not influencers. the struggles, of which they caused. White ideas of beauty standards change Most racial fishing online has been from moment to moment, but the “trendthat of imitating Black or Asian traits, ification” of the natural features of people hence the terms blackfishing and of color should not be something ever Asianfishing, but recently, a new type of considered in or out of season. Slanted racial fishing has risen: mixed race fishing. eyes, heavy tans, big lips and many others, Artists and creators like Ariana Grande, are appropriated on the daily by White the Kardashians and Mika Francis have peers while people of color are still often distorted their true race by making their mocked and told they aren’t as beautiful appearance seem racially ambiguous, as their white counterparts imitating the leading the public to be afraid to question exact look. their acts of cultural appropriation (see Mixed race fishing takes advantage Ariana Grande’s music video for “7 of this trust, and is a disgusting shortcut Rings’’ and her “tan” since Victorious, to get away with cultural appropriation the Kardashians’ regular acts of cultural guiltlessly. No one is entitled to present appropriation and Mika Francis’ box their experiences as the experiences and braids) for fear of being rude. By hiding Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza/Prowler traumas of others, and especially not their true backgrounds, but not quite assuming a distinctly that of people color. Society cannot pick and choose who they different one, these White people benefit from taking and using patronize for certain traits.
Fast fashion is more complex than it “seams” Prasheetha Karthikeyan Sports Editor The fashion industry is steadily growing at a global level, and with it, fast fashion. With the rise of advocacy for sustainable practices, sustainable fashion has also been involved in the conversation. However, the world is simply not ready to switch over to fully sustainable sources of clothing, creating a lot of displaced shame and anger on consumers. Obviously, fast fashion is a problematic and morally wrong practice: it is filled with workers not being paid full wages, unsanitary working conditions, pollution and other environmental hazards. But not everyone is privileged enough to give up fast fashion entirely. For many low income individuals and families, fast fashion is all they are able to afford. Ethically produced clothing can come at a high cost. Although thrifting and secondhand stores are an option, the selection in many regions is sparse and not diverse. For employees who have to adhere to a dress code for example, this simply is not an option This is not to say, however, that all fast fashion is cheap. While most well known retailers that are labelled as “fast fashion” (i.e. SHEIN, H&M) are, other more expensive brands, such as Zara, operate with the same fast fashion activities as the “lower end” ones. Nike, for example, has been under fire for having workers employed in sweatshops since the late 20th century. The company has shoes selling for hundreds of dollars, yet the 2019 Tailored Wages UK report by The Clean Clothes Campaign stated that “[Nike] show[s] no evidence of a Living Wage being paid to any workers.” If you are able to shell out the money for expensive, unsustainable brands, then you are privileged enough to at least try to steer towards sustainable brands. Fast fashion also tends to be more size inclusive than a sustainable company. Many fast fashion websites have an entire plus size section for individuals over a size 14, while contrastly,
a sustainable company is less likely to have the same range of selection as its straight size counterpart, if there even is a selection. For all their virtues, many sustainable brands have their own vices as well. Reformation, arguably one of the most bought sustainable retailers, has been exposed by many former employees for racist treatment. Lucy and Yak has been under fire for promising size inclusivity two years ago and failing to deliver, as well as failing to compensate influencers associated with the brand for emotional labor. The New York Times reported that at Everlane, another sustainable online retailer, “iInvestigators found that insensitive terms were used while discussing Black models; that leaders violated employees’ personal space by touching them, and used inappropriate terms when referring to people of color.” Just because a company has sustainable practices does not necessarily mean it is exempt from all other immoral incidents. As a consumer, there are certain things you can do. Refraining from throwing away clothes and choosing pieces that you’ll get a significant amount of wear out of is the most sustainable option, which can be applied whether or not you shop sustainably. Furthermore, if you do have the privilege to be able to equally choose between supporting a fast fashion company versus a sustainable one, choosing the sustainable one is an ethically greater decision. Shaming people for buying fast fashion disproportionately affects low income and plus size individuals due to the lack of accessibility. Companies should be held accountable for not adhering to fair labor laws, avoiding sustainable practices and lack size inclusivity. Placing the blame on the consumer is unproductive and wrong, and diverts attention from the real perpetrators. Don’t waste your clothes.
Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler
Old technologies are irreplaceable Gwen Buchanan Back Cover Editor Most teenagers crave play stations, laptops or the newest iPhone, but for my thirteenth birthday, all I wanted was a typewriter. A lot of people may think it’s silly to have something so old. After all, there’s nothing an old typewriter can do that a computer can’t, and the machine is bigger, heavier, louder and harder to use. Yet there’s a certain sense of serenity that comes from using older instruments that is simply irreplaceable. Almost all new technologies are multipurpose; iPhones can text, call, take pictures and so much more with apps at everyone’s fingertips, literally. Computers have access to Google searches, Google Docs and email. Some people may think of this as being useful and convenient, and I do admit that there are certain things only available on modern technologies that have made life easier. But there is something unique in the fact that older technologies have simply one purpose- record players play records, typewriters write on a page, and that’s the beauty of them. How many times have you logged onto a computer to do homework or complete a creative task, only to become distracted and end up doing something entirely different? How often do you end up scrolling through Instagram or looking at Pinterest instead? I find it refreshing to be able to sit down at my desk with my typewriter without any distractions and to just write. Along with a single purpose to keep you on track, old technologies take more technique and effort to use, making the product even more worth it. While it’s certainly easy to log onto Spotify and have any and every song you can think of readily available, there’s an entire process to buying and playing a record. My sister bought a record player and began collecting records when she was in high school, and both of my parents have kept their own records from when they were young. I’ve grown up with scratchy and vintage sounding music, and have always had a great respect for the old technology. Records are delicate, with beautiful texture and black shiny surfaces. Pulling out a record and placing the needle of a player onto it is a lot harder then pressing your fingertips against a flat screen, but the motions make it much more fun and interesting. Keeping and using old technologies is also a constant reminder of the past, how the music and writing industries have grown and how much easier it is for our generation today because of that growth. To truly appreciate the present, it’s important to understand and appreciate the past.
