Gwen Stefani's 'I'm Japanese' comments spark conversation on appropriation vs. appreciation
Creating space to celebrate cultures without appropriating that culture can be a fine line.
Gwen Stefani's comments spark conversation on appropriation.
If you haven't heard the news, Gwen Stefani, the former lead singer of pop rock band No Doubt, made comments in an interview with Allure Magazine that has the entire internet abuzz. Stefani was being interviewed by an Asian American writer Jesa Marie Calaor, who asked about the singer's current view of Harajuku Lovers, a perfume created by Stefani in 2008.
The answer to the question is what got people talking. It seems instead of reflecting on how the naming of the product may not have been appropriate, the singer went into detail about how she is Japanese. Stefani's father is Italian American and her mother is Irish American, while both of those identities are rich in culture, they are not Japanese.
But according to Stefani, hearing stories from her father who often traveled to Harajuku, a fashionable district of Tokyo, when he worked at Yamaha exposed her to Japanese culture. She explained to Allure that upon visiting Harajuku for herself, "I said, 'My God, I'm Japanese and I didn't know it.'" The singer wasn't done, she went on to say, "I am, you know."
There's a thin line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation that some people blur unintentionally. But it's never appropriate to assume a cultural identity that isn't your own. That's a hard line that most people seem to have a pretty good grasp on. Where things get tricky is when you enjoy a culture that isn't your own and want to partake in parts of that culture because they're fun, colorful or you simply feel connected to it.
There's nothing wrong with that until you pick it up and put it down like a costume. Britannica defines cultural appropriation as something that, "takes place when members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way."
\u201cWhy does Gwen Stefani get to be Japanese when actual Asians aren't allowed to be American? \n\nIt's not only her statement that is absurd, it's the hypocrisy that allows rich white people to make outrageous claims with little backlash while POC struggle to exist.\u201d— Christine Liwag Dixon (@Christine Liwag Dixon) 1673493499
In the context of Stefani, not only did she decide she was Japanese, she profited from stereotypical aspects of the culture without giving proper credit. When appreciating someone else's culture, it requires a thorough understanding of the culture itself and the practices of that culture. If there's an understanding of why things take place in a culture, then you're less likely to do something offensive to that culture.
While Stefani is facing backlash for her comments, it has opened the door for discourse around cultural appropriation and it seems some are still struggling to understand. Twitter user Sachiko Ishikawa brings up the prevalence of some white people thinking what Stefani said was OK while the Asian diaspora is saying how harmful it was.
\u201cSo many takes about this Gwen Stefani controversy are from white people who think it\u2019s okay\u2014and meanwhile diaspora and other mixed Japanese people are saying why this is harmful because we\u2019ve literally been denied our own heritage for a white woman to come in and take it.\n\nBruh.\u201d— Sachiko Ishikawa (@Sachiko Ishikawa) 1673517743
Even in the article, Calaor called out Stefani's problematic response and how being Asian in America right now can be a frightening experience. Calaor pointed out the racial slurs and the fear of elders being attacked and killed, none of which Stefani has to worry about since her identity as Japanese is a choice.
The singer proclaims in the interview, when talking about her identifying with Latinx communities, "The music, the way the girls wore their makeup, the clothes they wore, that was my identity. Even though I'm an Italian American — Irish or whatever mutt that I am — that's who I became because those were my people, right?"
It seems that Stefani wasn't intending to be hurtful during the interview but she also didn't make any corrections when Allure attempted to clarify. So while appreciation was likely the goal, appropriation is what occurred.
Appreciation of culture is being respectful of your approach by educating yourself. If you're doing something that the culture you're borrowing from is made fun of or discriminated against for, then it's not appreciation. When members of the culture someone is borrowing from say something is appropriation, they're not sowing division. They're asking to be respected.
So while the Allure interview sparked a renewed interest in conversations about cultural appropriation versus appreciation, it's up to us to continue learning so the same missteps don't continue to happen.
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."