Appropriation

One of the best things about being in a culture or a race, but not of it, is the ability to choose what to appropriate. If I don’t get it right, well, “I’m just a white girl.”

I can braid, corn-row, straighten, wrap, and finger-wave better than most white people. But, when my gorgeous Nigerian-English friend asked if I could re-do her microbraids, “I’m just a white girl”.

I own a djembe and have a great time playing along to CD’s in my house, but if it came to anything public . . .

I can clap on beat and sing alto in a gospel choir, but when it comes to double-time syncopation . . .

I can handle the ropes for double-dutch, but when it's time to jump in . . .

I can make kim chee, dduk gook, myulchi, gim bop, kalbi and bulghogi, but when it comes to dinner every night and a spick and span house . . .

My favorite appropriation of all is a title. When my sister had her baby we discussed what to have M call me. Growing up in Cincinnati we have a killer nasal ‘a’. College friends made me repeat where I grew up just to hear me pronounce the ‘a’. I have to gulp to give, “Albany” a low ‘a’. I dreaded being trapped in ‘Ant’-land. However, the other pronunciation makes me think the butler will be in to announce dinner at any moment. “Hello, dahling, I’m your AUNT. Won’t we just have a divhine time togetha? Ah see you have a smudge on yoah nose. Go have the nanny swipe that, deah.”

Koreans save the day by having a great name for me. “Imo”. Easy to pronounce. Soothing to the ear. Sadly, Jrex doesn’t have a great title. Because he’s the uncle by marriage not by blood, he is “Imo Abaji” (Aunt Father). So, ironically, he’ll likely be called ‘Uncle’. White Imo. Korean Uncle. Appropriations all around.