http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2014/03/21/photo-essay-bangkoks-mexican-gangsters
When we talk about cultural appropriation, it covers the appropriation of the lot of things that culture involves and I think it is not possible, but it is possible to appropriate of some characteristics of other culture. Bangkok’s ‘Mexican’ Gangsters are a clear example of the appropriation of cultural characteristics. From Bangkok’s ‘Mexican’ Gangsters case, we can infer that people sometimes just look for what they need in other cultures. Sometimes those needs refer to physical needs, but many times it refers to emotional needs. Moreover, the creation of little groups that appropriate of other cultures' characteristics, could make people feel more confident because, for some people, it is important to feel part of something and to receive the support of the other members of the group. In other words, people use interests as an excuse to form social groups with a emotional purpose that they do not even notice in some cases like Bangkok’s ‘Mexican’ Gangsters, who do not know what being gangster mean and they are not interest on it, but each one of them has an emotional reason to join the group as a remedy to some emotional vacuum.
I agree, I think that this more than a cultural appropriation, is an example of the human personality. No matter which culture or country; us as humans have interest in things that are completely oposite of our culture demands and what this guys are doing is actually pretty cool and interesting.
ResponderBorrarI agree with you that this is a perfect example of how people sometime take just what they need from a different culture, Bangkok's Mexican gangster took clothes and music styles from Mexican's gangsters but they also create a group where they could feel comfortable, maybe many of this people need to feel part of something and they are finding it in this "gang".
ResponderBorrar