These days, it is rare to see Chinese women wearing cheongsams in the street. It was only in the 1920s and ’30s, when Western influence began seeping into China, that the qipao or cheongsam was reinvented to become the seductive, body-hugging dress that many think of today.įor many cinephiles, it has become inextricably associated with Maggie Cheung, the actress who wore a stunning array of cheongsams in Wong Kar-wai’s 2000 film In the Mood For Love. In its original form, the dress was worn in a baggy style, mostly by upper-class women during the Qing dynasty, which ruled China for more than 250 years, until 1912. Others were quick to point out that the qipao, as it is known in China, was introduced by the Manchus, an ethnic minority group from China’s northeast – implying that the garment was itself appropriated by the majority Han Chinese. “So does that mean when we celebrate Christmas and Halloween it’s also cultural appropriation?” asked one WeChat user, Larissa. “From the perspective of a Chinese person, if a foreign woman wears a cheongsam and thinks she looks pretty, then why shouldn’t she wear it?” If anything, the uproar surrounding Daum’s dress prompted many Chinese to reflect on examples of cultural appropriation in their own country.

“It’s ridiculous to criticize this as cultural appropriation,” Zhou Yijun, a Hong Kong-based cultural commentator, said in a telephone interview. What do you guys think? Was it a bad idea for Keziah to wear the cheongsam? Let us know in the comments.“I am very proud to have our culture recognized by people in other countries,” said someone called Snail Trail, commenting on a post of the Utah episode by a popular account on WeChat, the messaging and social media platform, that had been read more than 100,000 times. There are a lot of messy issues in this discussion: Is it racist for the members of one culture to use the style, music, art of another for their own purposes? Does it count as a kind of colonialism? And does it matter if some people from that culture don’t think it’s a big deal? Keziah’s story is just the latest in an increasingly complicated discussion about race in America, and cultural appropriation in particular. Scholars say that cheongsam was developed by Han intellectuals in the early 20th century, utilizing Manchu styles and western influences, like short sleeves.įor Keziah’s part, she says she understands the concerns Asian-Americans have brought to her, but still does not believe that she did anything wrong. This young lady had the “audacity” to find something beautiful about another culture & is getting harassed for it”. She writes: “The zhi-pao actually originated from the Manchus, and was subsequently “appropriated” and “modernized” in Shanghai in the 1920’s. From the perspective of a Chinese person, if a foreign woman wears a zhi-pao and thinks she looks pretty, then why shouldn’t she wear it?”Īnd, another Twitter user, makes a point about the origins of the cheongsam. Someone named Snail Trail wrote: “I am very proud to have our culture recognized by people in other countries.”, and Zhou Yijun, a Hong Kong-based cultural commentator, told the New York Times: “It’s ridiculous to criticize this as cultural appropriation.

The controversy spread fast on WeChat, the popular Chinese messaging and social media app. However, Keziah also has some defenders from an unlikely place: China. But does it even matter if Keziah had good intentions? Some cultural studies experts say… not really. For it to simply be subject to American consumerism and cater to a white audience, is parallel to colonial ideology.”Īnd plenty online agreed with him! But Keziah says she didn’t mean to offend anyone and only wanted to show her appreciation for the beautiful dress and the culture. He followed that up with a longer explanation: “I’m proud of my culture, including the extreme barriers marginalized people within that culture have had to overcome those obstacles. Then on April 27, Chinese-American Jeremy Lam retweeted Keziah, with the caption: “My culture is NOT your goddamn prom dress.” That was on April 22, and it seems like she went to prom and had a great time. She posted photos of her wearing the dress, also known as a qipao, to social media.

A Utah girl’s prom dress has started an international discussion about cultural appropriation.įor her senior prom, 18-year-old Keziah Daum opted to wear a Chinese cheongsam.

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