Is it offensive for white girls to wear Chiapas?

The whole idea of so called cultural appropriation is nonsense. People have been influenced by other cultures throughout all history.

When I was young, I bought a dashiki. I found it quite comfortable, and I liked the vibe I got from it, but I would only wear it in my apartment. Otherwise I’d get my ass kicked.

I’m not Mexican but I always say if anything is being sold in a country for tourists then it’s fair game. It’s not like they expect you to buy something and then frame it on a wall. But I will say it is disrespectful when someone wears something with a great deal of symbolism in it and decides to wear it like a costume to a costume party or wear something with the intent of convincing others that you are from that race.

So ask people around you if they know of any symbolism of the clothing that could be offensive. Especially if it has some sort of religious connection. Like the way, dreadlocks are considered symbolic of the Lion of Judah by Rastafari.
You could always just look for something very colorful that is just something in style for children. Childrens clothing can often be very colorful with no connection to race. Just fun and loud.

I don’t believe in cultural appropriation!!! Maybe it’s because I’m white & just don’t understand. I don’t get offended when I see a person of another culture wearing the traditional “white people” clothes. Yet I’m supposed to be sensitive to who might (or might not) become offended when I wear their traditional clothes??? I’ve NEVER bought clothes with the intent of disrespecting anyone & I don’t feel disrespected when they buy clothes that are traditionally “white America”. Someone has swallowed the discourse spread through the media as to what should offend them in place of thinking for themselves. We teach our 2 year olds that they have to share & then go selfish when it’s our turn to act like an adult.

The current generation gets offended by everything. The up & coming generation seems to be more logical. Buy her the Chiapas because you know she will appreciate it. She will wear it with pride becausei it makes her feel good. Maybe her peers will be mature enough to appreciate how wonderful she looks in her new outfit!!!

When I learned the actual meaning of cultural appropriation I realized that most people are not engaging in it.

I have looked for a good definition and the best I could come up with is this: “Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else’s culture without permission. This can include unauthorized use of another culture’s dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine, traditional medicine, religious symbols, etc. It’s most likely to be harmful when the source community is a minority group that has been oppressed or exploited in other ways or when the object of appropriation is particularly sensitive, e.g. sacred objects.”

Some examples of real cultural appropriation:

Rihanna ignited backlash after Muslim fans called her out for using a song that included sacred Islamic verses during her second Savage x Fenty lingerie fashion show.

Gucci: The Italian fashion house is being criticized for selling a headscarf for $790 called “Indy Full Turban,” with many on social media claiming the accessory and its name are insensitive toward the Sikh culture. The Sikh turban is not a fashion accessory, but it’s also a sacred religious article of faith. Not to mention that Sikhs have been attacked for wearing turbans, and seeing it as a fashion accessory that someone (and let’s be honest it would be rich, white women wearing it) can just take off a receive no consequences.

To answer your question, what you describe is not cultural appropriation but since some people think virtually everything is cultural appropriation there might be some people who get upset about it. I’m ½ Mexican I would not be offended.

I also want to commend you on being sensitive to the issue. So many people can’t even accept that cultural appropriation even exists let alone stop and think about how others might view their actions.

For those who think cultural appropriation doesn’t exist, I urge you to look into it. It indeed does exist. Here is a good place to start but it’s such a nuanced subject you should seek out other sources as well.