People often define America as a melting pot. But as the country brings together multiple cultures, many often cross the line between cultural appreciation and appropriation. You might have heard the term cultural appropriation, especially on trending media, but what exactly does it mean? According to HuffPost, the Cambridge Dictionary defines cultural appropriation as “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture.” The definition is a result of years of research including debates that argue that cultural appreciation becomes cultural appropriation “when an element of culture is adopted from a marginalized group without respect for its cultural meaning or significance or with the purpose of exploiting the culture for economic or social gain.” Read more