Potential Cultural Approriation in Retelling

AshleyEpidemic

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Hello all. It has been quite a while since I've posted here as my writing has been more sporadic the past few years. Anyway, I had something I wanted to discuss as I was looking for different perspectives on the issue.

Over the past few years, I've been drawn deeply into Korean culture. Starting with music, food, and movies, but moving more deeply to traditions, family structures, politics and history. Pretty much, I'm very interested in not just a face value way. Recently, I was inspired by a particular fairy tale and it made me want to do a retelling of this particular Korean fairy tale. It is one that has familiar themes, but also is something I haven't really seen told here (except one very poor movie that missed on the core of the fairy tale).

Being a Korean fairy tale, I wanted to make sure that the Korean element was not removed from the story entirely because I feel like it would be disrespectful. I've decided to write certain characters as mixed.

My only concern is that I am not Korean. I am black. I'm just unsure if this will be taken as cultural appropriation. Should I just say let someone else chance this tale hopefully one day?

I'm just torn because this is probably the first time in years where I'm so genuinely invested that this story is shaping up well and becoming something complex and interesting. I just don't feel comfortable removing all traces of it's Korean origins just so I can retell in my perspective. It is incredibly important to me that the Korean aspect is there.
 

The Second Moon

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You said you've been deeply drawn into the Korean culture, so shouldn't you be able to replicate a Korean's perceptive? I don't think you should give up your story because you're not Korean. If you've been deeply invested in the Korean culture you should have enough knowledge to get by. I don't think you'll offend anyone.
 

starrystorm

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There are tons of fairy tales/myths out there attempted by many people of different backgrounds. Greek myths are done by many people who aren't Greek. Grimm Fairy-tales are German, yet a lot of people tackle them. I think if you do your research, you'll do a good job. Don't just throw away a good story and hope someone else will write it.
 

Ari Meermans

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We're moving over to the POC room where the thread will get the eyes and attention it should get.

Be sure to read the stickies in that room, please.
 

EvilPenguin

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I definitely think you SHOULD work on it. There are plenty of authors that write from the POV of a character from a different background. While I wholeheartedly support the #metoo #OwnVoices movement, I kind of feel like it's scared some authors away from writing POV characters from other cultures. We're all so afraid of offending each other.... (Please, no one come at me with pitch forks. This is just my opinion!)

I feel like if you've put in the time and energy on research, authors should be able to write from the POV of any culture, regardless of whether they belong to that culture. It definitely helps if you can get some readers from the culture you're writing to look at your book before it gets published, just in case there is something offensive that you might not have picked up on during research.

But don't be afraid to write something you are passionate about! If this has rejuvenated your desire to write, then go for it!
 
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shadowsminder

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While I wholeheartedly understand and support the #metoo movement, I kind of feel like it's scared some authors away from writing POV characters from other cultures. We're all so afraid of offending each other.... (Please, no one come at me with pitch forks. This is just my opinion!)

#MeToo wasn't people taking offensive. It was about harm done to women and the few men who spoke up about sexual assault against them. I'm not sure if you typed the wrong thing or don't understand the movement.


I've decided to write certain characters as mixed.

My only concern is that I am not Korean. I am black. I'm just unsure if this will be taken as cultural appropriation. Should I just say let someone else chance this tale hopefully one day?

I'm just torn because this is probably the first time in years where I'm so genuinely invested that this story is shaping up well and becoming something complex and interesting. I just don't feel comfortable removing all traces of it's Korean origins just so I can retell in my perspective. It is incredibly important to me that the Korean aspect is there.

I'm not a POC, at least not of note, and I get that I'm not really who you were asking. What's below is the opinion of someone whose family has been influenced by Korean culture through our friends, teachers, business associates, and entertainment choices; also, I write and study folklore.

Folk tales are frequently adapted across cultures. Write the story with the Korean elements that make your version of the folk tale true to you. Blending what you love about the story with your own concepts will make pointing to the source easier while allowing you to share your voice.
 

EvilPenguin

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#MeToo wasn't people taking offensive. It was about harm done to women and the few men who spoke up about sexual assault against them. I'm not sure if you typed the wrong thing or don't understand the movement.

Crap. I meant the #OwnVoices. And I know the movement itself is not about people getting offended, but it seems like it brought up a lot of discussions about authors writing from their own cultures (which is great) but also authors NOT writing from cultures different from their own (because of the potential to offend.)
 
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Barfus

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Whenever I'm unsure if I'm appropriating another group's culture in my writing or life, I like to do a mental exercise I like to call "The war bonnet test". Basically, if the thing you represent is accurate to the culture it originates from then you are good to go. Hence the war bonnet, if you write about how it represents a Native American warrior's great deeds in battle or their coup count and how it is a major spiritual item, that's okay. If you Coachella war bonnet and strip away its original meaning by having drunk college students wear it while listening to indie music, that's not okay.

I think as long as you preserve what the idea stood for and give credit where credit is due, you'll be okay.
 

cool pop

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If writers stopped writing characters of backgrounds or lifestyles different from them due to cultural appropriation, millions of authors would never write anything. Millions of singers or groups would not be famous. Many movies would never have been made. Diversity would be nonexistent which would be very, very sad. I'm one who appreciates diversity, period. So I would be more appreciative by you writing this story than not. :)

Don't sweat the small stuff. I'd bet no one will care if you are Korean or not and unless you intend to be all in-your-face with your identity I doubt readers will know what you are. If anything, people should appreciate the diversity of the project. I write all types of characters from all backgrounds and I'm black. Never had an issue from anyone and I wouldn't care if I did. If I can't write what I want then I don't need to be in this industry. That's how I see it. People often focus too much on how folks will accept their work than just writing. Many times these "fears" aren't half as important as they seem.

Another thing, you're always going to have critics no matter what you write. That's part of the business. You'll never write anything where someone won't complain or be offended. All you can do is write your vision the best you can and accept that you have.
 
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Snitchcat

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Cultural appropriation and #OwnVoices. There's a difference.

"Appropriation" means stealing and making that element(s) your own without including/involving/acknowledging the background and cultural value(s) of the element(s). It's like stealing someone's identity and then using it to further your objectives disregarding that person's traits, feelings, etc.

Therefore, "Cultural appropriation" is theft of culture.

#OwnVoices is a movement for those of the culture. It's about writing about the experiences of living in that culture, etc. (#OwnVoices needs a much more detailed explanation than I can provide here.) The tag does not belong to those outside the culture, regardless of how much you've researched or lived it. If you didn't grow up in said culture, or you're not of that culture, #OwnVoices is not your tag.

That said, I'd recommend being faithful to the folklore, doing as much research as possible. And which mix of ethnicities? Korean and another ethnicity? Or unrelated ethnicities?

I'd see problems with unrelated ethniticies; however, while I would question the Korean mix, I'd be more inclined to accept it.

However, if are you writing the experience of a Korean-mixed character, I'd be very tempted to dump said book and blacklist its author.

Btw, how much do you know Korean language? Not just the words and grammar; I'm talking about how its integrated into their culture and vice versa? How the language came about (e.g., its written form is modern in the history of written languages), and how it informs the culture? Also, are we talking about North Korean folklore or South Korean? How closely related are they, or not? And does the folklore hint at political leanings or not (this is about political sensitivity, since North vs. South Korea is a minefield, with plenty of international ties to make things worse)?

Some things to think about.
 

AW Admin

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Crap. I meant the #OwnVoices. And I know the movement itself is not about people getting offended, but it seems like it brought up a lot of discussions about authors writing from their own cultures (which is great) but also authors NOT writing from cultures different from their own (because of the potential to offend.)

It's not so much offending in the generic sense, as it is screwing up by not writing the culture accurately.

It's about doin' it rong.

It's possible to do it right, but it requires a lot of research, and you'd best consult people from within the culture to check (sensitivity readers). Notice the plurals. People. Not just one person.

This isn't an more extraordinary than, say, researching historical eras. It's basic. And just as you consult experts about your use of a historical era, you consult experts about the cultures you're writing about that aren't yours.