These articles explore and analyze the Western perception of the Eastern/Asian world as 'oriental', or 'foreign', 'primitive', 'developing', and 'inferior', a term otherwise known as 'orientalism'. Essentially, orientalism justifies Western imperialism in Asian countries, painting and homogenizing 'the East' as a society that needs Western interference to be able to advance and reach modernity. At the same time, traditional aspects of certain Asian cultures, such as the bindi, sari, and henna of South Asian peoples are commodified and reduced to fashion trends that further mystify the East and the 'spirituality' attached to these cultures. In Maira's words, this 'Indo-Chic' treatment of Indian culture capitalizes on the aesthetic of Indian culture without actually including the issues of South Asian peoples.
This culturally appropriative behavior displayed by the capitalist Western society is a prime example of how Asia is depicted as merely the opposite of the West; while the United States is 'materialistic', the Asian countries are more 'spiritual'. This apparently gives (usually white) non Indian people free pass into appropriating aspects of a culture that they do not belong to. They try to justify that they are simply appreciating the culture and paying homage to it. However, the disrespect lies in the fact that by commodifying these aspects of South Asian culture without actively acknowledging that many peoples of this cultures risk to their lives if they ever try to wear bindis, saris, and henna. While white peoples are praised for their edginess, South Asians are demeaned for their supposed 'backwardness'.
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