Cultural Dilemma Due to The Prom Tweet

How do ethnically Chinese people from different parts of the world react to these images of an American girl wearing a qipao for her prom dress? We delve into some responses from Mainland China, Hong Kong, the US and Canada. Responses are generally mixed, with some finding the images offensive to their culture, while others don’t seem to mind at all.

A set of photos of a teenage girl, who is not of Chinese background, wearing a qipao (also known as “cheongsam” in Cantonese) at her school prom has gone viral on social media and sparked debates over cultural appropriation. The Utah-born high-schooler has received backlash from the internet, notably after the response of Twitter user Jeremy Lam − a Chinese-American − stating “My culture is not your goddamn prom dress”.

Mainland China

Most responses from the netizens of Mainland China are positive, as they do not see a problem in a non-Chinese person wearing a qipao. The overarching opinion appears to be that the qipao is just a dress. Many people also felt honoured and pleased that Daum is showing her appreciation for Chinese culture through an elegant, modest dress, as cultural exchange through mediums such as fashion should be celebrated. Very few people thought that the images were remotely offensive, as one claimed that “cultural appropriation is not of a major concerning matter in China compared to Western societies”.

Although it may be expected that those who live in China, and therefore connect most strongly with Chinese culture, would find the images insulting to an extent, almost none of the responses complained of cultural appropriation.

Here are comments from Chinese netizens regarding the issue:

• Why are people finding this offensive? She’s not insulting anyone by wearing a dress. Besides, she looks stunning in it!
• Wow! Really glad that even American teenagers are appreciating the beauty of the qipao and Chinese culture.
• The only thing offensive about this is her pose in the third photo [pictured below], which is not very elegant and is not an appropriate pose to take on when she is wearing a qipao, as it is a symbolism of grace and femininity. Otherwise, I think it’s totally fine.

Hong Kong

Our local responses seem to be very similar to those from Mainland China, as most believe that the act should be seen as a compliment to Chinese culture, as opposed to an offence. Some Hongkongers criticised that people were taking this issue too seriously and that cultural appropriation has gone too far. As opposed to the responses from Mainland China, which are mostly positive and encouraging, responses from Hong Kong seem to focus on the irrationality of how others would find the images offensive.

Here are comments from Hong Kong netizens:

• The world is getting too sensitive. It’s pretty clear that she was intending to honour and respect Chinese culture.
• So are you saying that I can’t wear a suit and tie to work because it’s not my culture? Let’s not be so selfish with our own identifying culture and instead share it with the world to exchange knowledge and ideas.
• Yes, she might be ignorant of the history behind this traditional piece of clothing but that doesn’t mean that she is deliberately trying to insult our culture by wearing a dress.

The USA

Chinese-Americans of the United States appear to have very polarising opinions on the matter, as some have views similar to those of Hongkongers and Mainland Chinese, whereas others feel that Daum was disrespecting their cultural background and heritage.

Conclusion

The tweet, which has gained over 100,000 likes as of 5th May 2018, has stirred up discussions about where we should draw the line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation, and in what circumstances should something be considered as culturally offensive. The Chinese began to wonder whether this act was a negative act towards Chinese culture or is it just a “goddamn prom dress”.