If you've read my posts, you'd see that I am making space for the boy to be ignorant. Also, I said I was disappointed that dad didn't know and he bears more responsibility.
That said, you are the first person in my entire life who has told me that the way holding chopsticks is important. I'm not interested in upsetting anyone so let me know how I should hold them and I'll hold them that way. In the meantime, I'm wondering if you are equating the importance of chopsticks with a headdress?
Then I guess you missed the forest for the trees. The insult of improper chopsticks usage is but a minute inconsequential act that warrants no redress. To have the mentality that you're beholden to the customs of others is lunacy. And to beholden others to the same standards is double lunacy. The point was that outside of our own group, we cannot enforce cultural sensitivity. So long that the person does not use the custom as an insult. Which this case was well within sensibility.
Even within our own group we can't enforce it. Do you know how many ethnic Chinese don't follow cultural customs? How many insulted their own culture unknowingly? I see it everyday, from improper chopstick usage to language usage to dressing. Should there be news headlining these people as racist (regardless of age)? If not why should there be for others who appreciate our cultural items? They may not know the details and meaning of every cultural item but to adopt it for themselves is an honor not insult.
Of course. And it's informed by first person. So what's your point?
The point is you can't fully understand the true feeling of a group. Therefore to comment as though it is you do on their behalf is unwarranted. Your personal friends or acquaintances are not the representative of the whole. Maybe they are extremely sensitive people. They may take offence to the smallest of infraction. Yet there are many who don't. Then who is in the right? The fors or the againsts?
In Malaysia there is an advert by Apple to promote the iphone camera. It was plastered on a large signboard at the highway I use to go to work. It featured a native American performing a ceremonial dance in full regalia. Knowing that the headdress is only use for ceremonial purposes why is this native American doing a mock ceremonial dance with the headdress for a photoshoot? He is not performing the dance in accordance to cultural purpose. In fact it is for money and advertisement. Why no headlines?
Are you to take offense to this native American because of your knowledge in their customs? FYI you can google the image. It's a panoramic shot with a blue background with 3 dance poses.
1) It may speak to the quality of American education if folks have no idea about the importance of Native American headdresses. And given it is a part of the geographic and social history, I have a hard time believing that it was taught.
2) Tell you what. I'd be kind of upset if someone urinated on a Bible. I would expect most Christians would be upset by that. And we'd be upset about that because we believe the word of God to be sacred and that is disrespectful.
You're giving false equivalency here. Deliberate urinating on a Bible is meant as an insult. Wearing a headdress is not. It is a celebration of it. Like how I wear an Indian dhoti (which I have in my closet). I don't wear it to insult my Indian friends but as a sign of respect and love of their culture as they wear Chinese Cheongsam in return.
If you want to give equivalency make it a comparable one.
Some things carry actual meaning and significance to people. I understand the idea that there are DEFINITELY items that cultures should and could share and folks should feel welcome to; there are other things in Native American culture that they do share...and happily share. But I don't think there is anything AT ALL wrong with cultures holding sacred items and people outside of that culture respecting that.
Help me understand why you think that's hard or unfair
Again to some but not to the whole. Some could care less. So are we to be beholden to the most sensitive of them? Or practise logical thinking and use observation with contextual understanding.