Mumbai under siege

[Prudence]

I think that Americans have a history of "appropriating" aspects of various cultures with no intent to honor or appreciate that culture - sort of a manifest destiny of cultural attributes. As a result, other cultures aren't so likely to take our themed parties as a bumbling sort of respect, but rather a combination of zoo visit and "playing native."

Avoiding such theming, on the other hand, might lead back to isolationism. Should I not eat at "ethnic" restaurants because to me the food is "neat-o!" and not routine comfort food my mom used to make? Should I not see foreign language films because I can't appreciate them the same way a native speaker would?

Of course not. The best I can do is try to express that I'm following these experiences because I'm genuinely interested in something that I find valuable and worthwhile, and while I'll never have a complete contextual understanding of what it means to be someone I'm not, by attempting to emulate their activities perhaps I will have a better appreciation for the contributions of others - both historic and contemporary.