David M. answered • 04/17/19
English, Writing, and SAT / ACT Educator at Your Service!
Simply put, when one misappropriates things that are very meaningful for a culture, they tend to use them in a way they were not intended to be used, and this is disrespectful. Oftentimes, the individual misappropriating something from another culture comes from a culture that has a history of oppressing the misappropriated culture as well, adding another problematic dimension. For instance, headdresses hold a deep significance for Native communities, and to wear such a headdress as part of a Halloween costume may feel to some in that community as though the appropriator is taking the meaning away from an important symbol.
