The West Eats the East

Artwork by Anniella Victoria

From the era of colonialism to the era of social media influencers, the West has been profiting off of Eastern culture– or at least part of it. It used to happen through direct economic exploitation, when British colonizers dubbed Indian diets as “unclean” while simultaneously exporting and gaining money from said spices that they so desperately needed. Tea that was once an Indian crop is now a staple in British identity. Now, the exploitation is more diffuse, and operates in the cultural sphere. On Instagram explore pages, food and lifestyle influencers have rebranded South/ Southeast Asian food as “Western wellness.” Haldi doodh becomes a “turmeric latte.” Lassi becomes a “probiotic smoothie.” Chai–which directly translates to tea–becomes “chai tea,” redundant, yet still displayed in cafe menus and grocery stores. They’ve taken something ancestral and sacred, flattened it into minimalist, chic branding, sold in “sustainable” pouches or white cartons, and marketed it through Goop and Erewhon as organic innovations from Western companies. 

The West only celebrates cultures that are “desirable”– most often when a robust economy is involved– and refuses to acknowledge others. For example, East Asian traditions like Korean skincare, Chinese fashion, and Japanese matcha are credited and branded as innovative, pointing people to purchase directly from those countries’ businesses. Influencers are constantly referring to these cultures and are proud to say they’re inspired by them–they’d hashtag #KBeauty and search for cafes that use the most authentic Japanese ceremonial-grade matcha powders. The Japanese term, “Matcha,” gets to be kept and marketed but Jamu, a centuries-old Indonesian herbal tonic, is sold as a “herbal wellness shot.” 

As soon as Western influencers are inspired by a culture with a little melanin–Indian, Pakistani, Indonesian, Filipino, etc–they start to panic, dismissing the true origins of the products they’re endorsing, and saying things like: “Why do you guys have to make everything about race?” An example is the so-called “Scandinavian scarf” trend where a lot of white women are still refusing to admit that the style of dress and scarf that they’re referring to is basically a lehenga and a dupatta,inspired by South Asian culture. Yet if something were to be kimono inspired, they’d let you know. It’s as if admitting their inspiration comes from people they look down upon would threaten their sense of hierarchy and supremacy.

This racist stereotype that has painted South/ Southeast Asian societies as backwards and dirty can be traced back to Colonial rule. It references a common narrative that people from this region are in need of “civilizing”–the same logic that used to dictate who got to trade and make profit. It’s just another way to justify economic exploitation–it’s fine to take from these cultures, as long as you don’t have to look at the people behind them. 

East Asian countries like Japan and South Korea were never fully colonized in the same way. They made their mark globally and cultivated their softpower over the past fifty years  by exporting their technology and media. To the West, East Asia meant discipline and success and became the “model minority.” 

The West just cherry-picks and rebrands. Using another culture’s recipes or traditions isn’t inherently wrong but when there’s a lack of acknowledgement, there comes a point where appreciation becomes appropriation. True cultural appreciation can be positive when the people and history behind it are honored and when we can recognize that these traditions existed long before they became a trend.

Nataya Subowo

Artwork by Anniella Victoria @anniella.vict