fickle | Public Service Announcement: STOP SAYING NAMASTE.

Today, I had yet another guy try to pick me up with the opening salvo of "Namaste".

The fact that we were in a crowded shopping mall is probably what saved him from being viciously savaged by an angry Sri Lankan girl who is absolutely sick of having people greet her with that.

If you see a white person, any white person, are you going to assume they're German and start a conversation with "Guten Tag"? Or French and say "Bonjour!" to them? No. So why see nothing except my skin color and think that I'll appreciate 'Namaste' as being your token proof of 'knowing my culture'?

Namaste is a Sanskrit term, used most commonly by Hindus and Nepalese for as a greeting. Sanskrit is a root language, like Latin.

How many of you go around greeting all white people with a Latin phrase or word?

India's huge. India has a lot more than just Hindus in it. So even if someone is from India, there's no reason to assume that 'Namaste' is the right greeting to use -- Muslims, for example, have their own greeting, which goes along the lines of 'salaam alaykum'.

I am Sri Lankan. Sri Lanka is an entirely different country to India, and we have very few Hindus. The majority of the country is Buddhist, and I have never ever heard anyone in Sri Lanka use 'Namaste'. Sri Lankans say "Ayubowan" (pronounced 'eye-oh-bo-wung', with wung rhyming with lung)

Cultural appropriation is one of those complicated things I haven't sorted out my feelings about, but I know exactly what I feel when people try to apply other people's culture to me, assuming based off nothing more than my looks that I am belong with that group.

So here's something that I can't believe I have to state explicitly: Not all brown-skinned people are Indian Hindus or from Nepal. Though I doubt that people associate 'namaste' with Nepal. However, if you're greeting them with Namaste, you're implying you believe they belong to that particular social caste/class and will therefore understand it, and give you brownie points for having tried to speak their language.

Here's a quick geography lesson for you. Asia is a huge continent. Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka all fall under what I'm talking about when I say South Asian. East Asian, for me, is usually China, Taiwan, Japan, Tibet, North Korea and South Korea. And South East Asian is Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore. Russia's a whole different story. That's a lot of countries already and I know I'm missing some.

Unless you actually know where someone is from, don't assume they're from whichever country is most in the news. Playing the odds is a great way to offend people and quite frankly, it's unnecessary. A friend of mine said: "It's like greeting everyone you've been told isn't a black American with 'What's up mon' as if all other Blacks are automatically Jamaican. Or automatically African."

Next time you see an East Asian or South East Asian person and want to spew "kawaii desu arigato!!!!" at them, or think you've spotted an Indian whom you can show off to with "Namaste!", don't. Just don't.

Go start up a movement to promote Klingon being taught in public schools instead. Or Vulcan. Or Bajoran. Or Romulan. Whatever floats your boat.

Just please, please, PLEASE stop it with the cultural misappropriation.

~Fickle, who is still brown but still not Indian.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

*puts hand up* Can we say "Namaste" if we want to make the literal "the god in me sees and honors the god in you" meaning, and would say it to anybody? Including white folks?

<-- uses "namaste" in theology discussions

Hey, didn't I just see you in the discussions of Appropriation and White Privilege re:

matociquala and

truepenny?

No, actually; I was lurking, but I did not comment on any discussion that I recall. At least, I do not think you did... ? I cannot think of any reason why you would have, at least.

The name looked familiar. But after all the reading I've done in the last few days if that's not it - I have no idea.

Well, I know who you are, so. I think we have a couple people in common? Also, I read your blog. I... cannot think of any reason why you would know *me*, but. *hands* It is a big internet. I am sure there is some person out there with a name very like mine, or you were jumping friendsfriends, or whatever.

Maybe you know her from DC fandom? I think she's friends with Marcelo and an admirer of Thete and Brown Betty, so you could've crossed paths there.

That's technically the yoga-ized translation, though. It's actually more along the lines of "I bow to you", Sanskrit-wise, or to be said as offering as a salutation. There are versions that translate along the lines of 'the god/light in me sees and honors the god/light in you', but that's not really strictly accurate. Though I do know that white people go around saying 'Namaste' to each other all the time, since it's currently trendy.

That aside, it's still an incredibly weird thing to do/say, just because it's not necessarily a greeting that'll be understood by the person it's being aimed at, and it's got a specific cultural context, especially for people who are from that region. Like me -- if you say it to me, my reaction is to be offended that you're conflating Indians and Sri Lankans, even though you're doing it with full knowledge that I'm Sri Lankan and I know that. Someone who has a very specific sense of cultural identity doesn't appreciate having something from another culture applied to them.

Friend suggested that it's like "if someone says they're Pagan, assuming that 'Blessed Be' is the appropriate greeting, when they might follow a Nordic Tradition for all you know." Since I'm an atheist, I don't really get what that means, but I'm assuming it's bad and shows disrespect for the fact that there's more diversity within a certain culture than just the people who say 'Blessed Be'.

I stay out of theology discussions, so I have no idea if it's appropriate there or not. XD But in general passing, if you're going to just greet someone with "Namaste", I'd say it's best to check first that they're Hindu or Nepalese -- or, considering its current appropriation, a white yoga fan. XD

Ohhhhh. Oh, *okay*, now I get it. Thank you for explaining! Yoga was where I had first heard the term; I had failed to subsequently do sufficient research to find out where my teacher had gotten it.

I try to not be rude. Sometimes I fail. *wristslap*

I really do appreciate your patience with explaining, especially since, well, hi, look at the context in which you made this post. *hugs*

You're a friend, you asked politely, and I'd much rather that someone ask rather than just dismiss my rant and go on their merry way tossing 'Namaste' about. ♥ So no thanks necessary for the explanation.

You weren't being rude on purpose. As soon as you had it explained to why it's not a good idea, you got it and decided to change your ways. Which is GOOD. Yay! One less person using it carelessly! Because I have to admit, the extent to which yoga's popularized 'Namaste' makes me wince at times, especially when 'Namaste' gets directed at me. XD

*hugs back* Nighty-night!

Public Service Announcement: STOP SAYING NAMASTE.

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