Following her appearance on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, Nicki Minaj has faced accusations of cultural appropriation.
On the show, she performed her new single, ‘Chun Li‘, whilst wearing a traditional East Asian outfit which was supposed to represent the Street Fighter character the song is named after. She also was back by Asian dancers with an Asian-styled pavilion backdrop. Watch her performance below.
The performance, however, didn’t go down well with many taking to Twitter to voice their opinions with some claiming she was appropriating Asian culture.
One user wrote: “I wouldn’t care as much about appropriation of Asian culture if Asian culture was represented in American culture by Asian actors more. Instead, it’s used as set dressing (and frequently fetishized). Nicki Minaj’s performance on @nbcsnl is a prime example”.
I wouldn’t care as much about appropriation of Asian culture if Asian culture was represented in American culture by Asian actors more. Instead, it’s used as set dressing (and frequently fetishized). Nicki Minaj’s performance on @nbcsnl is a prime example.
— Megan Shitama Weston (@meganshitama) May 20, 2018
“How come Nicki Minaj isn’t being accused of cultural appropriation?! Or is it only white people can appropriate cultures? I thought the idea had merit but now I have my doubts after seeing #NickiOnSNL lampoon Chinese culture and provoke no outrage,” wrote another.
Check out the tweets below.
why is no one talking about nicki minaj’s blatant cultural appropriation???
— janae (@official_janaee) May 20, 2018
So is no one going to call out @NICKIMINAJ for cultural appropriation? Last time I checked she wasn’t from any part of Asia…
— Stuck (@StuckInDenial) May 20, 2018
As an Asian American I have no problem with Nicki Minaj’s performance. Everyone is so overly sensitive. Appropriation is a part of art and expression #NickiOnSNL #SNL
— |R|S (@zerofoxgiven75) May 20, 2018
Others also jumped to Nicki’s defence stating that she is part Asian and her grandfather was Japanese.
i’m seeing that people are saying that nicki minaj is partaking in cultural appropriation because of chun-li and the music video…
chun-li is about a video game character and the music video is alluding to that character. it’s not mimicking a culture.
also nicki is part asian. pic.twitter.com/BOJM8Nwy9h
— daniel ♬ (@thelovelesscIub) May 15, 2018
So I do not read @NICKIMINAJ‘s portrayal of Chun-Li as “appropriation” but as an embrace of a strong female character, both transcendent of race, but also as a nod to the long cultural connections between the African American & Asian communities. /end.
— mieke eoyang (@MiekeEoyang) May 20, 2018
‘Chun Li‘ is taken from Nicki Minaj’s forthcoming fourth album which will arrive on 15th June.
