A quick question I asked myself a few times while in China:
who is a bigger ethnowhore? The ethnic minority wearing in costume at the Stone Forest getting their picture taken with tourists or our group getting our picture taken with tourists?
The same goes for more than just getting pictures taken. In the two times I've been to China I have unwittingly, but sometimes purposefully, exported a piece of my culture. Whether I was showing off my sick dance movies, or teaching Chinese people about hockey, I sold a piece of my culture. Is that all it takes to be considered an "ethnowhore" (great word, by the way, Rob.) What would one have to do in order to become an ethnowhore and in the end, does it preserve diversity? At what cost?
1 comment:
Thanks for the post Nate. Perhaps the answer lies in your use of the term "unwittingly". Sure, we travelers to China chat to the people about our culture, but I don't think we were actively promoting it for the tourist yuan. Of course we do have that in North America, with recreated pioneer villages, pow wows and the like.
Tough question though, because you're right. We all do it. Perhaps unwittingly, but we all do it.
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