Cultural appropriation is a form of colonialism

Non-whites have a history of being oppressed through their fashion choices. Throughout history, colonizers have oppressed native minorities through the control of clothing and dress. As a result, when members of the dominant European culture steal elements of minority cultures with a history of oppression, they are engaging in a form of neo-colonialism. In taking elements of their dress and incorporating them into the majority culture, they are robbing minorities of elements of their unique cultural identity. If a white British female chose to wear a sari out to a bar, she would be appropriating a minority culture that suffered a great deal of oppression at the hands of their British colonizers. In appropriating that culture and attempting to bring it into the dominant culture, the white British female is taking an element of cultural expression from that minority culture through which it identifies itself. In the same way, if that same British female chooses to wear a Lederhosen, the Germanic traditional dress, it would not be an example of cultural appropriation. Germanic people have not been oppressed, particularly not through control of their dress. Therefore, their culture is not as vulnerable to appropriation. ^[1]

[P1] Dominant cultures exert their power over minority cultures when they appropriate their culture. [P2] Therefore, cultural appropriation is an extension of colonialist behaviour.