This Auckland Hair Stylist Doesn't Get Why New Zealand Hates White Cornrows

The ethics surrounding cultural appropriation have made a few recent headlines in New Zealand. There was the furor surrounding Trelise Cooper's Native American runway headdresses. Then there was Lorde's proclamation that the Ya Ya Club's "Costume Internationale" ball theme was an "embarrassing hot mess," followed by The Bachelor Art Green's unfortunate tan at Colin Mathura-Jeffree's Bollywood-themed bash.

Then, when I was at the A$AP Rocky show in Auckland, everyone with braids was invited onto the stage. In a room with plenty of brown faces the only people who clamoured up were white. The reaction from some of the crowd was priceless. "That could've been me," shouted a Caucasian guy to a girl nearby. "Yeah," she replied, "the only price is looking like a complete cultural appropriating douchebag."

New Zealand has a fervent ardour for hip-hop and black culture. But how far is too far? To find out I asked Sam Kumah of New Zealand's oldest African hair salon in Auckland. He probably braided a lot of the Caucasian hair onstage at A$AP Rocky, so I figured he'd have an opinion. When exactly does appreciation becomes appropriation?

VICE: Hi Sam. Can you briefly fill me in on your background?
Sam Kumah: Well, I moved here from Ghana in the 90s, where I was a barber and I've been in this salon ever since. African hair is difficult, you know, you have to find a way to manage it. This started picking up in the 90s because hip-hop became popular. Before then Africans that had braids or dreads never appeared on TV before, or in magazines. Hip-hop came and brought them to fashion, that definitely helped us last for over 20 years, but there have always been white people that want cornrows or braids.

There are many white people that wear bindis, or their hair in a traditional African style, and are called out for it. How do you feel about that?
The people that protest against that are so ignorant.

You think they're the ignorant ones?
Of course! What happened to black people wanting straight hair? All these black girls with weaves? That's not their culture. Is anyone saying anything? No! That's their business! When you watch videos of hip-hop stars, the sisters in those videos all have straight hair­–it's a massive contradiction.

Well I think the central argument is that the black community is a subjugated minority, whereas white people are not. There's this powerful opposition that says "you are taking elements from our culture and making it yours without understanding what we've been through."
When you see an African wearing a coat and tie, it's not an African thing. If you're happy and it looks good on you, why not? A lot of people are frustrated about wider issues so they pick on something smaller to communicate that. It's been made worse with social media, everyone can say anything, chuck it on the net and it's there.

So this debate didn't exist before social media?
White people have always been asking for braids for my whole career. The difference is now people get it done, take a picture and post it on Facebook or Instagram. Now there's a record of who is getting it and where that people can use to make judgments. What about black people wearing hijab? Is it that they belong to a faith and that makes it okay? Not offensive?

But in comparison with faith, doesn't adopting someone's cultural traditions for fashion seem shallow or fickle? Or is this kind of thinking counterproductive?
I think so, but everything we've been using in the world now is from a different place. What makes fashion different from food? We all eat Chinese food, are we Chinese? No we're not! Something does not have to come from New Zealand or Africa for others to join in. If someone says this is mine and no one can touch it, how can we evolve? You see Africans wearing suits, that's not an African thing, and who is complaining? If we talk about originality, then we are all in trouble. I don't think criticising fashion serves the cause.

Have you had clients come in and worry they're going to offend someone with their choice?
Absolutely. People come in and ask: "do you think it will look good on me? Am I too European?" Then they get it and they love it. But you look at those rap artists, who buys their albums? Not just black people. You don't like it? Fine, leave it alone.

So is there such a thing as appropriation?
I'm never offended! Maybe these people have something to say, but they don't know how to say it. White people have been exposed to black culture and they think it's cool. It's not for black people to then turn around and say this is not acceptable. If one of us is wrong, all of us are.

Follow Beatrice on Twitter.