# Inclusive Language Guide

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inclusive-language-guide/952074>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 7, 2021, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inclusive-language-guide/952074 "2021-10-07T14:14:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 103

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**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inclusive-language-guide/952074/103 "2021-10-08T14:36:36Z")

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> [@LilXMo](#):
>
> IMO the term cultural appropriation is overused, nay abused. One meaning of the word appropriation is to take or make use without authority or right. Who is the authority, who has the right to use the term? The majority of words in use today are variants of other languages.

What some people call cultural appropriation is actually just cultural exchange. Let’s take ninja for example. Hong Kong and Japan have never been shy about sending martial arts movies and other media to the United States hoping for a little success in the American market and some of them featured ninjas. Hell, Kawasaki has been selling ninjas in the United States for decades now. Earlier this week I joked at work that the best part of having to wearing a mask is getting to dress up like a ninja every day. The Japanese are not unwitting victims who had the concept of a ninja stolen from them. They enthusiastically participated in a cultural exchange.

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