The Swahili phrase means “No worries” and was popularized in America by Disney. Two laid-back animated characters in “The Lion King” sing a song by that name.
Now a Zimbabwean activist is calling Disney’s use of the phrase “cultural appropriation” and has 100000 signatures on a petition to have Disney self-censor the song.
I find this ridiculous. Disney has the right to set a film in Africa and popularize a Swahili phrase, just like any African film studio has the right to set a film in America and popularize an American phrase. Nothing is being stolen or devalued. Words (like hairstyles, music, food, life philosophies, clothing, etc) are not the property of one person or one country or one continent.
“Cultural appropriation” is generally a dumb concept. It should only be invoked when there’s a sacred/special thing (say, a religious ritual or funeral rites) being intentionally mocked by outsiders or misconstrued in a clearly insulting way.
(Aside: Swahili is spoken chiefly in East Africa. It is certainly not an indigenous language of Zimbabwe. Why is a Zimbabwean acting like the owner/spokesman for Swahili, which is spoken on the other side of his continent?)
