Ashley, Silvia, Elise, and Kye, this article angers me too! I have read many articles about how colonialist countries (such as European countries, the U.S., Japan, etc.) have throughout history used the restriction of language, clothing, and religions to control and oppress people. Removing people’s culture is a way of disconnecting them from each other and also forcing them to assimilate to the colonizing power. There are also articles about how people have resisted this too! People have been very inventive about how to keep ties to their cultures in secretive or discreet ways when they have been outlawed.
I have also read articles about “sumptuary laws” in Europe that restricted the kinds of cloth or the colors of cloth that peasants could wear (such as purple was reserved only for royalty and thus became a symbol of royalty). I agree that it is amazing how powerful clothing is, yet it is still frivolous. How does clothing have power today?
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