Vanessa Hudgens Is Getting Called Out for Cultural Appropriation Again—But Is It Really?

Vanessa Hudgens is no stranger to expressing herself; the actress is known as much for her Boho style as her performances. But her penchant for experimentation has also brought with it a swarm of criticism—she's worn bindis as an accessory, dreamcatchers in her hair to Coachella, and now, the internet isn't exactly happy with her latest Snapchat. Last night, she posted photos of herself in what looks like a lace wig styled in box braids, and true to form, fans lashed out, calling this another cultural appropriation stunt.

For those unfamiliar, box braids are a style originated and commonly worn by African American women as a protective style for their hair. Black women have been taunted and teased from the playground to the workplace for wearing their hair in traditional natural styles, which some label as “ghetto” or even inappropriate in certain work settings.

Which is why when celebrities or the runways appropriate one of these traditionally black hairstyles and rebrand it is as "on-trend" or "new" it's not OK. Remember the outrage when the Kardashian-Jenners sisters "started" the “boxer braids trend” (A.K.A. cornrows)? And let’s not forget Kylie Jenner’s infamous quote from Marie Claire’s April 2016 issue, which reads, “I started wigs, and now everyone is wearing wigs”—which was obviously not true. It feels hurtful and disrespectful to see a hairstyle you've been slammed for in the past—or maybe even recently!—suddenly being targeted as something to be desired by non-black women.

But this brings me back to Vanessa's snaps from this weekend. I get that Snapchat is a place where you can joke around with your friends. Some might argue that it isn’t something to be taken seriously, but taking a closer look at Hudgens’ history of dipping and dabbing into other culturally and religiously symbolic fashions—like the dream catcher or wearing saris and bindis despite not having Indian ancestry—and the fact that it's Halloween, makes me question if Hudgens may be stepping into some unwanted territory again.