Gwen Stefani insists she’s Japanese
In an interview with Allure magazine, the singer Gwen Stefani, who is Italian American and from California, said she was Japanese.
Why did Gwen Stefani say she was Japanese?
Gwen Stefani is doubling down on the claim that she's Japanese which she's not. In a recent interview with Allure, Gwen Stefani, the Italian-Irish American singer, reflected on the influence that Japanese culture had on her upbringing, particularly noting her father's frequent work travel between California and Japan and the stories he would bring back. Once she visited the country as an adult, she came to a certain realization. Stefani stated, "I said, 'My God, I'm Japanese and I didn't know'."
Gwen Stefani: the story behind 'Hollaback Girl'
Stefani continued to assert that she was “a little bit of an Orange County girl. A little bit of a Japanese girl. A little bit of an English girl”. She defended her affinity for these cultures by saying, "Even though I'm an Italian-American Irish or whatever mutt that I am, that's who I became because those were my people, right?". However, many people have criticized Stefani for cultural appropriation.
Lizzo addresses cancel culture
Stefani has long been criticized for appropriating culture in her music and artistry. In the 90s, she was seen wearing a bindi and donning Bantu knots. In the mid-2000s, she traveled with 4 Japanese backup dancers whom she called her "Harajuku Girls." Around the same time, she donned Chola-inspired looks for her "Luxurious" music video, and even last year, she sported dreadlocks in Sean Paul's "Light My Fire" music video.
Is 'cancel culture' really helping us?
Why did Gwen Stefani say she was Japanese?
Gwen Stefani is doubling down on the claim that she's Japanese which she's not. In a recent interview with Allure, Gwen Stefani, the Italian-Irish American singer, reflected on the influence that Japanese culture had on her upbringing, particularly noting her father's frequent work travel between California and Japan and the stories he would bring back. Once she visited the country as an adult, she came to a certain realization. Stefani stated, "I said, 'My God, I'm Japanese and I didn't know'."
Gwen Stefani: the story behind 'Hollaback Girl'
Stefani continued to assert that she was “a little bit of an Orange County girl. A little bit of a Japanese girl. A little bit of an English girl”. She defended her affinity for these cultures by saying, "Even though I'm an Italian-American Irish or whatever mutt that I am, that's who I became because those were my people, right?". However, many people have criticized Stefani for cultural appropriation.
Lizzo addresses cancel culture
Stefani has long been criticized for appropriating culture in her music and artistry. In the 90s, she was seen wearing a bindi and donning Bantu knots. In the mid-2000s, she traveled with 4 Japanese backup dancers whom she called her "Harajuku Girls." Around the same time, she donned Chola-inspired looks for her "Luxurious" music video, and even last year, she sported dreadlocks in Sean Paul's "Light My Fire" music video.
Is 'cancel culture' really helping us?