A Chinese prom dress worn by Utah senior Keziah Daum sparked a hue and cry on Twitter, along with a more reasoned cultural-appropriation debate.
The teen is not Chinese but she said when her eyes fell on the high-collared traditional red dress, which is known as a cheongsamor or qipao, she had to have it.
"It was absolutely beautiful,” Daum told The Washington Post, adding that it “really gave me a sense of appreciation and admiration for other cultures and their beauty.”
Daum didn’t expect to be the subject of widespread debate when she shared her prom pictures to Twitter on Sunday, but was she ever.
The post drew thousands of comments and shares, as Twitter users jumped in to debate whether it was insensitive of Daum to wear the dress to her prom, especially if she wasn’t Chinese, but the bulk of the posts were in support of her.
Meanwhile, Twitter user Jeremy Lam sparked a separate debate on his thread when he reshared Daum's post, and then proceeded to fire off a series of tweets accusing the teen of making Chinese culture "subject to American consumerism."
Daum later responded to her critics, explaining that she had meant no harm.
And while Daum said she was "tired of all the backlash and hate," when asked if she would wear the dress again, she told the Post she would.
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