Summer Walker accused of appropriating, sexualizing Hmong culture with provocative outfit

R&B artist Summer Walker is facing backlash for wearing an outfit to a performance at the Crypto.com Arena that repurposed a traditional Hmong necklace called a xauv for a revealing two-piece. 

Centuries ago, the Hmong people were enslaved by the Chinese and forced to wear necklaces for identification. After their independence, they designed a necklace called a xauv, meaning “lock,” in remembrance of the hardships of their past. Today, xauvs are worn during traditional celebrations as a poignant symbol of the Hmong identity. 

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Many members of the Hmong community took to social media to voice their frustrations toward Walker and her designer’s alleged appropriation and sexualization of a sacred cultural accessory.