Sean Rossman and Sean Rossman | USA TODAY

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A Utah teen stands by her decision to wear a traditional Chinese dress to her prom, a move panned by some as cultural appropriation but embraced by others.

Keziah Daum said she won't give in to pressure and delete an April 22 Twitter post showing her posing with her prom date in the red cheongsam, or qipao.

"To everyone causing so much negativity," she tweeted. "I mean no disrespect to the Chinese culture. I'm simply showing my appreciation to their culture. I'm not deleting my post because I've done nothing but show my love for the culture. It's a f***ing dress. And it's beautiful."

Daum told the Washington Post she found the dress in a vintage store in Salt Lake City and found it "absolutely beautiful" adding it gave her a "sense of appreciation and admiration for other cultures and their beauty."

Not everyone saw it the same way as Daum, who is not Chinese.

"My culture is NOT your god**** prom dress," wrote tweeter Jeremy Lam. Added @JeannieBeanie99, "This isn't ok. I wouldn't wear a traditional Korean, Japanese or any other traditional dress and I'm Asian. I wouldn't wear traditional Irish or Swedish or Greek dress either. There's a lot of history behind these clothes."

The cheongsam is an evolution of the qipao, a Chinese dress dating back to the Han Dynasty, writes Vogue. It used to lack shape but became more form-fitting over the last century, the magazine said. Defined by Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, the cheongsan is "a dress of southern Chinese origin with a slit skirt and a mandarin collar."

The style caught the attention of designer Ralph Lauren in 2011, when he featured cheongsam in a runway show, reports the New York Times. First Lady Melania Trump wore one during a visit to Beijing in November, reports the The Telegraph.

Daum's mother Melissa Dawes said the photo in which the group clasps their hands together is a reference to a meme made popular by YouTube star Ethan Klein.

For all the backlash Daum received, plenty of well wishes went her way.

"I am a Chinese woman. I support you." tweeted @msyinseattle. "You rocked that dress!!" @StephanieChan, who said she has Chinese heritage, told Daum, "As Chinese, we are very proud and delighted to share our cultural fashions with anyone around the world. I love how you wear the dress with confidence! You rock!"

Daum has repeatedly tweeted she meant no harm in wearing the dress.

"I love and appreciate diversity and other cultures," she tweeted Saturday. "I mean no hate. I love everyone."

I love and appreciate diversity and other cultures. I mean no hate. I love everyone ❤️ — Keziah (@daumkeziah) April 29, 2018

Follow Sean Rossman on Twitter: @SeanRossman

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