It's October: the air is crisp, classes are in full swing, and I saw a yellowing leaf on the sidewalk today. And if you're anything like me, you're starting to think about what you're going to be for Halloween. I absolutely LOVE Halloween - it's arguably my favorite holiday and I spend a lot of my free time trying to think of creative costume ideas.
One thing I would like to bring up as you're brainstorming however, is a plea for everyone to stay away from costumes that are offensive to other cultures. If you haven't heard of a certain phrase called "cultural appropriation," actress Amandla Stenberg describes it really well in this video (I've linked it to the portion of the video where she gives its definition.)
While Stenberg focuses on black culture specifically, this can be applied to any culture, and I think the peak time for lack of respect for other cultures is around the time of Halloween.
As always, I'd like to think that costumes that generalize or stereotype groups of people aren't intended to be offensive, however when someone creates a costume out of someone's culture, typically in a humorous way, it can be hurtful to many people.
A campaign I found particularly powerful was the “We’re a Culture Not a Costume” campaign that started in 2013. The photos below show several different people holding up pictures of offensive costumes that stereotype and generalize their identities.
Another set of photos had the words, "You wear the costume for one night, I wear the stigma for life." I think this is a good way to explain how hurtful it can be to see someone wearing a costume appropriating a culture you identify with, only for them to take it off at the end of the night and return to a place of privilege. For minorities who see their cultures being stereotyped and made humorous, this can be particularly painful, uncomfortable, or angering.
This isn't to say I haven't made these ignorant decisions before. In high school, one year my costume was a Native American, partly because I like Pocahontas but mostly because I thought the dress was cute and I wanted to wear my Uggs with it. In hindsight, I can see that costume was not an accurate or respectful depiction of the Native American community.
I participated in the exploitation of an underrepresented and marginalized peoples in America because I thought it looked good, not because I knew anything about what it was like to be Native American.
In all, I just want people to think a little more carefully about how they choose to celebrate Halloween. An important thing to remember is that even if you think you wouldn't be offended by something, it's your responsibility as a member of society to listen to what those offended are saying, and how they are affected by these costumes.
After all, it is their identity being put on display. Mostly, I hope you can do your part to make this holiday a supportive, inclusive and #spoopy day for everyone.
