October brings fall weather, colorful leaves, pumpkin pies and of course Halloween, which is a celebration observed in a number of countries on Oct. 31. This holiday, which is dedicated to remembering the dead, includes many activities such as trick-or-treating, attending Halloween costume parties and decorating. Basically, it is a time when we have a socially sanctioned excuse to finish an entire bag of fun-sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in one sitting. It sounds fun and harmless right? Well, not really.
A decade ago, Halloween might have been a day for people to forget about their responsibilities and just be someone else for a day. The routine life gets upside down and people reclaim their over-the-top costumes in a way that becomes acceptable. However, starting from a few years back, things got a little complicated when the people started talking about the thin line between a fun costume and an offensive one. Eventually, various costume choices intensified the discussion around cultural appropriation. While many were dressing up as celebrities, cops and politicians, a question about cultures arise: Isn’t it a problem when people cross the thin line and dress up as a culture that is being oppressed or has been overpowered in the past?
Yes, this is a problem. An enormous one. We need to treat people the way we want to be treated and show them the respect they deserve. We are free to be whoever we want for a day, but with what consequences? Are these consequences worth hurting others? No! If costumes have erroneous stereotypes and would harm people’s honors in a way, they are definitely not worth wearing.
Can you imagine being Mexican and seeing people partying in sombreros on Halloween after hearing Donald Trump call all Mexicans rapists? How hurtful would it be if you were a Muslim who had to deal with terrorist claims your whole life and now on Halloween you see people dressed up as terrorists? And then, as if this wasn’t enough, you cannot make any comments about how inappropriate these costumes are without being labeled as overly sensitive.
Moreover, colleges are taking action against culturally insensitive Halloween costumes, too. Last year, Yale lost valuable faculty members because of a letter one of them wrote questioning bans on Halloween costumes. This situation alarmed many other universities and some of them cautioned their students. Students were encouraged to be aware of their surroundings and be respectful. They even wanted students who spotted offensive costumes to report it and promised that investigations would result in various disciplinary sanctions.
Nowadays, it’s undeniable that we have a long way to go in order to educate people who still think it is okay to dress up as Indians, Mexicans or Eskimos. But individuals are getting increasingly aware of the thin line between being offensive and fun. Everyone should just keep being cautious and think about costume choices more sensitively. Hopefully, together we can eliminate these costumes which reinforce stereotypes of particular races, genders, cultures, or religions.
