October is in full swing, and with it comes candy corn, all things spooky and scary, and…culturally appropriated costumes?
Every year, Americans pick out Halloween costumes that try to reflect the originality of the wearer. And every year, cultural appropriation runs rampant as Americans pick out costumes that rely on ethnic stereotypes or “borrow” from other cultures. Defined simply, cultural appropriation is the adoption or theft of elements from one culture by members of another culture. Usually the culture being appropriated is a minority group or somehow subordinate in status to the appropriating culture.
Cultural appropriation is not confined to Halloween. But it is certainly amplified by an environment in which individuals are hidden behind the guide of a costume. These costumes that represent “exotic” people or “the other” have become Halloween staples. Yet linking these racialized costumes to scary ghosts and witches says something poignant. Wearing a race or ethnicity other than ones own as a costume normalizes whiteness and reinforces inaccurate ideas about distinct racial and cultural groups. It emphasizes the fact that our society equates whiteness with normalcy and deems everything outside of that category foreign, and therefore costume-worthy. But these costumes, which “borrow” from other cultures, only represent a very one-dimensional caricature of an entire group of unique individuals.
Many people don’t think deeply about the implications of costumes like an “Indian Princess” or an “Egyptian Goddess” because these implications don’t affect them. And it seems odd that a costume store or Wal-Mart would openly sell offensive costumes. But racism is deeply ingrained in our history and therefore can at times skate by unnoticed.
Halloween is intended as a holiday for enjoyment, and participants should get to appreciate the creative aspects that accompany it. Yet, those creative aspects must have some limit when the holiday begins to ignore America’s racial reality. While these costumes may not be overt attempts at racial discrimination, using culture as a costume and passing off this appropriation a joke becomes insidious because it closes off the important conversations that give life to the jokes. For a joke to carry any weight, it must have a foundation of cultural resonance. And America’s history of racism and oppression is too blatant to ignore.
Halloween is a time to dress up as something other than ourselves and there are so many expressive ways to do that. But by expressing versions of the identities we don’t own, when those costumes are fraught with racism, reinforces the basis for discrimination and negates meaningful cultures that our not our own. There is no way to remove our historical context, even for one night. So this year, think beyond any costume that might accessorize, trivialize, or mock another culture, because those cultures are far more significant than your costume.
Costumes to avoid:
1. Native American
2. Geisha
3. Día De Los Muertos Skeleton
4. Traditional Indian Dress
5. Gypsy
6. Eskimo
**This is not an all encompassing list but rather provides examples of the kind of culturally appropriated outfits individuals deem acceptable as a costume on Halloween**