Halloween is a time of fun, where kids of all ages can dress in costumes, get some candy and have a good time. When I was younger, the costume that I chose was a huge deal because I wanted to make sure that it was perfect for the time. Now it is still important on the type of costume that you choose, but not for the importance of the day.
In recent years, cultural appropriation has made its way into Halloween and more and more people are standing to the “offensive costumes” (the Native American, a Geisha or Blackface). Yes, most people will say that it’s just Halloween. There is no true meaning behind the costume or they weren’t trying to hurt anyone’s feelings, but you have to be mindful. Of course most people do not take into consideration what kind of reaction they might receive from the costume of choice.
For example, in my case, black face is probably the most offensive. Painting your skin darker in order to portray a black person is racist and ridiculous. You really have to understand the history of these offensive costumes to understand where all the backlash is coming from. Same thing with the Native American costume. Most if not all Native American costumes are portrayed as this sexy stereotypical woman with little fabric and a head band and most go a step further and chant ridiculous stereotypical sounds because they feel it brings the outfit together. Honestly, you don’t even have to go that far in order to portray that person or thing. There are plenty other costumes that could be used, but at the end of the day, you will choose what you think is best for you.
Besides cultural appropriation, another thing to consider is why so many costume shops have these types of costumes. The answer is simple… Money. Costume shops do not care about the type of costume that is being showcased because they know that at one point, someone will pay for it and they will make some sort of profit off of it. They believe that Halloween should not be taken seriously and it’s just one night of fun. Well that might be true, but what you are saying that the cultures that you are presenting in costume form are not to be looked at as having a racist and/or discriminatory history involving that type of costume or better yet you believe that people who dress in that manner or like it In real life should be presented in a joking matter and honestly, that’s not cool or fair.
There are plenty of ways to get the perfect Halloween costume without getting caught up in a cultural appropriation situation. Halloween is about good times and although these offensive costumes are a very serious manner, no one wants to get caught up in the backlash. So be mindful, be cautious and HAPPY HALLOWEEN