Cultural appropriation- A foreign topic and disbelief to many. Some deny that the phenomenon even exists entirely; but it’s out there, and it’s real.
Recently, I have been seeing a lot of Halloween costumes plastered across social media that just aren’t cool (homeless people, mental institution patients, Native Americans, etc.), and while Halloween is a fun time for many, a lot of people blindly go around dressing and acting in a certain way that holds a lot of offense – something that has been happening for awhile.
If there is ever a grey area or line that you think is able to be crossed, you should probably stay away from it. There are some things that are just not okay. Obviously no one goes out to pick their Halloween costume with the intention of hurting someone. Regardless of whether your intentions are innocent or not, your costume may still be the cause of offensive stereotypes and stigmas. For some this is a mere brush off the shoulder because they think, “Well, it doesn’t affect me”.
It does.
We live in a society where there are norms. If you don’t fall into those norms – you’re considered to be foreign, weird, or the subject of a joke. What people fail to understand is that just because someone may not fit into a norm that is considered “acceptable”, doesn’t mean that it’s okay to make them a target or treat them any differently.
So this year, before it’s officially Halloween and you go to a party or walk around the neighborhood, ask yourself some questions:
Does the name of this costume seem offensive?
(Hint: If it contains the word Arab, Indian, or Mexican; it probably is).
Do you belong to that group of people?
If not – you probably shouldn’t be wearing that costume.
Would you wear your costume around that specific group of people?
Would you wear a “Sexy Indian costume” in front of a person from that decent? Would you wear a hijab in front of a Muslim woman? Would you wear a Geisha costume in front of a Japanese family?
To you, it’s just another costume but to other people, you’re wearing their lives. Culture is not a costume. Just because our society deems them as acceptable doesn’t mean that you have to.
Most stores that sell Halloween costumes don’t make it apparent that a certain costume may be offensive or problematic, so for this Halloween and the ones to come, take a little more consideration into the costume you choose to wear and the message it may be sending out. I don’t think you would like it much if someone dressed up as you just to get a laugh out of everyone.