I recently asked my friend from UNC-Chapel Hill what he was going to be for Halloween. He told me he was still deciding between two costume choices: a wrestler – or an American Indian.
It seems that every year during October there is constant debate of whether certain Halloween costumes are racist. The short answer is yes, they are.
Being politically correct has become incorrectly synonymous with being easily offended and policing freedom of speech. Pew Research Center found that 59 percent of Americans say “too many people are easily offended these days over the language that others use.” The debate over Halloween costumes is about the wisdom of your costume selection, not about policing what people say or wear.
People argue that politically correct culture is going too far and there can be nothing wrong with Halloween costumes since it’s all in good fun. But, I do not understand how diminishing and ridiculing an entire ethnicity or race is all in good fun.
“Halloween isn’t about showing how smart or moral you are, it’s an opportunity to be utterly ridiculous,” said Katherine Waller, a staff columnist for Technician back in her 2014 opinion column.
Halloween is supposed to be a fun excuse to dress up in hilarious and outrageous costumes. However, this kind of mindset is extremely problematic when it is applied to culturally insensitive costumes. The logic then implies that the traditional attire of certain races and ethnicities is ridiculous as well.
This means that no matter how it’s worn, a sombrero, a headdress or a kimono looks ridiculous so therefore it is completely fine to wear them for a costume.
My friend from UNC-CH ended up wearing face paint, a feathered headband and a fringed shirt, and although I knew what he was wearing was inappropriate, I did not rebuke him for his clearly offensive costume selection. He thought he looked outrageous and fun; I thought he looked outrageously ignorant.
If you are of any race appropriating the culture of a race or culture other than your own, you are still being problematic. Cultural appropriation does not only apply to white people. Even in the cases of dressing like a celebrity or film character, it is completely possible to have a Halloween costume that is not racist even if you are dressing as character that is of a race other than your own.
“You can dress how Kanye West dresses. Rip some holes in your shirt. Go as Kanye west without doing black face and without being racist. Go as a person or as a [famous] personality not as a race,” says Libby Pelt, a third-year studying chemical engineering. Pelt is referring to Kanye West’s clothing line “YEEZY” which is characterized by its use of ripped and tattered clothing.
What I don’t understand about this debate is people’s defense in wearing racially offensive costumes. Why do people think that racism is permissible simply because it’s a holiday? Racism is still an extremely prevalent issue in our society, and no matter how insignificant you think a Halloween costume is, it still perpetuates the idea that racism and stereotypes are a normal part of our society.
I am not saying people should be punished for what they decide to wear, but I question why you would want to wear a costume that could portray you as a racist or ignorant person.
Take a moment and look in the mirror before you head out to your Halloween celebrations. What is going to be your answer when people ask, “What’s your costume?” If you think your Halloween costume could be problematic or be interpreted in a way other than you intended, then don’t wear it. It is that simple.
