Is Cultural Appropriation "PC Culture" Gone Too Far?
Q: Say someone believes cultural appropriation is being taken too seriously and that urging others to not dress up a certain way around halloween is going too far. What would you tell them?
We get this a lot actually, and it's always a different conversation. Most people who make these comments aren't willing to listen to what our organization has to say, and just want to yell at something or someone for the sake of argument. People cry that "PC culture" is taking away from Halloween and that we should just let people have "fun." I think that it's very strange that they find enjoyment in dehumanizing other people and that they think it's fun to support the systemic racism upheld by costumes that reduce entire cultures to a costume. For the people that do want to learn, I think those conversations are always more fruitful. I think many people just don't realize the racist connotations of culturally appropriative costumes, and having those discussions about the actual harm that those costumes cause real people, can be very eye-opening for them. I always want to make it clear that culturally insensitive costumes don't just cause hurt feelings, but have long-lasting consequences for the people being mocked. They wear the costume for one night, we wear the stigma for life.
Q: Should a child be able to dress up as something that could be appropriation?
I don't think they "should" be allowed to dress up in culturally appropriative costumes, but with our type of activism, I realize there is a lot of gray areas. For example, I remember dressing up as a g*psy for Halloween when I was six. Of course I didn't know any better as a kindergartener, and of course I know better now. I think that it's a lot of the parent's responsibility to teach their children about cultural appropriation during Halloween. I don't imagine that a lot of parents are letting their kids trick-or-treat in blackface, but I have seen it in the news in the past few years. I personally think that children wearing culturally appropriative costumes is very reflective of the parent's views on race, which can be very indicative of the general public's racial biases.
Q: Halloween is a fun time; what are some alternative costumes one could dress up as instead of something offensive?
Halloween is my favorite holiday, so I love seeing creative costumes. I personally love costumes that involve puns, like "Freudian Slip," or "pigs in a blanket." I'm also a big nerd, and love seeing costumes from shows or books that I love, or even popular memes. Last year I went as a Capricorn, my zodiac sign. I just personally believe that dressing up in a way that mocks another culture or person is lazy and shows a lack of creativity. There are so many other options.
Q: What are some ways a person can someone appreciate a culture without appropriating it?
I think one of the easiest ways to appreciate someone else's culture is to learn about it. Take the time to listen to representatives of that culture, learn their history, have them tell you about their cultural practices. If they invite you to participate, great! That's a wonderful opportunity to bond and show your appreciation for their cultural history. Speaking out against racism that you see against another culture is also a brilliant way to show that you appreciate other people.
Q: Typically, costumes are hyper-sexualized as the intended consumer gets older. This means that costumes mimicking a culture is at risk for being over sexualized - how does this affect certain groups?
Hyper-sexualized costumes can affect different groups in different ways, for sure. I think for Asian people, there's already a lot of hyper-sexualization in females, particularly of East Asian decent. So like "Sexy Geishas" or "China Dolls." What these costumes does – either explicitly or indirectly – is reinforce these negative stereotypes of submissiveness and docility, as well as exotify our cultures. As for the direct effects, this promotes the fetishization of Asian women, which can lead to issues as minor as Asian women not being taken seriously in relationships, or as big as fueling the mail-order bride industry, just as extreme examples. I could go into examples of each racially insensitive costume I've seen and link it to systemic racism I've witnessed or experienced, but that could be an entire book.
Q: What else do people need to know about cultural appropriation that the media and public doesn't cover/understand?
Like I said, addressing culturally insensitive costumes isn't just about a couple of people getting their feelings hurt. Racist costumes directly promote negative and harmful stereotypes that encourage the dehumanization of entire cultures. In my opinion, there's no such thing as being "too politically correct," it's about being a decent human being.
The above conversation was taken from an electronic interview with a Katie, a student from Chaparral High School for their school newspaper.
