Halloween is only days away, and the recurring dilemma of what to dress up as returns. Whether you decide to rock the classic vampire look or opt for a more trendy costume like Bernie Sanders with winter mittens, Syracuse University students put a lot of thought into deciding what or who to be for Halloween and associated costume parties. 

But year after year, some students dress up in costumes that are culturally inappropriate.

Cultural appropriation occurs when someone outside of a certain — typically marginalized — group adopts certain characteristics of the group’s culture, usually in an offensive way. Appropriation is often disregarded as cultural appreciation, which is when an individual actively tries to learn about the aspects of another culture to broaden their understanding of it. Both terms have different meanings, but there is a general lack of understanding about where appreciation becomes appropriation.

Samantha Esparza, a member for La L.U.C.H.A. — a Latinx student association group at SU — said that it is common to see shelves stocked with stereotypical costumes sold with pictures of white people wearing them. La L.U.C.H.A. has focused on bringing awareness to the dangers of these stereotypes, Esparza said.

“Such costumes completely mock and dismiss complex cultures with histories and stories that belong to hundreds of people. Being Mexican is more than a sombrero. Being Asian is more than chopsticks,” Esparza said.

Sometimes certain stereotypes in costumes can go unrecognized by the person wearing them. Nevertheless, these types of costumes always communicate a misinterpretation of culture that can become offensive and even detrimental to certain groups.

One of the most common examples of popularizing cultural stereotypes as Halloween costumes is the typical “Native American” costume. Commonly found in stores, one version of this stereotypical costume has a particularly distressing history — it recreates the Ghost Dance shirt, which Indigenous people wore as a form of protection when they experienced oppression, specifically under the rule of white settlers. 

This outdated costume reminds Indigenous communities of the painful history their ancestors had to go through. Some people of marginalized groups have responded to stores marketing their cultures as another costume to wear for Halloween through movements such as #NotYourCostume.

“When you generalize these complex cultures as such, it rips away their worth and belittles their values,” Esparza said.

As part of a diverse community, with students from 50 states and 120 countries, SU students must thoroughly consider their Halloween costumes and avoid culturally appropriating someone else’s culture. 

The easiest way to prevent cultural appropriation is to avoid costumes that are based upon or represent a certain culture or group of people. Generally, costume shoppers can spot these costumes because they require the wearer to dress up as an identity that is not their own.

Ultimately, the best approach is to do research and look up whether or not a costume is appropriate or not. Many people from marginalized communities have spoken up about this issue online, and it is not difficult to explore their thoughts.

But typically, if you’re even the slightest bit unsure about whether the costume is appropriate or not, you should avoid the costume altogether.

“Not dressing [up] inappropriately is not hard,” Esparza said. “If it is funny to you, it may not be funny to others.”

SU students should have the decency to thoughtfully determine whether a costume is offensive or stereotypical and not wear it. Additionally, they should say something if they see someone else wearing an offensive costume. Everyone must contribute to maintaining the fun aspect of Halloween, and cultural appropriation is not funny. SU is an inclusive, lively community, and SU students must act as such this Halloween.

Karla Perez is a freshman magazine, news and digital journalism major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at ksperezd@syr.edu.

Published on October 27, 2021 at 7:33 pm