Reading of the Month - October 2020
Cultural Appreciation – Dressing Different in a GOOD way!
Dressing in costume is a favorite activity this time of year. You can find inspiration from anything and everything. Here are some key tips to make sure your costume is the hit of the party and respectful at the same time.
If you’re crafting a costume inspired by other cultures, you want to avoid cultural appropriation. Cultural Appropriation is the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.
Your goal should be to find a costume that reflects cultural appreciation.
Cultural Appreciation is honoring and respecting another culture and its practices, to gain knowledge and understanding.
Often cultural costumes reflect someone else’s identity in a stereotyped way. Instead, consider a costume that honors, respects, and admires the cultural significance. It’s important to pay homage to artistry and ideas, and acknowledge their origins. For example, dressing up in a sombrero and blanket is not representative of all Mexicans and instead freezes everyone with Mexican heritage into an era of the past. When you wear another group’s cultural signifiers head to toe, it can create the impression that you see anyone with that heritage as a costume.
What about dressing up as a favorite character? Dressing as a character is a great idea – just be sure to maintain the integrity of that character’s dress – don’t alter the costume in any way that would degrade or embellish the true character’s identity. For example, the Disney princess Pocahontas wears a simple dress and necklace and your costume should reflect the simplistic styling. Make it recognizable that you are the Disney character and not a generic “Indian princess”.
These actions are inappropriate:
Blackface is never allowed.
Imitating other cultures, accents. and pronunciations to make fun of them, belittle them or put down them down, is not allowed.
Don’t dress up as an ethnic stereotype. This does not honor or respect the culture.
Some costumes to avoid:
A "Senorita“ or Sombrero wearing Senor –An entire culture is not a costume.
A Bollywood Star – Stereotype, dressing in full Indian attire and calling yourself a ‘Bollywood star’ is offensive as it flattens an entire culture into one trope.
A "Gypsy" - The "G" word is actually a racial slur, according to the National Organization for Women (NOW), because it has historically been used to stigmatize and discriminate against Romani people, an actual ethnic minority group with a history of persecution in Europe
A Ninja – Ninja’s were actually more like CIA agents, few were trained assassins.
An Egyptian Queen - it's a symbol of a culture that was violently appropriated centuries ago.
A "Voodoo" Witch Doctor - exacerbates harmful stereotypes about real religions.
A Native American Princess – Indigenous Americans experienced mass genocide during the time of the US’s founding. They continue to experience discrimination at an exceptionally high level.
Anything That Has To Do With The Day Of The Dead - Día De Los Muertos is a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1 — which is All Souls Day — to honor friends and family who have passed away. Skulls and calaveras are symbols of this religious holiday.
A Geisha – Stereotype. Often worn to appear ‘sexy’. Geishas were entertainers however were not sex workers as some assume.
To ensure you’re choosing an inclusive costume, here are some ‘safe’ and inspirational ideas:
Book characters
Dressing from the decades
Fantasy characters (fairies, gnomes, hobbits)
Animals
Be safe and have a great time!
Photo by Jose Martinez on Unsplash