Every year we see the same articles pop up on our feeds and I'm about to give you another one: The holiday is Halloween, not Offend Everyone with Your Ignorance. People are continuously told ways that they can avoid being offensive and how they can avoid culutral apropriation, but they never seem to get it through their heads.
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Do yourself a favor and realize that cultures are not costumes. Do not perpetuate stereotypes by dressing as them.
Do not walk around with black face. Why would you think this was okay? This is blatantly racist and I am tired of everyone pretending that it isn't. It is not even ignorant, it's just being an asshole. Check your privelege at the door along with your black/brown paint.
Do not dress as a Mexican. I feel sick even having to write that. Why are you going outside and wearing a thick mustache and a sombrero and saying that you are a Mexican for Halloween? The nationality that you are trying to perpetuate is far from the concept you are wearing. I actually saw a Mariachi band costume last night, and all I could think was "How hard is it to not be an offensive asshole?" These three guys were wearing sombreros and fake mustaches. The looked ridiculous and were being straight up racist.
Do not dress in native and traditional clothing. I am so tired of going outside on Halloween and seeing the "Indian" costumes. Indeginious people are not here for your entertainment. If you do noat stand with Standing Rock and you do not understand the genocide and descriminaiton faced by the Native peoples, then you do not get to wear traditional outfits as a costume.
I hate seeing the sugar skull costumes, because guess what Dia De Los Muertos is not Mexican Halloween. Dia De Los Muertos is a Latinx tradition meant to celebrate the dead, and it is insulting to see calaveras on Halloween, when those wearing them do not know the thousands of years old history behind them.
Do not dress as a Geisha. This goes along with the traditional dress mentioned above. Do you understand the traditions and history behind Geishas? No? Then do not wear the skimpy kimono and yellow face. Just don't do it.
Gender identities are also not costumes. Caitlyn Jenner and fellow trans people are not costumes. These are not things to joke about. These are things to educate yourself on. Learn the differences between biological sex and gender.
Disabilities are not costumes. I should not have to say this, but at this point and after what I have seen this weekend, I need to: DO NOT IMPERSONATE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. Good Lord, what is wrong with you people? You do not understand the disabilites if you think that they are jokes.
For every Halloween following this one, we should see less and less atricles about contriversial costumes. It is not difficult to avoid offending people. If you cannot manage such a simple task, then please do not participate in Halloween festivities. Do us all that favor so that we can enjoy our holiday.
