Have you ever dressed up for Halloween or college party in a racially sensitive costume?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No I've never pretended to be another race. I've worn various ethnic costumes for 'culture day' depending on what country or culture we were learning about and families from that culture/country would let us borrow clothes/teach us info and customs. Have never darkened skin, etc.

Wearing those cultural costumes alone is racist because it’s a form of appropriation.

We weren't appropriating but teaching/learning- there was no theft or clothing-wearing that other families didn't approve. All the cultures/races WANTED to be doing this. No one was offended- all involved got paired with other cultures (family to family) to learn. All the cultures were teaching/learning/sharing and eating various foods/borrowing clothes for each other to wear. Does it really sound like we were appropriating? When everyone wanted to be doing this instead of opting out (as that is always a choice)? So confusing. I remember actually giving Haitian and Vietnamese friends some of our kilts and step dancing costumes as they LOVED them, and I also got amazing saris and kimonos from our East Indian/Japanese friends. Making the trades was really fun and we ended up wearing the clothes all year until we outgrew them. This was in Canada, though, where people actually tend to want to learn about/respect differences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friends of mine dressed as a priest (him) and a boy (her).

You do see how offensive this would be to any/all people of faith, right?

Not just Christians.

All people of faith are offending at ribbing of an institution that frankly deserves a hell of a lot more reckoning than a Halloween costume? Get out of town. If you're truly faithful you condemn this stuff. Hence why some of the most truly Christ-like people have left the church over things like the institutionalized abuse of minor children.

[Anonymous]

No, because I'm not insensitive and ignorant. Having friends of other races goes along way toward knowing what is a**hole behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone name a Halloween costume that is not offensive to some group somewhere? ? (I can’t).

Off the top of my head:
Any animal costume—giraffe, lion, bear, etc
ballerina
unicorn
Firefighter
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman
Generic princess (Fancy looking dress and accessories)
Fruits or vegetables (my niece was a pineapple and nephew was an avocado one year)
Dinosaur
Rain cloud, rainbow (both costumes I saw kids wearing last year)
Pumpkin/jackolantern

There are tons of non offensive costumes

No, there are not.

Most of those costumes are based on heteronormative stereotypes and thus, offensive.

Only a bigoted parent would dress their child in such a costume.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No I've never pretended to be another race. I've worn various ethnic costumes for 'culture day' depending on what country or culture we were learning about and families from that culture/country would let us borrow clothes/teach us info and customs. Have never darkened skin, etc.

Wearing those cultural costumes alone is racist because it’s a form of appropriation.

We weren't appropriating but teaching/learning- there was no theft or clothing-wearing that other families didn't approve. All the cultures/races WANTED to be doing this. No one was offended- all involved got paired with other cultures (family to family) to learn. All the cultures were teaching/learning/sharing and eating various foods/borrowing clothes for each other to wear. Does it really sound like we were appropriating? When everyone wanted to be doing this instead of opting out (as that is always a choice)? So confusing. I remember actually giving Haitian and Vietnamese friends some of our kilts and step dancing costumes as they LOVED them, and I also got amazing saris and kimonos from our East Indian/Japanese friends. Making the trades was really fun and we ended up wearing the clothes all year until we outgrew them. This was in Canada, though, where people actually tend to want to learn about/respect differences.

One of ds's classes did that, although the cultural clothing was optional. One parent brought in ceremonial head dress. The kids learned a lot about each other.

At the end of it they had a potluck.

This was also in Canada, maybe we're more open to learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know someone who went to a college party in blackface. I later saw him getting a BJ from a black classmate. (Went in the bathroom to pee and they were in a stall and i could see her knees on the filthy fraternity bathroom floor).

He later went to HBS - I’d love for photos to resurface. He was (is) an awful person and I don’t know how he’s hidden it for so long.

Why not just say who it is here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No I've never pretended to be another race. I've worn various ethnic costumes for 'culture day' depending on what country or culture we were learning about and families from that culture/country would let us borrow clothes/teach us info and customs. Have never darkened skin, etc.

Wearing those cultural costumes alone is racist because it’s a form of appropriation.

We weren't appropriating but teaching/learning- there was no theft or clothing-wearing that other families didn't approve. All the cultures/races WANTED to be doing this. No one was offended- all involved got paired with other cultures (family to family) to learn. All the cultures were teaching/learning/sharing and eating various foods/borrowing clothes for each other to wear. Does it really sound like we were appropriating? When everyone wanted to be doing this instead of opting out (as that is always a choice)? So confusing. I remember actually giving Haitian and Vietnamese friends some of our kilts and step dancing costumes as they LOVED them, and I also got amazing saris and kimonos from our East Indian/Japanese friends. Making the trades was really fun and we ended up wearing the clothes all year until we outgrew them. This was in Canada, though, where people actually tend to want to learn about/respect differences.

Stop trying to justify it and just admit you were wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone name a Halloween costume that is not offensive to some group somewhere? ? (I can’t).

Off the top of my head:
Any animal costume—giraffe, lion, bear, etc
ballerina
unicorn
Firefighter
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman
Generic princess (Fancy looking dress and accessories)
Fruits or vegetables (my niece was a pineapple and nephew was an avocado one year)
Dinosaur
Rain cloud, rainbow (both costumes I saw kids wearing last year)
Pumpkin/jackolantern

There are tons of non offensive costumes

No, there are not.

Most of those costumes are based on heteronormative stereotypes and thus, offensive.

Only a bigoted parent would dress their child in such a costume.

Let’s see: I went as:

A coal miner
A business person
A character from Animal House
My best friend and I went as each other our senior year because everyone called us by the wrong name
Flower child


My kid has gone as:

A Dalmatian
Tigger
Winnie the Pooh
The big bad wolf
A variety of Minecraft characters
An evil scientist
Harry Potter

Tell me what is wrong with any of those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friends of mine dressed as a priest (him) and a boy (her).

You do see how offensive this would be to any/all people of faith, right?

Not just Christians.

It’s political commentary and is not offensive. If you support the Catholic Church, that’s actually offensive to many (including me). I’m not PP, but wow, catch a clue about what the institution has hidden about the rape of thousands of children. It’s shocking that it still exists!

[Anonymous]

I dressed as Joe exotic and now my family is saying that was wrong to dress like a racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went as Stevie Nicks one year but a lot of people thought I was a gypsy. Does that count?

You're not in trouble but they are because you're not allowed to say the word g====.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone name a Halloween costume that is not offensive to some group somewhere? ? (I can’t).

Off the top of my head:
Any animal costume—giraffe, lion, bear, etc
ballerina
unicorn
Firefighter
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman
Generic princess (Fancy looking dress and accessories)
Fruits or vegetables (my niece was a pineapple and nephew was an avocado one year)
Dinosaur
Rain cloud, rainbow (both costumes I saw kids wearing last year)
Pumpkin/jackolantern

There are tons of non offensive costumes

No, there are not.

Most of those costumes are based on heteronormative stereotypes and thus, offensive.

Only a bigoted parent would dress their child in such a costume.

Let’s see: I went as:

A coal miner
A business person
A character from Animal House
My best friend and I went as each other our senior year because everyone called us by the wrong name
Flower child


My kid has gone as:

A Dalmatian
Tigger
Winnie the Pooh
The big bad wolf
A variety of Minecraft characters
An evil scientist
Harry Potter

Tell me what is wrong with any of those.

I'm going to guess that the coal miner made fun of Appalachian stereotypes.

[Anonymous]

DD dressed up as an native Indian one year for a Saint’s day parade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dressed myself up as a geisha in the late 70s including heavy white makeup all over my face and a kimono. Had absolutely no idea what I was doing and I had no knowledge of Japanese culture or what a geisha actually was. I was just dressing from pictures I thought were intriguing. I was in my early teens.

I did in the 90s as well. Memoirs of a Geisha had just come out. No white makeup, but I did spray paint my hair black. I was clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No I've never pretended to be another race. I've worn various ethnic costumes for 'culture day' depending on what country or culture we were learning about and families from that culture/country would let us borrow clothes/teach us info and customs. Have never darkened skin, etc.

Wearing those cultural costumes alone is racist because it’s a form of appropriation.

We weren't appropriating but teaching/learning- there was no theft or clothing-wearing that other families didn't approve. All the cultures/races WANTED to be doing this. No one was offended- all involved got paired with other cultures (family to family) to learn. All the cultures were teaching/learning/sharing and eating various foods/borrowing clothes for each other to wear. Does it really sound like we were appropriating? When everyone wanted to be doing this instead of opting out (as that is always a choice)? So confusing. I remember actually giving Haitian and Vietnamese friends some of our kilts and step dancing costumes as they LOVED them, and I also got amazing saris and kimonos from our East Indian/Japanese friends. Making the trades was really fun and we ended up wearing the clothes all year until we outgrew them. This was in Canada, though, where people actually tend to want to learn about/respect differences.

well, as long as you don’t include the indigenous populations of Canada - if you talk to their representatives they would disagree with your statement.