Questions re: potentially lame costume, and trick-or-treating date

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi all! OP here. And wow... some of you people are NUTS! I was just posting because I thought it was a lazy costume (guilty!), not an offensive one.

Dear lord no, I wasn't going to paint "slanty eyes" on my kid. I was thinking about lipgloss and silver eyeshadow, so that she feels more dressed up.

By the way, my daughter's not white. Are the PC posters more or less offended at the idea of a little brown girl wearing other cultures' precious traditional costumes? It is more acceptable than someone from a white oppressor-culture appropriating these items, given that our people are more oppressed in the U.S. today than almost any other group? Can I get a solidarity exemption here?

And one final point: I asked the question on Facebook (I've just outed myself to anyone here who might know me in real life). The responses from my Asian friends and everyone else were unanimous: "what's the big deal?" That, and "adorable! Can't wait to see pictures!"

To the parents of the other Chinese princesses-- call me! We'll take 'em out all together, and the cuteness factor will increase exponentially.

Is this like an AA calling one another the N word--you gotta be part of the club to speak the special lingo?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

When I first saw the OP's question, I thought what's the big deal? But you're right it's offensive. It's as cringe worthy as people who allow their children to wear afro wigs.

I hate, hate, hate afro wigs. But I won't get into that here, since I'm sure very few people will see how that's offensive.

[Anonymous]

The ad next to this thread features an Egyptian costume....offensive?

I have also seen really cute German costumes on Halloween sites...is that offensive? If you say no yet you find the Asian costume offensive then perhaps you may want to consider what your parameters are with regards to racism

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The ad next to this thread features an Egyptian costume....offensive?

I have also seen really cute German costumes on Halloween sites...is that offensive? If you say no yet you find the Asian costume offensive then perhaps you may want to consider what your parameters are with regards to racism

I'm not saying one is right while the other is wrong, but yes, there are historical/social nuances that would make a difference in this country, yes.

And Egyptian Halloween costumes are of ancient Egyptians, not what is considered traditional dress in modern-day Egypt. If someone dressed their kid in the traditional dress of modern-day Egypt, yes, I would find it strange. How is dressing up as an entire nationality or race or ethnicity a costume?

Here's a link to an NPR interview that explains it. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114199552

"Well, if you think about it, you know, Halloween costumes are often based on the things that we as a society either have anxiety about, we see as taboo or abnormal. So there's a reason that not a lot of people dress up as, for example, a middle-class white man who's an insurance manager and has two kids and a dog. That's not an interesting costume because it's quote-unquote, "normal." And so a lot of the costumes out there will deal with sex, with violence, with death. And then also, you see a lot of costumes that show sort of marginalized identities. You know, people of color, different cultures and..."

About dressing up as a Native American: " When did it become okay to reduce a diversity language culture of nearly 500 different indigenous tribes into a tacky costume as cheap suede colored feathers, plastic beads and fringe? So I think one element is that it's kind of insulting if you're from a culture..."

[Anonymous]

Regarding the Chinese outfit, I think the lovely aspect of this is that it is a little girl, possibly being dressed as a "princess," something many little girls dream of/love doing. So, in this case, as others have directly/indirectly supported, the costume would be a nice way to honor this type of traditional garb. Basically, she is getting into a character that you might see on a stage, like in a fascinating Chinese opera (e.g., saw one in Xi'an this year, and it was a visual feast).

[Anonymous]

The NPR interview is ridiculous. I've seen plenty of kids dressed up as grownups, i.e., in a dress shirt and tie and jacket, over the years. In other words, in the middle-aged insurance salesman outfit!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The NPR interview is ridiculous. I've seen plenty of kids dressed up as grownups, i.e., in a dress shirt and tie and jacket, over the years. In other words, in the middle-aged insurance salesman outfit!

You have excellent comprehension skills.

[Anonymous]

I think the NPR interview is spot on.

[Anonymous]

My DD is part Asian (not Chinese but has some Chinese heritage) and I would never dress her up as a Chinese princess. OP, are you going to faux bind her feet too?

If DD wants to be a princess I would dress her up as some sort of mythological/medieval princess-so not as a person from a current, living culture. The Egyptian comment is invalid because anyone dressing up as n Egyptian would be dressing up as an ANCIENT Egyptian. If you tried to dress up as a modern day Egyptian (in a black Abaya with face covering, etc.) people would think you were weird and you can be sure that any Arab would be offended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD is part Asian (not Chinese but has some Chinese heritage) and I would never dress her up as a Chinese princess. OP, are you going to faux bind her feet too?

That's just dumb. It's about emulating parts of the tradition that anyone can admire. Beautiful clothes is part of that. Mutilation, not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If DD wants to be a princess I would dress her up as some sort of mythological/medieval princess-so not as a person from a current, living culture. The Egyptian comment is invalid because anyone dressing up as n Egyptian would be dressing up as an ANCIENT Egyptian. If you tried to dress up as a modern day Egyptian (in a black Abaya with face covering, etc.) people would think you were weird and you can be sure that any Arab would be offended.

This. I don't think people would be so cool with someone dressing up in a burqa for Halloween or accessorizing the the outfit with a backpack. Or wearing a turban, long beard and bomb on the turban (Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy).

[Anonymous]

I am curious how many of the deeply offended posters are Chinese or from another Asian country. I think many Asians are more secure in their identity than you seem to assume. I would never think that someone is mocking my parents' culture or regards it as abnormal or taboo--even subconsciously--just because a cute 3-year-old appears at my doorstep in traditional dress. As long as it's worn respectfully, I'd much rather see that than yet another slutty Tinkerbell outfit.

[Anonymous]

I don't think people have read many nuances into these posts. I think getting a national costume is just fine. I'm a bit leery of things like -- putting chopsticks in hair; putting eye make up on.

Costume is fine. Caricature is not.

In the same vein, I wouldn't mind seeing a kid in a beret holding a blue, white and red tricolor French flag. Simple homemade costume. However, if the parents added a lump of "smelly cheese," I think that would be objectionable.

Get the difference?

[Anonymous]

putting chopsticks in hair

This is offensive? Really?

[Anonymous]

As long as it's worn respectfully, I'd much rather see that than yet another slutty Tinkerbell outfit.

Amen, 08:09.