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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:
There is a difference between dressing "up" as a specific character, or a specific profession, and dressing up as a member of another culture as a Halloween costume.

My African American son has gone out on Halloween dressed as Robin Hood, Harry Potter, Spiderman. Similarly, I wouldn't have a problem if my kid decided he wanted to dress up as Kai Lan or Caillou or Diego. I also wouldn't have a problem with him dressing up as a ballerina, or a cowboy, or a matador, or a traditional Indian dancer, and wore clothing from those cultures as part of the outfit. I'm sure that if I was more versed in Japanese children's literature, I could come up with a character, or age appropriate role where my child might wear a kimono as part of a costume.

But dressing up in a kimono and have the kimono itself be the Halloween costume, that is dressing up as a "Japanese person", portrays the culture as an "other". Because it makes the kimono itself into the costume, as opposed to what it is, which is clothing.

But I can think of plenty of other cultural costumes that are not seen as inappropriate. For example, hippie, punk, flapper, etc are all costumes with references to cultural movements and no one sees those as stereotyping everyone of the generation. They are celebrating the culture, and I see no reason to believe a tasteful kimono wouldn't do the same.

For those saying kimonos, saris, etc are for special occasions, I've known plenty of young girls that would, for example, wear an old flower girl dress for Halloween. No specific character, just replicating the (primarily American) tradition of flower girls. Seems pretty similar to me, yet no one is up in arms over that.[/quote]
Are you really this dense?[/quote]

Perhaps I just don't believe that any and all references to other cultures are automatically insensitive hate crimes. I stand by my point- would you think a Japanese person dressed as a hippie was insensitive?[/quote]

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