<strong>I Never Thought</strong>

My trick-or-treating years were in the 70's.  Back then, I honestly never thought about whether it was okay to dress up as a Hobo which was my costume of choice.  Thinking back, though essentially it is a homeless person, I did not consider my costume in any terms other than it was <em>cheap and convenient</em>.  You see my parents didn't have the money to buy costumes nor were they so rampantly available as they are today.  Is it just me or have costume stores been increasing?  It has made Halloween less creative and more expensive, though admittedly more convenient.

<strong><em>But that does not mean </em><em>that we can turn of our brains and close our hearts when we walk into Halloween Superstores</em>.</strong>

I realize now that a Hobo was a horrible thing to be for Halloween.  Those that find themselves homeless are real people, many of whom are certainly down on their luck and are oppressed by a society that makes assumptions about their worth.  Our stereotypes about the homeless are in many cases downright wrong. No-one would choose to be unshaven, dirty or poorly dressed and they are not all alcoholics.  But I digress.

<strong>“We are a culture not a costume.”</strong>

I read those words recently and it broke my heart that college kids have to actually utter them.  They were students at Ohio University who went so far as to develop an awareness campaign “We are culture not a costume” to educate other students and to fight the use of hurtful Halloween costumes that stereotype ethnic groups and cultures.   For their brave effort they have been mocked and criticized, but the haters are so wrong.

The problem is that there are many beautiful cultures and people groups that are parodied, mocked and imitated today by unthinking or ignorant people.  (Not to mention how women are sexualized in every single profession and identity imaginable but that is not what this is about.)  Some of these are: <a href="http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#african">African American &amp; African</a>, <a href="http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#asian">Asian American, Asian, &amp; Pacific Islander</a>, <a href="http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#nativeamerican">Native American</a>, <a href="http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#hispanic">Hispanic &amp; Latino Americans</a>

If like me, you<em><strong> just never thought</strong></em>, I would encourage you to start thinking.  I cannot let another Halloween pass without writing this essay.

<strong>Any costume that dresses you up as a real person, a real culture or actual people group implying that this identity can be boiled down to a recognizable outfit is wrong.  </strong>It is white people creating symbols to define other races and then appropriating those symbols without any acknowledgment of their history. There is no part of any culture or history that should become a synonym or a stereotype.  Here are a few examples:
<ul>
	<li>Native indigenous cultures -- Anything Native American or “tribal” or for example<a title="Big Kahuna" href="//www.amazon.com/Kahuna-Tribal-Tiki-Warrior-Costume/dp/B000EIGZ5C%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa32991-" target="_blank"> this</a> “Big Kahuna Fat Tribal Tiki Warrior.</li>
	<li>Or the use of “Asian” stereotypes of any sort.   Asian Americans are highly diverse, with dozens of ethnic backgrounds and languages, including individuals from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.  How can this be summed up, for example by these <a title="Glasses" href="http://www.motifake.com/20741">Chop Suey Specs</a>.   Or if you sound it out phonetically to make it “Asian-sounding” like the 'Fee Ling Yu Asian Man Halloween Mask.' <a href="http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1301 alignleft" src="http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400-240x300.jpg" alt="" width="192" height="240" /></a></li>
	<li>Mexicans and other immigrants are not “illegal aliens” nor do all the other Latinos in the U.S. do not wear sombreros, over-sized mustache, and a poncho. I’m no <a title="Understanding Hispanic Culture" href="http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf" target="_blank">expert</a>, but I think people that we call “Hispanics” or Latinos in the US come from <em>at least</em> 20 different countries and cultures including Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican.  In the US we tend to lump them all together but they have beautiful and distinct languages, cultures and heritages.</li>
	<li>Ghetto or Gangsta are in and of themselves parts of American culture that should not be mocked or stereotyped, if we don’t understand them.  I will be the first to admit the impulse to pull up or pull down the pants of young men that I see wearing their belt at their knees.  I find it silly, but even so things like the puzzling "Tighty Whitey" costume complete with a "jumpsuit that makes it appear you are wearing your pants around your knees" are wrong.  Rappers are culture in and of themselves whether you or I value it or not.</li>
</ul>
University of Toronto researcher of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, Alison Chasteen <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes.html" target="_blank">noted</a>:
<blockquote>"We know from past research that exposure to stereotypical images can activate stereotypes in people's minds and influence their subsequent behavior…That is why efforts such as this one in Ohio are needed to educate people about racist images in an attempt to reduce stereotypical portrayals of minority groups."</blockquote>
Some may say lighten up Melody!  It’s only in fun.  I’m not laughing.  And neither should you.  We cannot be a part of perpetuating racism and bigotry, no matter our reasons and especially not "in fun."

It’s just not funny. This Halloween let’s respect and honor those that are different from us.  And, here's a crazy thought perhaps even learn more about that which we do not at first glance understand.

Our friends deserve our respect.  And perhaps one day we will treasure them as much as our Lord did, for they (too) are made in God’s image.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Genesis 1:26 NIV

The bottom line here:  Just think! <strong><em> </em></strong>

<strong><em>Turn on your brain and open your heart.</em></strong>

Other Resources:

Kudos to <a title="The Root" href="http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes" target="_blank">The Root</a> for pointing out these racially and culturally insensitive costumes.  If you don’t read The Root, you should.

Thanks to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrah-hodge">Jarrah Hodge</a> for some <a title="Cool Costume Ideas" href="http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21" target="_blank">cool costume ideas </a> and I can’t resist adding her list of<a title="Feminist Costumes" href="http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/" target="_blank"> Feminist costume choices.
</a>