How to Avoid Cultural Appropriation on Halloween
Disclaimer — I began writing this post before the Megyn Kelly incident. Prior to the incident, I openly admitted that I was writing a post that would not go deep enough into the systems of power and oppression that come into play with cultural appropriation, and the history of racism in this country. It was a first step, using a personal experience, that would hopefully open up more dialogue around this topic. I now see that without the deep exploration into the systems of oppression and history of racism, the topic cannot be effectively addressed. Read on to find out why.
It’s that time of year again — Halloween season. And I, as usual, have left my costume to the last minute. Last year, I completely forgot about the holiday. I was meant to accompany a friend to a party in Los Angeles, and did what I do almost every year past the age of 25. I thought about what articles of clothing and accessories I could find in my room, and how I could turn those articles of clothing and accessories into a costume. With the random things around my room last year, I decided to dress up as someone I have always admired, and frankly always wanted to “be” on Halloween — Selena.
For many years I thought about dressing up as Selena, and doing it right. Buying a bustier and a cap, or one of her iconic one-piece performance outfits. I even thought about a wig with bangs to really get it right. Because I left it to the last minute, and had to pull things from my own wardrobe, I ended up wearing black leggings, a black crop top, a black jean jacket, and red lipstick. Really, it was me on probably any other night out, but when people asked who I was, I proudly told them I was Selena.
With Halloween Season around the corner, the topic of cultural appropriation has of, course, surfaced. It is one that I have reflected on quite a bit over the years, but this year I found myself in a mind-numbing level of reflection. What does cultural appropriation actually mean? Where does the line get crossed? Why do some folks still choose to wear a costume that will offend or hurt another group?
I began asking people around me what their thoughts are on cultural appropriation. My Indian roommate talked about her experiences with non-Indian yoga instructors, and how she feels uncomfortable when they try to take on the persona of a yogi, at a studio that is essentially making money off of her culture. My African-American colleague is more empathetic — for example, he believes that white women wearing dreadlocks is OK because it is their decision to do what they want with their hair, and they are appreciating the culture. My Latina friend talked about a time when she had potentially appropriated her own culture by wearing the traditional skull makeup (Calaveras) on Halloween rather than on Día de Los Muertos.
No doubt, this topic is complex, and each person will have their own views. But I wonder, is it possible to come to some sort of agreement on what is OK and what is not? There are many individuals out there that feel like folks are being too “PC”, that we need to stop being so sensitive. And there are individuals out there who are tired of having to explain why they are tired, and do not appreciate that their culture is something that can be “worn” for one night. How can these two individuals come to understand one another?
I began to reflect on whether my choice to dress up as Selena was an act of cultural appropriation. I am not Latina. I am Iranian-American, born and raised in the United States. I cannot claim that Selena is representative of my culture. I didn’t necessarily grow up listening to her music as religiously as some of my LatinX friends have. But I vividly remember watching the Jennifer Lopez movie in 1997, and falling in love with her beauty, her voice, and her fearlessness. From there, I took it upon myself to learn more about Selena, and I saw that she was as incredible as Jennifer Lopez portrayed her to be. I can sing a number of her biggest hits word for word, and often one of her songs ends up being my go-to at karaoke. Based on my research on Selena, I can appreciate what she means to the Mexican-American and broader LatinX community. I appreciate Selena, and that is why I wanted to be her on Halloween.
When I asked my Latina friend whether my costume selection was an act of cultural appropriation, we entered an interesting discussion about the identity of the individual. “I think that it is very different when white people are putting on the caricature with the sombrero, the poncho, then you are making fun of a culture.” But even beyond making fun of a culture, which I think many can agree is where things get crossed, there is an interesting grey line between appreciating and appropriating. She talked about how as a child she would have dressed up as Mulan, but would she do that as an adult? Probably not. In this case, with my being a woman of color and already a similar shade to Selena — is it more OK to dress up as Selena than a white girl?
Questions popped out to me as I reflected (maybe a little too deeply) on this topic. Questions that a person might want to ask themselves when selecting a costume that is representative of a culture or group of people that is not their own…
- Why did I choose this costume?
Do I think highly of the individual character or culture that I have selected to dress up as? Am I choosing to wear this costume because I value what it represents? (Cultural Appreciation) Or am I choosing it to mock or belittle that character or culture?
2. How do I plan to act while wearing the selected costume?
Do I plan to walk around with dignity and pride while wearing the costume? Or do I plan to run around acting a fool in the costume?
Ok, ok. I know what some of you are thinking — it’s Halloween, people are allowed to act a fool (drink, dance, get a little sloppy, etc.) It’s not fair to ask folks to monitor how they are acting while wearing this costume, we should be able to disassociate the two things. While Halloween does bring out the foolishness in many, many of us, if you have selected to wear a costume in which you are representing a different culture or character, and you walk around mocking that culture or character, then your decision to act a fool begs the assumption that you think “they” are fools. They are beneath you. Most non-Mexicans wearing sombreros on Halloween or Cinco de Mayo are not reciting Octavio Paz or talking to you about the beauty of the various regions of the country. They are probably talking endlessly about “cerveza”, joking about crossing the border, and repeating the only sayings that stuck from their 4 years of attempting to learn Spanish. And I would guess that to many Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, that is offensive.
This topic is no doubt a complex one. And in no way will it be resolved by the two questions I posed above. But what I do hope we do is have more dialogue around this topic, and a sense of self-reflection as we select costumes. This Halloween season, if you plan to dress up and represent a culture or character that is not your own, ask yourself: Why you are doing so? How do you plan to act while in that costume? If you have any speck of doubt about whether it will cause harm to a group or culture of people that is not your own, maybe the answer is just don’t do it.
*A third question must now be added — and it has something to do with understanding the history of racism in this country. Because with the two questions above, Megyn Kelly could potentially have dressed up as Diana Ross and worn blackface, and argued that she met the criteria.