Social Question

JLeslie's avatar

If someone dresses like your culture on Halloween are you offended?

Asked by JLeslie (65790points) October 29th, 2019 from iPhone

I was just looking at the current lists of Halloween costumes you should never wear that are associated with cultural appropriation. The lists included dressing like an Egyptian, Native American, Bollywood, Mariachi, and Gypsy.

What do you think, is it culturally offensive if it’s not making fun, but actually you like or admire the cultural dress? Is it best to stay away from any costume that depicts stereotypical dress from any country or culture?

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11 Answers

josie's avatar

It will eventually get to the point where you can only wear your skivvies.

And then EVERYBODY will be offended.

jca2's avatar

I feel like people are looking to be offended at too many things now.

If someone put on a sombrero and was a Mexican for the day I would not find it offensive, and my father’s from Mexico.

kritiper's avatar

Truly, it’s political correctness gone amok. Like I would be totally offended if everyone dressed up in regular clothes and a long haired wig.

KNOWITALL's avatar

No, people have dressed up as a characterization of a hillbilly/redneck/cowboy forever.

ucme's avatar

Anyone rocking up at my door clad in bowler hat, crisp black business suit, carrying an umbrella & brief case gets this reaction.

Ahh you must be here for interview, position of butler?”

tinyfaery's avatar

I’m not sure how to feel about all of this. Pop culture has done a lot of damage to minorities and people of color—like minstrels, which included black face, and used exaggerated stereotypes of black Americans to ridicule and debase them. I can see why that is completely inappropriate and dressing up with black face is offensive. But I’m not sure that donning a sombrero and a poncho is inherently offensive, even though those stereotypes have been overplayed in movies and other media.

I think I need to learn more about this subject before I come to definitive conclusion; a crazy concept, I know.

lucillelucillelucille's avatar

No, I doubt that I would.

ragingloli's avatar

Listen, anyone dressing like an octopus is asking for it.

Love_my_doggie's avatar

Bland, white, and European? Nope, not offended. Feel free to make a costume of me and wear it anywhere you’d like.

Demosthenes's avatar

I’m of Hispanic descent and I would not personally be offended by a mariachi costume. It’s an aspect of Mexican culture that they’re dressing up as and I’m fine with that. Now if they’re just dressing up as “a Mexican” that I’d find a bit weird and potentially offensive. But that’s not what I see.

Sagacious's avatar

No one should even care. If you want to dress like a gypsy, just do. We need to remove offend and offensive out of the dictionary except pertaining to sports.

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