University students in America have been told not to wear "offensive" halloween costumes including cowboys, indians and anything involving a sombrero.
Students at the University of Colorado Boulder have also been told to avoid "white trash" costumes and anything that portrays a particular culture as "over-sexualised" - which the university says includes dressing up as a geisha or a "squaw" (indigenous woman).
They are also asked not to host parties with offensive themes including those with “ghetto” or "hillbilly" themes or those associated with "crime or sex work."
In the letter sent by a university official students are asked to consider the impact that their costumes could have.
According to a student news website Christina Gonzales, the dean of students, wrote: "Making the choice to dress up as someone from another culture, either with the intention of being humorous or without the intention of being disrespectful, can lead to inaccurate and hurtful portrayals of other people's cultures.
People have also chosen costumes that portray particular cultural identities as overly sexualised, such as geishas, "squaws," or stereotypical, such as cowboys and Indians.
Additionally some students have hosted offensively-themed parties that reinforce negative representations of cultures as being associated with poverty ("ghetto" or "white trash/hillbilly"), crime or sex work.
A university spokesman called cowboy costumes a "crude stereotype" Students at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities have also been asked to make sure their Halloween costumes are politically correct.
In a letter, officials said: "please keep in mind that certain Halloween costumes inappropriately perpetuate racial, cultural, and gender stereotypes."
The move comes at a time when pressure is mounting on one of the most famous American football teams to change their name because of the offense it causes Native Americans.
The campaign for the Washington Redskins to change their name is building momentum, because the term redskin is deemed to be a racist insult.
Earlier this month President Obama said the team should think about changing their name.
SOURCE
Students at the University of Colorado Boulder have also been told to avoid "white trash" costumes and anything that portrays a particular culture as "over-sexualised" - which the university says includes dressing up as a geisha or a "squaw" (indigenous woman).
They are also asked not to host parties with offensive themes including those with “ghetto” or "hillbilly" themes or those associated with "crime or sex work."
In the letter sent by a university official students are asked to consider the impact that their costumes could have.
According to a student news website Christina Gonzales, the dean of students, wrote: "Making the choice to dress up as someone from another culture, either with the intention of being humorous or without the intention of being disrespectful, can lead to inaccurate and hurtful portrayals of other people's cultures.
People have also chosen costumes that portray particular cultural identities as overly sexualised, such as geishas, "squaws," or stereotypical, such as cowboys and Indians.
Additionally some students have hosted offensively-themed parties that reinforce negative representations of cultures as being associated with poverty ("ghetto" or "white trash/hillbilly"), crime or sex work.
A university spokesman called cowboy costumes a "crude stereotype" Students at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities have also been asked to make sure their Halloween costumes are politically correct.
In a letter, officials said: "please keep in mind that certain Halloween costumes inappropriately perpetuate racial, cultural, and gender stereotypes."
The move comes at a time when pressure is mounting on one of the most famous American football teams to change their name because of the offense it causes Native Americans.
The campaign for the Washington Redskins to change their name is building momentum, because the term redskin is deemed to be a racist insult.
Earlier this month President Obama said the team should think about changing their name.
SOURCE
Good for them!
iam a proud half breed... Mexican and indian blood ..don't be such big cry babys...yall look like abunch fuk tards...also embarsssing me!!!!!
"half-breed" Anon:
Mexican IS a mix of indigenous and Spanish and others' blood... just saying.
also, i think the problem is that we don't know when someone is being racist or when someone is being racist ironically, poking fun at the stereotype rather than the culture itself. and often, i don't think the people in costume themselves know the distinction.
but i don't think the solution lies so much in policing what others wear/say (it's pretty naive to think that this will be effective in any way), but in making that aforementioned distinction as stark as possible.
for instance, if you're dressing up as an "Indian", maybe consider dressing up as someone specific, preferably fictional. like Disney's Pocahontas, or Little Bear (Indian in the Cupboard), or even historical figures like Tecumseh and Geronimo.