My Culture is not a costume

MY CULTURE IS NOT A COSTUME

Most of the people in the video “My culture is not a costume” are upset, and rightfully so, on how there cultures are being portrayed. One person in particular stated how they hated the fact that people wore clothes a certain culture wears on halloween because they were basically expressing disrespect towards the other culture.

The discussion of costumes versus culture leads us to the complex concept of cultural appropriation. Simply put, cultural appropriation is the adoption of traits from one culture to another. Despite the inevitability of this occurring in our rapidly globalizing world and the current discourse on racial appropriation in the USA, we would be shortsighted to only see this as a negative phenomenon.

It's time to change the conversation around cultural appropriation. The term has been reduced to mere internet outrage, and dismissed as a tool to keep people from enjoying Halloween.

But the reality is cultural appropriation is a stain on American history. It's the manifestation of one of the earliest, most enduring racist ideals: the belief that people who belong to marginalized cultures are somehow less than human. Once you've dehumanized someone, you can co-opt their culture with ease; their language, dress, and customs aren't worthy of the respect you reserve for your own. On top of centuries of oppression, marginalized groups must now contend with people mocking their identity, right in front of their faces. And when they speak up, critics rush to attack and silence them.

Gianna Collier-Pitts breaks down why the Afro wig is not just a fun hairpiece to wear and discard after a Halloween party. Cashman Aiu explains why it's hurtful to see people co-opt Hawaiian culture for a night of revelry. This shows how lots of people have been affected by cultural disrespect