Culture is Not a Costume: Cultural Appropriation and Halloween
I know some of you super-prepared parents out there are already getting costumes put together for your kiddos, and you may be wondering about cultural appropriation as you’re looking through the shelves and online at all the costume options.
I get asked all the time about how to avoid cultural appropriation with Halloween costumes, and it’s actually a topic I’ve covered in the past. In Season 3, Episode 1 of the First Name Basis Podcast — “Your Top 5 Cultural Appropriation Questions Answered” — I answered two questions about how to avoid cultural appropriation at Halloween.
Because this topic is sort of hidden in that episode, I decided to take pieces of that episode, add a bit more info, and make one episode — a one-stop shop for you to get all of your costume questions answered.
In this episode, you will learn about:
• Indigenous appropriation on Halloween and how these costumes put Indigenous women in danger.
• How you can avoid appropriation in Halloween costumes.
• When it is appropriate to wear cultural artifacts.
Ally Elementary
Parents and teachers have asked for a practical, interactive way to implement the anti-racist strategies that I lay out in the First Name Basis Podcast. So we are launching “Ally Elementary: Anti-Racist Education for Families and Schools.”
During this five-week program parents and teachers will work together with the children in their lives to create a culture of anti-racism, and I will be there to guide them every step of the way. We will use hands-on activities to teach our children about everything from the untold story of how race was created to how they can disrupt racism in their everyday lives. I am so excited to watch the families and schools in our community make a meaningful transformation and improve their communities through anti-racist action.
Articles, Studies & Podcasts Referenced in the Episode
First Name Basis Podcast: Season 3, Episode 1: “Your Top 5 Cultural Appropriation Questions Answered”
“These costumes objectify Native American women. Retailers won’t stop selling them” by Nadra Nittle, Vox
“Our Society Can Never Really Eradicate Patriarchy or Sexual Violence When We Permit Violence Against Indigenous Women,” by Dani M., Wear Your Voice
“Yandy Responds to New Times Article, Says Costumes ‘Pay Homage’ to Native Americans” by Molly Longman, Phoenix New Times
“Yandy Finally Got Rid Of An Offensive Costume. So Why Are Some Protesters Still Angry?” by Molly Longman, Refinery29
“How to dress your Pākehā child up as Maui or Moana without appropriating Pasifika culture” by Emmaline Matagi, The Spinoff
“Please don’t tell your kids they can’t dress as Moana this Halloween” by Preeti Varathan, Quartz
“PSA: Don’t Let Your Kid Dress Up In These Costumes” by Rachel Garlinghouse, Scary Mommy
“Why Your White Kid Probably Shouldn’t Dress Up As Moana For Halloween” by Eden Hagos, Today’s Parent
Song credit: “Sleeper” by Steve Adams” and “Dive Down” by VYEN
