By: Yasmin Perez, Kevin Mosqueda, Magdalena Montero
As Halloween approaches many are looking for costumes to wear. Many decide to go with their favorite character from their favorite TV show or movie, or with standard costumes like being a nurse or a police officer, shown below:
However, many take Halloween too serious and choose to go with overdramatic costumes that may offend others. Down below are four costumes that will seem offensive to certain groups of people.
We interviewed students and teachers to show what they think about the costumes above.
APB students shared their own opinions about these costumes. When we asked senior Andrea Gallardo what she thought about a Native American costume, she said, “If you know what they wear symbolizes something then why would you do that? I would find a person riding a donkey with a poncho offensive to my (Mexican) culture.”
Next, we showed Andrea the picture of the deported girl being carried by Trump, her response was interesting. “That’s so ignorant, imagine someone wearing this to school with DACA Dreamers. When we asked her opinion on the Boston Marathon costume, she said, “Many people died and families lost loved ones, it is a tragic event that should not be made into a costume.”
We later asked Andrea about the Moana character costume, she said, “I am in between because he is a character in a movie so I think it is okay, but if someone wears it, to say they are dressed like a Hawaiian then I don’t agree with that. I think the Boston Marathon was the most offensive because it is not okay to make fun of something like that.
On the contrary, another student had a different view of these costumes. “I would find Blackface and the KKK offensive. I would also find people in Mexican costumes like a white person with a sombrero and a poncho offensive,” said David Bañuelos, a senior. We demonstrated the images in the same order as we did with Andrea. “The deportation costume is clever. Not offensive but clever.”
After we showed David the Boston Bombing costume, he said, “Sure, it was a tragic event, not offensive towards myself but it is offensive to the families that lost their loved ones during that time.” David didn’t really touch on The Native Costume saying, “The Native American costume is not offensive.” We asked about the Moana character, and David said, “Well people who get offended are snowflakes, it is just a costume and kids should be allowed wear this, in my opinion.” David concluded with, “People shouldn’t get offended by everything they see.”
To add on, Government teacher Mr. Snyder and English teacher Ms. Siemientkowski, both shared similar views about the four costumes. When it came to the costume about Getting Deported by Donald Trump, Mr. Snyder said that it was “not appropriate” while Ms. Siemientkowski did not like it and caused her to feel sad. After showing the second offensive costume the “Boston Marathon Victim” both teachers agreed that it was “not appropriate” and that it was “not okay to make fun of victims”. When we showed them the Native American costume, both found it offensive because it is stereotypical and Ms. Siemientkowski added, if you were to dress up like a Native American because you admire the culture, then “there are other ways to do so, but not with a generic Native American costume.”. Lastly, when it came to the Moana character Maui, both Mr. Snyder and Ms. Siemientkowski felt conflicted about the costume because it is a character from a movie and that it’s okay but if someone dressed up in this costume and said that they were a generic Polynesian then it is not appropriate.
When it came to ask them about what is the first thing that comes up to mind when it comes to offensive costumes, Ms. Siemientkowski said, “Nazis” and Mr. Snyder said, “Things that are racially and ethnically insensitive,” Then when asked, what would be offensive to their culture or themselves, Mr. Snyder said “anything stereotypical” in specific about anyone who is Jewish, Ms. Siemientkowski said, “People dressing up as Nazis.” because her grandmother was in a concentration camp, and being half Colombian, she would find it especially offensive if someone dressed up as Pablo Escobar”, and also “anyone in blackface.”
They also gave some ideas for anyone looking to dress up for Halloween they should be something creative and unique like some puns or make smash up costumes.