My Culture is NOT a Costume
Halloween is an exciting time when people mask their own identity and wear unique and exotic costumes. It is a time to display something fun or frightening, but not mock someone else's culture.
A video released by Teen Vogue in 2017 addresses this issue and highlights the offenses made by dressing up in another's cultural clothing as a Halloween costume. By interviewing various people about seeing their cultural clothing being used as a costume by someone of a different background, I was able to see the effects that these actions have on people. I was also able to see how people who dress themselves in a cultural costume are viewed by others.
The video by Teen Vogue shows consistency in how people feel when their culture is wrongfully displayed in a costume not taken seriously. These situations make people feel misunderstood, disrespected, and humiliated because the purpose behind a Halloween costume is not meaningful, whereas their cultural clothing and appearances are to be valued.
People who wear these costumes are recognized as ignorant because their actions show that they were not educated on the ethics of others. Their actions may also be seen as disrespectful because they are taking the appearance out of context and eliminating its true value. However, there are many people whose intentions are not to make fun of a culture, but possible outcomes of these acts are overlooked.
I think that there are many ways in which a costume may be inappropriate and offensive. Therefore, the process of creating and deciding on a Halloween costume should include consideration of others. To dissuade people into wearing such costumes, I think that awareness should be spread. To spread awareness, media such as this video by Teen Vogue can be created and shared. By being truthful and explaining a point of view, people may realize the effects of their actions and how it has the potential to have a negative impact on others.
Many people who wear a different culture than their own as a costume do not realize that they can be insulting or degrading others. It only takes thinking twice about our actions to prevent unnecessary conflicts and discouragement of others.
A video released by Teen Vogue in 2017 addresses this issue and highlights the offenses made by dressing up in another's cultural clothing as a Halloween costume. By interviewing various people about seeing their cultural clothing being used as a costume by someone of a different background, I was able to see the effects that these actions have on people. I was also able to see how people who dress themselves in a cultural costume are viewed by others.
The video by Teen Vogue shows consistency in how people feel when their culture is wrongfully displayed in a costume not taken seriously. These situations make people feel misunderstood, disrespected, and humiliated because the purpose behind a Halloween costume is not meaningful, whereas their cultural clothing and appearances are to be valued.
People who wear these costumes are recognized as ignorant because their actions show that they were not educated on the ethics of others. Their actions may also be seen as disrespectful because they are taking the appearance out of context and eliminating its true value. However, there are many people whose intentions are not to make fun of a culture, but possible outcomes of these acts are overlooked.
I think that there are many ways in which a costume may be inappropriate and offensive. Therefore, the process of creating and deciding on a Halloween costume should include consideration of others. To dissuade people into wearing such costumes, I think that awareness should be spread. To spread awareness, media such as this video by Teen Vogue can be created and shared. By being truthful and explaining a point of view, people may realize the effects of their actions and how it has the potential to have a negative impact on others.
Many people who wear a different culture than their own as a costume do not realize that they can be insulting or degrading others. It only takes thinking twice about our actions to prevent unnecessary conflicts and discouragement of others.
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