Berkeley offensive costume ban is laudable

Yasmine Kahsai | Daily Trojan

Cultural sensitivity is not exactly America’s strong suit. It’s ironic, maybe, that the developed nation with arguably the most cultural and ethnic diversity is so consistently deferential only to the whims of one racial group. On occasions like Halloween, the social construction of white dominance is often happily exhibited. Ethnically based costumes like “Native American girl,” “Oriental Woman” and “Arab Man” sell at almost any age group — and are found to be disturbingly popular among children under 12. While maintaining almost no veritable aspect of the culture from which these costumes profess to draw, culturally based ensembles do more than remind us of the ethnic hierarchy which so many Americans have spent their lives trying to combat. They reinforce the trivialization of exceedingly marginalized groups. A child might wear the “Native American girl” costume for a night, but her Cherokee, Navajo or Choctaw neighbors and their children must bear the social consequences for the rest of their lives — the dehumanizing and demoralizing message that their culture is not worth the respect or reverence of their peers. Their entire familial heritage becomes a joke. No amount of “fun” can counterbalance that effect. This is not the manner in which any parent should allow their children to celebrate.

So it is only with the greatest amount of sensitivity and courage that Berkeley’s Rosa Parks Elementary School issued a notice to parents last week that ethnically or racially motivated costumes would not be tolerated on school grounds. The school informed its community that these costumes may make members of these cultures and ethnicities feel “unsafe and/or disrespected.” The school, as well as its community, should be proud of this measure. It not only represents its commitment to maintaining the physical and emotional well-being of all students, but also indicates a step in the right direction — a much-needed advancement toward an American observation of the country’s wonderfully diverse heritage.

It is important to note that Rosa Parks Elementary School explicitly stated that costumes fashioned after specific members of ethnicities are still entirely acceptable. Dressing up as a specific character, position or historical figure is not a form of racist mimicry. When children trick-or-treat as Aladdin and Princess Tiana, they are understanding that person as a person — not as the blank face of some misunderstood “exotic” ethnicity. There is a very large, very important difference between the Chinese warrior Mulan and “Oriental Woman Costume” — and the elementary school does a commendable job of taking this into account.

Despite personal feelings on the nature of microaggression or subconscious racism, Halloween participants everywhere — including here at USC — should deeply consider how they approach an understanding of different cultures and subgroups. Eradicating these costumes is also a measure to protect the self-perception and self-esteem of students of color. A black student with dreadlocks should not have to watch his hairstyle become part of a joke when his white classmate adds “Rastafarian wig” to his Halloween repertoire. A Sikh student does not deserve to see his or her culture devalued by a mislabeled and ignorant “Arab Man” getup. By wearing ethnically motivated costumes, students unintentionally perpetuate the invisibility and otherness that people of color are consistently made to feel. The Chicano/a poncho is not a costume. The dashiki is not a costume. The hijab is not a costume. These are pieces of long-lasting, vibrant cultures that deserve respect.

Students of color already have to operate biculturally, constantly walking the line between the culture of white social dominance and whitewashing while also attempting to remain observant of their cultural roots. Students at USC and beyond should keep in mind the way they choose to approach issues of race and their own privilege — our collective goal should be to further the inclusion of non-white cultures in the American canon of respected and revered traditions. Rosa Parks Elementary School was absolutely right to exercise administrative discretion in the protection of students of color. Schools across the nation should follow suit — and with the holiday fast approaching, we should all take heed.