Deck: With Halloween around the corner, it’s the perfect time to discuss the ever-growing movement of people wearing culturally significant clothing. The terms ‘cultural appreciation’ and ‘cultural appropriation’ have been floating around the internet for a long time now, but what do these terms really mean? What is the actual significance of these costumes and how would one appropriately engage in another’s culture? 

The problem

As Halloween rounds the corner, many Liberty students are trying to decide on their costumes. With options ranging from Star Wars to vampires, individuals are left searching for a funny and creative outfit to beat the prior year. However, Halloween has left many minorities worried about cultural appropriation.

“People feel like Halloween is a “Get Out of Jail Free” card where they can be whatever they want. There’s a spirit of pretending and dressing up, but it should never be at the expense of someone else,” science teacher Kaela Yuen said.

The local costume store is where most high school students get their Halloween outfits. Unfortunately, many individuals, such as people of Mexican, Native American, and Polynesian origin, see their cultures depicted harmfully in these costumes. Yuen, the staff equity team leader for Liberty, describes the process of buying offensive costumes as a way for businesses and corporations to actively make a profit off of other people’s stereotypes.

“Costume stores make their income off of the entertainment of cultural appropriation. At the same time, by simply wearing someone’s cultural costume an individual is profiting without making any money. They’re happy and enjoying themselves, but it’s at someone else’s cost,” Yuen said.

Such a cost can become extremely taxing around the holidays when certain cultures are frequently targeted.

“Appropriation definitely makes minorities feel unappreciated and like they’re not really seen. With Native American costumes, it treats the culture as if it’s dead, even though it’s really not,” history teacher Cameron Talley said. “It all ties back to the American colonial mindset where you separate yourself from people who look different from you.”

Decades and decades of cultural appropriation and harmful assimilation have disheartened minority communities. “Joking” costumes overlook that historical experience.

“It has taken me a while to come to terms with the fact that I’m not white and have a culture outside of what we commonly see represented in the US,” senior Anjali Dixit said. “Cultural appropriation invalidates that struggle of acceptance in our own culture.”

Media’s influence

While cultural appropriation has been a continuity throughout time, its influence has recently grown. The rise of social media now allows individuals to spread hateful ideas to a broad spectrum of people.

“Celebrities such as Trisha Paytas confirm stereotypes. They often culturally appropriate because they think it’s “funny” and will build their platform. But, in the end, celebrities are really just disrespecting people and their cultures. That’s not okay,” junior AJ Pearman said.

When people watch their favorite influencers do something, whether it’s beneficial or harmful, there’s an inherent need to replicate their actions. As a result, appropriation begins to rapidly spread as a “trend”. 57% of Liberty minority students have seen their culture used as a costume.

“There was this trend on Tik Tok where people put mud on their faces and danced to an Indian song. The video was not a celebration, it was a mockery of Indians,” senior Meghna Menon said. “Being Indian myself, the experience was so degrading and dehumanizing.”

When discovering things in the media, many minority Liberty students have emphasized the importance of fully understanding the significance of a specific outfit and researching beyond what a single influencer claims.

“Many celebrities appropriate, but don’t issue apologies. Others then see that trend and participate, despite having no context of the historical and cultural significance,” Menon said.

Cultural appreciation vs appropriation

Many people don’t understand why specific clothing items and costumes are considered cultural appropriation, even if they simply want to appreciate one’s culture. So what exactly is the difference between appropriation and appreciation?

“Cultural appropriation comes from a place of ignorance and a lack of education. Cultural appreciation can be celebrating a holiday that’s not from your culture, but you have to make sure you do your research,” Talley said. 

The main difference between the two is the situation or intention one has when taking parts of someone else’s culture. Different communities have been suppressed from engaging in their culture for generations. Others have wished for minorities to assimilate into their own,  causing a decline in cultural expression. Many have struggled to gain back their cultural independence and pride. When someone from a different background takes items from these minority cultures without proper research on how to respectfully do so, the impact of cultural traditional practices is lessened, and many times, sexualized or made fun of. 

“I’ve seen a lot of people do blackface whenever they’re dressing up as black characters, but that’s really unnecessary. You don’t have to do blackface to dress up as a black person,” Talley said. 

Rather than being respected and seen as the culturally significant clothing it is, the garment is often inaccurate, exaggerated, or sexualized. It takes someone’s history and turns it into a costume that can be worn and discarded in one night.

“In the end, culture is not an aesthetic. Cultural appreciation is when you research aspects of it and look into the meaning behind it. Instead of simply using a culture, you’re embracing it,” Menon said.

Menon’s experiences are proof that appropriation can have a profound impact. To prevent offensive costumes, she encourages people to take care to wear clothing in a proper way.

“If you want to celebrate someone’s culture, you want to do it in a way where they feel celebrated, not oppressed,” Yuen said.

Steps to take

While using cultural elements from another group in an exploitative or offensive way is harmful, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t a correct way to explore another culture. There are certain things a person can do to make sure they are being respectful while bringing perspective to a minority culture. 

“People should educate themselves. The most important thing is education and understanding the history and cultural significance before participating in a different culture,” Pearman said.

According to Dixit, reaching out to people of that minority group and asking questions if you are unsure about what you should or should not do. 

“They want to teach you about it and share that part of them, so just seek that information about whatever it is you find interesting,” Dixit said. “As a person of color, I love when people want to learn about my culture and want to participate.”

If a person ends up culturally appropriating, there are things they can do to grow from that mistake. The first step is to apologize. 

“First, you have to admit that you are wrong. If someone calls you out, you don’t have the right to blame the victim for being offended. It’s your role to take responsibility for your actions if they hurt someone,” Menon said.

In addition to recognizing the mistake, it’s also important to improve and learn from the experience. 

“No matter what, learning is important. I think we all just need to keep learning and growing, myself included. There was growth from five years ago to now and it’s going to be growing even from now, five years from now,” Yuen said. 

It’s necessary to have a growth mindset when dealing with cultural appropriation. People need to recognize that humans make mistakes, but also have the ability to be better as people.

“It’s important that we don’t shut things down; we need to always digest and have a mindset of bettering ourselves every day,” Yuen said. “I think we can all have grace for one another and ourselves if we all have an open mind when it comes to topics like these.”

By learning, improving, and supporting minorities in our communities, we can help them feel seen and celebrated.