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Every Fall, Americans Are Excited By The Return Of Cooler

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Every fall, Americans are excited by the return of cooler weather, changing leaves, seasonal lattes, and the endless possibilities for Halloween costume choices. Whether it be for attending a party, going trick or treating, or just handing out candy, a majority of Americans choose to dress up and celebrate the holiday. Choosing a Halloween costume used to be an untroubled task, yet it has become an increasingly difficult decision in recent years. In times of an “easily offended society,” choosing an appropriate and non-upsetting costume has now become tedious and wearisome. Much of this is because Halloween costumes contribute to and promote cultural appropriation in our society. The Cambridge English dictionary defines cultural …show more content…

Compounding the issue, merchandising and marketing also aid in the appropriation of these cultures because they “continue to sell us costumes that are inarguably politically incorrect and disrespectful to the very identities they are portraying” (Zulch 2015). Some examples of common costumes that are considered to be culturally appropriated are gypsies, Egyptian goddesses, and Geisha girls. One group that is particularly affected by cultural appropriation during the Halloween season is the Native American Indian population. By appropriating Native American culture into Halloween costumes, Americans dismiss the historical Native American Indian genocide, hypersexualize Native American women, and preserve offensive stereotypes regarding Native people. Throughout history, the Native American population in the United States has been denigrated on multiple levels and continues to face inequality and hardship today. Members of the Native American community are constantly reminded of the harsh and devastating history lived by their ancestors, especially around Halloween time. According to Kyle Dlaakaw.éesh Wark, an Indigenous Researcher and Policy Analyst for the First Alaskans Institute, “Stereotyping minorities is bad. Costumes that stereotype minorities are bad. But

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