Have fun this Halloween; just remember that culture is not a costume!

BY SYDNEE WALCOTT

As Halloween approaches and people are gearing up to go trick-or-treating, go to parties, or enjoy any festivals that cities across the GTA have to offer, people who choose to dress up should remember that culture is not a costume.

Dressing up has always been a significant part of Halloween, as people dress up in a variety of different costumes such as: witches, zombies, princess, mummies, celebrities, or even characters from a favorite show or movie.

While some like to be playful and creative with their costume choices, others take things too far by dressing in a way that is deemed to be offensive as they chose to dress up in attire that is part of someone’s culture.

When people dress up as a person of another race, or culture, they are perpetuating stereotypes, also known as cultural appropriation.

Over the years, while scrolling through social media, I have come across pictures of people dressed in Blackface or dressing up as a person who either identifies as: Indigenous, Asian, Mexican, or Muslim.

Last year, there was an incident that led to an unnamed teacher from Parkdale Collegiate Institute being fired from the TDBS after showing up to the school dressed in Blackface.

To help tackle this issue, schools have been stepping up to remind students that culture and costumes are two different things.

During my time as a student at Humber College, students would always be encouraged to dress up and take part in Halloween festivities that would happen across campus, but they always made sure to remind students that someone else’s culture is not a costume.

Although my time as a student has since ended, I recently thought to myself that it would be a great idea to continue to spread that message outside of school so that everyone can continue to be mindful of, and respect the cultures of other people.

So please, go ahead and have a great time, enjoy yourself this Halloween; just when enjoying remember that culture is not a costume!