Consideration with Purim Costumes and MM

skirtznsox

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 11:53 am

After a discussion taking place in another forum, I thought this was worth posting here. Another poster mentioned there was value to actually quoting, so I'm posting the link (the whole link isn't working, you'll have to copy and paste it not just click) and then some of the text.

http://www.shivteijeshurunsoci...../cv3m

Quote:

Hundreds of Jews across the United States dress up to celebrate the holiday of Purim, and while many draw inspiration from biblical sources, and others from historical contexts, many others draw inspiration from current events and figures. In anticipation of the holiday, the Board of Directors of the Shivtei Jeshurun Society for the Advancement of Jewish Racial & Ethnic Diversity would like to take the opportunity to remind members of the Jewish community that they should wear costumes, not cultures, and formally condemns the use of black-face, yellow-face, brown-face, and all its iterations and incarnations.

The premise is simple: Despite the "harmless" intent of the costume-wearer, no Jew anywhere would tolerate a celebration of Halloween which included the wearing of a costume depicting Shylock--the character used by Nazis for anti-Semitic propaganda, and for the past four centuries the traditional image depicting of Jews as cruel, lecherous, and avaricious. Similarly, no Jew should tolerate individuals dressing like a "Mexican", "Geisha girl", or "thug", or as a black person by putting on black-face makeup. The act of dressing up as a stereotypical cultural character is problematic because they hold the same weighted history of dehumanization as Shylock does.

These costumes reduce the depiction of different cultures down to a collection of stereotypes and assumptions which are far more hurtful and one-dimensional than the richness of any person's background. Much like the "Costumes, Not Cultures" movement surrounding Halloween, it is time to apply the same ideology of sensitivity to Purim. The Jewish population is as racially and ethnically diverse as the non-Jewish population, and it is imperative that the Jewish community rejects any practice that alienates or offends any member of its community or any other community.

For this reason, and because it is the right thing, we ask every member of the Jewish community to join the SJS in rejecting the use of racist and offensive costumes to "celebrate" a holiday. We task all Jews to think through their choice of costume, and educate individuals who wear racist, insensitive, and offensive outfits.

I agree that dressing up as a caricature of another “race” is poor taste and offensive. What about generally harmless depictions of other cultures? Or things like ninjas, samurais, or Egyptian mummies that are historical costumes, not racial characters. Shouldn't that be okay?

A racial group does not make for an appropriate costume. Dressing up as another culture is--if not racist--then at the very least insensitive, appropriative, and an act of privilege. The concepts of cultural appropriation and racism are closely intertwined, and many people think "racist" only means "negative caricatures of a race intended to stereotype, denigrate, or mock another culture." Clearly, most Purim celebrators don't mean to make anyone feel bad, so they consider their actions not to be "racist". However, they can still be appropriating other cultures, no matter what their intentions are, and that is still harmful.

... the Talmud in Bava Metzia 58b states that one of the three kinds of people who descend to Gehinnom (Hell) and never reascend is one who gives his neighbor a malicious nickname, even if the nickname is common. Likewise, just because a depiction of a culture is so commonplace that you cannot see how it would be offensive does not mean that it is, in fact, inoffensive.

If you are truly trying to practice tikkun olam and avahat Yisrael or just trying to be a generally good person, then even if you don’t fully understand why someone feels hurt, if it’s in your reasonable power to not hurt them, you shouldn’t.

Copy and past the full link into your browser to read the whole campaign.
http://www.shivteijeshurunsociety.org/#!purimnotprejudice/cv3m

Also, what if you've already bought a costume for yourself or your kids? DON'T give it to a gemach and make someone else have to potentially make the same mistake. Donate it to a children's museum, or a playgroup or preschool where they'll actually teach about the cultures. If you realized you'd accidentally bought egg matzah for the seder, you wouldn't say "oh well, I guess that's what I'll have to use since I bought it already." Same thing. It's a chillul Hashem. Make a kiddush Hashem instead, and make the right choice! (I think I may write to SJS and suggest they add this suggestion, too. Do you find it helpful?)

saw50st8

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 1:55 pm

skirtznsox wrote:

I am not projecting. In fact, I didn't even write this campaign, so I'm not sure where that question is coming from. I am not a part of the SJS board. The members of the SJS board, some of whom I know personally, are an African-American Jew, a Paraguayain(sp?) Jew, a Native American Jew, and a few other ethnicities, none entirely Ashkenazi. Some were born, some were converted, all are Jews. They follow varying denominations and practices, from chassidish to Reform. They made this, and spoke with many other non-White/non-Ashkenazi Jews before and while creating the campaign.

If you're dressing in a cultural costume, not just "for fun" but to educate, that's one thing. Are you going to be historically accurate, respectful, and explaining yourself the whole time? Otherwise, just don't do it.

I don't fully agree with this.

I think it's wrong to dress up as a caricature of another culture. So, if you make Pocahantas into "slutty Pocahantas" I think that's wrong. But I don't understand the offense of dressing in cultural costume. Otherwise, there is no costume out there that isn't offensive to people. Cowboys? Nope. Soldier? Nope. Any form of animal? Nope (that's offensive to PETA).

Barbara

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 2:19 pm

saw50st8 wrote:

Really? You think that ponies are a group of marginalized people in the US, and that dressing as My Little Pony perpetuates offensive stereotypes that continue to harm ponies?

Quoting part of an excellent article:

Quote:

I’m Irish and I don’t get offended by that dude in a leprechaun costume over there.

That’s good. But a leprechaun isn’t a real person, and there’s not a contemporary community of Leprechauns who are undergoing active colonialism and actively fighting misrepresentations. I totally feel for all those leprechauns living in poverty while the US government continues to systematically marginalize them through ongoing policies that ignore their inherent sovereignty and Indigenous rights to the land. While the Irish may have had a history of oppression in the US, no one can argue that they are still marginalized or would be categorized as anything other than part of the majority culture.

If that’s too wordy?

Dude, Leprechauns aren’t real people.

I’m Pocahontas/Tiger Lily/an Indian from Peter Pan/a historic figure/other fictional character!

That’s cool, but all of those were based off of the same hurtful stereotypes. Have you SEEN Peter Pan? “What makes the red man red?”? Really? Pocahontas might seem like a “good” stereotype–but she’s still an oversexualized woman who talks to animals and trees and is only famous because she saves a white dude. If you were the “real” pocahontas you’d also be 9-12 years old.

But are zombies offensive to the zombie peoples? What about Cowboys? Doctors?

Zombies are not real (YET), cowboys and doctors are a profession. Not a group of marginalized people. Yes, I think geisha costumes, mexican costumes, pimp costumes, and any other racialized costume are offensive too.

Quote:

You know why I can’t get over it? Because when I look at you in your bastardized version of my culture, I can’t help think about my ancestors. Who wore clothing maybe something like what you’re trying to imitate, albeit not cheap *** fabric from the costume shop, and were considered “savages” and “animals” by the US. Whose lives were considered disposable. Who were considered impediments to the “march of progress.” Who were slaughtered by the millions by disease and weapons brought by colonialism. I think about the thousands of Indian children, including my family, forcibly sent to government-run boarding schools where when they showed up wearing an outfit like yours, they were forced to wear western clothing, have their braids cut, and would be beaten if they spoke their Native languages. The goal was to erase all of their culture, to “kill the Indian” but “save the man.” I see you with your “peace pipe” and “eagle feathers” and think about how until 1978, Native peoples weren’t allowed to practice our own spirituality with those objects because it. was. illegal. Today, the ongoing issues in our communities are direct results of these colonial practices, and it hasn’t slowed down. This isn’t ancient history. This is present day. Now, it’s suddenly “cool” and “trendy” to rock Native “costumes”? So society is saying, “Hey Natives, we had the power to convince everyone that your cultures were savage and backward, but guess what! Now we have the power to change our minds. Those things we thought were so bad? We miss them. But of course, you have no power over this situation. No matter what–you, as silly primitive beings, can’t change how we portray you. Your cultures and identities are ours to control. And while we’re at it? All those cultural markers of clothing, jewelry, and spirituality that we’re now so anxious to buy? We’re gonna make them ourselves. Or, a factory in China is going to make them. So really, we don’t actually need you now either.”

So yeah, you might think you’re “honoring” us, or being “respectful”–but I look at you and just see you honoring a legacy of colonialism that openly tried to erase my people from the planet. That’s not respect. So no, I’m not going to get over it.

http://nativeappropriations.co......html

Now, for years I've been telling everyone here its offensive. There are hundreds of articles about it. So as I asked someone else, why is it so important to you that your kids dress up as what other consider to be offensive stereotypes? Even if you disagree, when you know that other do find it offensive, why does your desire to have your kid dress up as a Native American trump their offense?

Fox

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 2:19 pm

Wow! I'm not entirely sure which is more offensive -- the genuinely offensive costumes that are out there or the cultural insensitivity and ignorance displayed by the authors of this piece.

Quote: wrote:

Similarly, no Jew should tolerate individuals dressing like a "Mexican", "Geisha girl", or "thug", or as a black person by putting on black-face makeup. The act of dressing up as a stereotypical cultural character is problematic because they hold the same weighted history of dehumanization as Shylock does.

So they've managed to lump blackface, which actually does have offensive conotations, with geishas, a profession which preserves Japanese culture and history, and Mexicans, whose historical national dress is offensive because the writers apparently feel that being Mexican is inherently a negative thing. I'm not sure what they mean by "thugs."

Two out of their three examples are apparently warped by their own ignorance and lack of historical knowledge. One example is inexplicable, and only one has real merit.

Quote: wrote:

These costumes reduce the depiction of different cultures down to a collection of stereotypes and assumptions which are far more hurtful and one-dimensional than the richness of any person's background.

Yes, clothing does that. Many people, for example, see me just as a fat, middle-aged Jewish woman because of my clothing and appearance, even though that role is only one dimension of my life.

Quote: wrote:

A racial group does not make for an appropriate costume. Dressing up as another culture is--if not racist--then at the very least insensitive, appropriative, and an act of privilege. The concepts of cultural appropriation and racism are closely intertwined, and many people think "racist" only means "negative caricatures of a race intended to stereotype, denigrate, or mock another culture." Clearly, most Purim celebrators don't mean to make anyone feel bad, so they consider their actions not to be "racist". However, they can still be appropriating other cultures, no matter what their intentions are, and that is still harmful.

The subject of cultural appropriation is far more complex, and simplifying for this purpose dumbs it down to a useless theory.

To a certain degree, *all* historical national dress constitutes "costume" not only for outsiders, but for members of that group, as well. Historical national dress is worn on special or ceremonial occasions to invoke connection to the past as well as solidify and proclaim identity.

Geishas do not wear kimonos and obis when they're off the job; the streets of Glasgow are not filled with men in kilts; Mexicans do not wear straw sombreros when making petro-chemical deals. All of us "culturally appropriate" elements of our own cultures that may actually have little to do with our geneaology.

Sadly, while well-intentioned and obviously correct in certain aspects, this article does precisely what it accuses others of doing: it confuses historical national costumes with actual, multi-dimensional people.

Personally, I'm doing a Scottish theme this year, but I'm being very careful to use the Davidson tartan, which I and my children are entitled to wear. I hadn't planned on bringing a family tree to assure people that I am not "culturally appropriating" something that doesn't belong to me, but perhaps that would be a good idea!

Fox

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 2:37 pm

Barbara wrote:

Even if you disagree, when you know that other do find it offensive, why does your desire to have your kid dress up as a Native American trump their offense?

I'd like to believe that few people are completely tone-deaf regarding this issue, though I never fail to be surprised. I personally wouldn't do a Native American costume simply because it might make me look insensitive, despite the fact that there are many Native Americans who have more nuanced opinions than the writer of this op-ed.

However, I think the arguments tend to arise because it seems like such a slippery slope. The authors of the originally-quoted piece make no distinction between blackface (associated with legitimately offensive stereotypes); Mexicans (a national group -- *not* a racial group); geishas (a profession); and "thugs" (whatever that means). That's shocking to me, and frankly, it makes them seem incredibly ignorant.

Sometimes, it seems that sensitivity only breeds more ignorance, not less.

Barbara

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 2:43 pm

Fox wrote:

I never fail to be surprised by the people who don't recognize that the costumes that you're discussing perpetuate negative social stereotypes that are extremely offensive to many, many people. I'd like to believe that its because they haven't been told about how offensive the costumes are. But when they're told, and keep saying that its a "slippery slope" or any other such pablum, I'm left to believe that either they don't give a hoot about the feelings of others, or they're racist themselves.

Fox

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 3:03 pm

Barbara wrote:

She's dressing them in an offensive stereotype of what Mexicans wear.

Okay, so clue me in -- what is an "offensive stereotype of what Mexicans wear"?

I would have guessed sombreros and serapes. But that's not offensive *unless* you believe that Mexicans and Mexican history are inherently unworthy. That's a historical national costume. Unless it's paired in some way with a negative stereotype, it says more about your preconceptions of Mexicans than those of the costume wearer.

Barbara wrote:

And in the end, it really doesn't matter what YOU think. People from these cultures have spoken out, loudly and repeatedly. THEY have said its offensive.

Who are you to tell them its not?

Why is your opinion more important than theirs?

No, *some* people have spoken out, and their views are worth considering. But it is dishonest to claim that these views represent the only or even majority voices.

Let's look at some examples:

Commerically-sold Native American costumes are most problematic because they don't actually represent anything -- they tend to be a hodge-podge. However, there are many Native Americans who disagree sharply with the sentiments of the op-ed piece. In fact, attend a powwow and they'll be happy to sell you various costume pieces, explain how to wear them, what they mean, and what would/would not be offensive.

In Kyoto, there are tons of "geisha studios" where people can don geisha clothing, be photographed, or even walk the streets. This is not offensive to actual geishas, who seem to have mixed opinions, but generally think it adds to the atmosphere.

Scottish websites offer all kinds of help for people who are not of Scottish descent in selecting items, explaining how they're worn, etc.

As I said, I don't necessarily disagree with you about Native American costumes. Like blackface, there is a history there that is too raw and recent.

That said, I don't like the intellectual dishonesty associated with the issue. Reducing the discussion to the loudest voices doesn't necessarily make the world a better place, and in a web-connected world, it's actually pretty avoidable. If imamothers find themselves conflicted on the topic, it's better for them to go directly to Native American websites where they can get direct feedback rather than to rely on you *or* me.

Fox

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 3:14 pm

Barbara wrote:

I feel like we're talking at cross-purposes.

How could *anyone* fail to be offended by an article that equates blackface, geisha traditional dress, Mexican national dress, and "thugs"? While this group no doubt has laudable goals, they seem to need to work on themselves first.

I'm not excusing insensitivity, but I also don't believe it's adequate to simply say that all historical national dress is offensive and cast aspersions on anyone who wants a deeper discussion.

Barbara

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 3:28 pm

Fox wrote:

How could "anyone" not understand that a geisha costume, for example, appropriates Japanese culture in a way that perpetuates harmful stereotypes. The Asian submissive, hypersexual stereotype inherent in such a costume is particularly damaging to Asian women.

And frankly, you are not attempting to engage in any type of "deeper discussion." All you keep doing is repeating that no one with any intelligence can disagree with you; ergo, those who disagree, like me, like the hundreds of people who have stated that the costumes are offensive, are morons, not up to your supreme level of intelligence. That's not a "deeper discussion." It's offensive, and its a discussion stopper.

JAWSCIENCE

Thu, Feb 19 2015, 3:30 pm

For any item you can almost always find someone who find it offensive. I think it really depends on if the majority of people from that culture find it offensive, not just one person who elected themselves spokesperson for the community. How to gauge that is tough and involves a lot of common sense, which many people do seem to be lacking.

What about people who like to travel, buying clothes in the countries to which they travel - like buying clogs or the national costume of a different country? Is this inherently offensive? Some of the professors here (a pretty multinational academic institution) like to dress us in Sari's when we visit them for holidays like Diwali, or sometimes they bring back authentic items from their countries as gifts like the lovely Chinese red bridal scarf someone once gave me as a wedding gift. Is it offensive for me to own these items and to wear them?

Also I find the person taking offense because the costumes are made of cheap material to be a little nit-picky. If the costumes were made of expensive material that would be OK? I think not. A really expensive feathered head dress is still probably offensive. Saying people are wearing "cheap ***" material is just a way being insulting back.

I think the geisha costume is also a lot more debatable because professions like astronaut and baker are OK. I always thought of geisha as a profession, not how the majority of Japanese people dress. I'm not sure it is a profession that jives with Jewish values, and might therefore not be appropriate, but that's a whole different can of worms. Thug and pimp are also professions, and there are thugs and pimps of all colors and ethnicities out there. So if a guy with seven daughters wears a flashy suit while they troupe behind him with boas, fishnets, heels and garrish makeup, I would find this distasteful because of the way it normalized and makes light of prostitution, not because I assume he is portraying a specific racial group (unless some kind of makeup to portray an ethnic group was involved. Then the costume can be double offensive).

Black face, is a disgrace. I also find the native american costumes or costumes based on stereotypes offensive because they are usually woefully inaccurate. But costumes that are fairly accurate representations of another countries national dress, albeit in less expensive material? Is that also offensive?