Pocahontas: How Racism Created A Costume

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Can halloween costumes cross racial line? What is blackface? Blackface is a mockery of black people’s physical features by exaggerating the color of their skin, negatively enhancing the size of their lips, and making facial expressions that depict them as unintelligent. Besides blackface, other costumes play into historical stereotypes by sexualizing persons of a specific race, an example of this being pocahotties. However, there are costumes that do not depict other races in a negative light. Halloween costumes can cross racial lines as long as they don’t make a mockery or sexualize persons of other races.

People of other races have difficulty understanding why blackface is insulting, as they have trouble connecting their actions to how they affect others. For example, “Megyn Kelly who wondered on her show why dressing up in blackface for Halloween is racist” (Tang). Some people use blackface in their halloween costumes but because blackface is used to make fun of people it’s not acceptable. Another example of costumes crossing racial lines are sexualized Pocahontas costumes.

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When some people sexualize Pocahontas costumes they might not see it as racist. People might just think they look good, but other people might unconsciously think of them as actual representations of their worth and regard them in an objectifying way. “The attitude towards Native American women, putting it more precisely, the way how Native American women are seen as objects of lust.” The image of the “Indian Princess,” that is usually depicted as Pocahontas, is a representation of Native American women. She is supposed to be seen as an important figure but instead is seen as an object. “According to an Amnesty International Study, one out of three Native American women is raped in her lifetime, 70% of sexual violence against them is committed by non-Natives and Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than other women.” Due to the historical stereotypes that sexualizes native americans, sexualizing Pocahontas makes native american women more vulnerable to such attacks. They become objectified in the eyes of others as well as their own people because of these stereotypes, which are being re-affirmed in society. 

So far all the reasons were against halloween costumes crossing racial lines, but there are some people that cross racial dress to show the beauty in a positive light. “I was 29. It was a Halloween party. I went as a beautiful African woman.” The television co-host of The View named Joy Behar wanted to be a black woman in the 1980s on halloween because she saw the beauty in black people. “Joy Behar admitted in 2016 that she dressed up for Halloween as a ‘beautiful African-American woman’ in a clip that has resurfaced amidst the recent controversy over the Virginia Governor” (Byrne). Joy Behar is being criticized and being accused of blackface because she wore makeup a little darker than her skin color, but that might not have been the case. As explained, blackface is a mockery of black people’s physical features by exaggerating the color of their skin, negatively enhancing the size of their lips, and making facial expressions that depicts them as unintelligent.

Halloween costumes can cross racial lines as long as they do not make a mockery or sexualize other races. Even though Halloween costumes can cross racial lines, people should probably avoid to because the margin of error is too great. There are ways of wearing cross racial costumes without using blackface or sexualization. Dressing the part doesn’t mean exaggerating physical features. 

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