Mexican Man Costume Offends Shoppers
29 October 2009, 4:00 PM. By Alex Alvarez
Oh dear! It seems there is yet another Halloween costume on store shelves that’s been deemed offensive by Latino groups. There was, previously, the “Illegal Alien” costume pulled from Target and Toys ‘R Us stores, which demonstrated, at the very least, some modicum of creativity and amusing punnery. This latest costume, however, is probably not new to anyone who has ever attended a Halloween party.
An Emeryville, California store displayed the “Mexican Man” costume featured at left, complete with multi-colored poncho, large sombrero and mustache.
The couple who reported the costume shares their thoughts. Says Monica Plazola:
We were there at the store, with all kinds of costumes, and that was the only one identified racially. I was really surprised that kind of costume existed in this day and age. I was kind of stumped on it.
Adds her husband, Carlos:
It’s incredibly offensive. I can’t imagine them reducing any other culture to a costume like that and calling it by that ethnic name. Reducing a culture to such a stereotype is harmful and insulting. I can’t imagine a Chinese man or black man being put out there and it being OK.
Seriously? We’ve seen tons of people dressed up in the (semi-)traditional garb of other countries for Halloween, some of which can be considered as being done in a way that’s racist. Mostly? We think people are just uninformed about how dressing up as, say, a geisha might go over with people who are Japanese or how wearing dreads and a Bob Marley t-shirt might sit with actual Jamaican Rastafarians.
Which brings us to a question we’d like to ask you, readers. Is dressing up in the clothing of another country a racist act? What role does intent play? We, for example, aren’t offended by people who dress as matadors or flamenco dancers or Cuban bongo players or guajiros for Halloween, but we are when people slap on a mustache and call themselves a Mexican man. Why? Because the character reflected in the costume above has, historically, been characterized as lazy, unintelligent, alcoholic and untrustworthy in mainstream media and entertainment. Dressing up as, say, a mariachi, wouldn’t hold the same social or historical currency. People do tread into troublesome waters when they think of culture and tradition as being nothing more than a costume, but, to us, that’s another matter entirely and not one that we see as coming from a hateful place.
But we’d like to know what you think
‘Mexican Man’ costume offends Latino shoppers, community groups [San Jose Mercury News]
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Get over it!
One year I dressed as the Tapatio guy, the one from the salsa bottle. This costume on the other hand is a stereotype I find offensive. What if someone dressed in blakcface carrying a bucket of KFC, woud the brothers find that racist?
The guy looks intoxicated. Should have called this costume “Borracho Man”.
the party i was at on saturday there was a guy dressed like this.. me being the drunk person I shouted ‘Watch out theres a mexican in here.’
LMFAO. I just spit soda into my monitor and keyboard and my Anglo co workers are looking at me like I am High
Bwahahaha! Must be on the lookout for Latinos! Those fuckers are sneaky as hell!
Recently I saw pictures from a party attended by a friend in which a white dude (last name Dodson) dressed up pretty much like the costume above, sans mustache and more brown face. Strangely enough, looking at the responses and comments the conversation degraded to the topic about how Latino’s aren’t all Brown. Which trips me out because in the end its not about “why he didn’t choose to represent a light skinned Mexican person” but rather why he chose to use brown face. Que no?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/14/the-most-inappropriate-ha_n_317731.html?slidenumber=16#slide_image
now that’s a crazy coustume !!
Yeah, I’m over it too. Who cares.
I’m dressed up today as a Native American. The package says “Indian”. Who cares…
They have a costume of Amy Winehouse and call it the “Trainwreck Rehab Costume”. I know plenty of people who’ve been in rehab and not ONE of them looked like this…so…who cares! http://www.partycity.com/product/trainwreckz+rehab+costume+kit.do
Emeryville, CA is full of lazy Okies.
Mexican is not a race, it’s a nationality. Don’t confuse nationality (e.g., Mexico) with race (e.g., Mestizo), or even with religion or culture. They’re each different and overlap across many classifications. Thus, it’s not necessarily “racist” to dress up as a Mexican because Mexican is not a race and there are all sorts of races that are Mexican.
But these types of stereotypes certainly are nonetheless offensive to many Mexicans and Mexican Americans, especially those considered of Mestizo race. The “Mexican” often depicted by such costumes often is a Mestizo and Mestizo’s are often the most stereotyped race of Mexicans. Them, and mice for some reason.
Christ! It’s Friday. Spare me the lecture. Oh, I’m kidding.
Race is a social construct, as is the racist word “mestizo.” Some of you act like this is the 18th century. Please assimilate and the leave the Latin American caste system in Latin America.
That’s one reason is why I don’t want the Museum of the American Latino (or whatever they plan to call it). They are going to put that colonial mentality in a museum and try to make it seem legitimate. Our ancestors have been in the Americas for thousands of years, not 500.
I’ve known all this already, and so do many of the others who read this site. In other words, you are preaching to the choir.
changa it’s comprendable but how can u not stereotype Mexicans with brown. Most of the rich mexicans are white and donot have to pick tomatoes to survive (come here illegally). they steal from the government. and yes there a lot of blue eyed chiles for u guys that don’t believe.
last night at a very popular costume store I was behind a white teenage boy buying this costume.. it had a different name, something along the lines of tequila shot something.. well it was a very weird experience.. I was with my brother who didnt seem to care and there was a point where this boy saw his friend and then commented on how “cool” the costume he was buying was. I’m not sure whats so “cool” about it, but being right there i could see he didnt Hate mexicans, maybe it was just an easy costume for him. I dont think we should be offended by this costume because it doesnt represent us. This isnt what mexican men are like or latino men.. its just a fictional character.
A fictional character? lol Those costumes are meant to degrade and mock a group of people. How many different ways can people be in denial? “O, it’s cool, it’s a fictional character.” lol
We need some leaders, or some activists who can assembe a group of people who can threaten to boycott and put this kind of thing out of business.
No, bullies, like all sociopaths, welcome attention. And the people who make these sort of costumes are indeed bullies. They like it when people complain, it says to them that we are paying attention, and they thrive on that. Nope, just ignore it. Get the media to stop paying attention to it. That’ll make them angry.
Would this be considered offensive to pinatas?
http://yourscene.latimes.com/mycapture/photos/Image.aspx?ImageID=650610&EventID=616801&CategoryID=22187&CollectionID=0&Sort=
Well, I can’t speak for the pinata community, but I’d be worried about my sanity if I overheard a pinata complain about this photo
a quien le cae el saco es el que se queja. just have fun, who gives a shit. im going to dress up a a panhandler with a sign reading will work for drugs. hopefully the gringos wont get pissed off thinking im sterotyping them. lol