Susan Scafidi was interviewed by USA Today about cultural appropriation during Halloween.
Scafidi said to determine whether you may be crossing a line, look at the Maui costume Disney pulled off its shelves.
“This costume was essentially his brown skin with the tattoos and the little loincloth in the middle. And people looked at it and said, ‘you know, I’m not sure if having a child of some other color wearing this character’s brown skin to masquerade is necessarily very respectful or a good idea.'”
Scafidi said it’s hard to give definitive “yes” or “no” answers on every case (some Pacific Islanders defended the Maui costume), but “whether a particular costume constitutes cultural misappropriation should involve asking the source community.”
The hardest thing for parents on Halloween may be trying to navigate the complex world they know, while still acknowledging the more idealistic one their children see.
“Ultimately, where a concerned adult might see a specific culture, her daughter may simply have chosen as a role model a fictional character who is adventurous, courageous, determined, and yes, a bit disobedient — a universally becoming set of values to be worn by the women of tomorrow.”