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Halloween-themed Web site Brings Back Memories of ‘Kung Fool’APAs say Halloween may be a time for fun and fantasy but some costumes that parody ethnic groups are definitely offensive.
When it comes to Halloween costumes a quick perusal of the Internet provides an endless array of choices whether you dream of being Batman, Princess Leia, Harry Potter or the ever-popular witch or devil characters. But when it comes to dressing up as a specific ethnic character, what are the boundaries and when does fun turn into racism? A few years ago the Asian Pacific American community was dismayed when Disguise, Inc. distributed its “Kung Fool” costume with buck teeth, slanted eyes, and a headband with the Chinese character for “loser.” This year it’s Halloweenmart.com and its array of geisha and samurai costumes with accompanying phrases like: “Did someone call for Sushi?,” “Ready to serve her master,” and “The Oriental Geisha Princess always beautiful and silent.” “Halloween is all in good fun. These days it can be all about being tasteless, too. There is tasteless and there is racist. A distinction exists,” said Gail Price, an Asian woman who was offended by Halloweenmart.com’s Asian-themed costumes after doing a Google search. “Have you noticed that Asians are the only people that it is ok to parody still?” In total there are six geisha and samurai costumes worn by non-Asian models on the Halloweenmart.com site. The offending phrases are in large print beside the photos in an attempt to entice the costume buyer. Ironically, many of the costumes confuse the Chinese and Japanese cultures so that the “Geisha Princess” costume is actually a cheongsam, a Chinese traditional dress, and the “Dragon Samurai” costume looks more like a Chinese warrior. “Each year, we seem to deal with this kind of problem with costumes. People should feel free to dress themselves as they want, but I would hope that they would also have some social sensitivity when they do,” said John Tateishi, JACL executive director. “We don’t see those awful Sambo costumes because they were so obviously racist. Only if we continue to bring pressure on [Halloweenmart.com] will they get it, but obviously they don’t get it right now. This is obvious from the attitudes expressed in their descriptions of these items.” “These cultural faux pas are most offensive,” said Price, who hopes that Halloweenmart.com will correct their cultural references and rewrite their marketing slogans to be less offensive, especially to Asian American woman. “Cultural distinction is not only for Europeans,” she said. Halloweenmart.com President Ann Siegel said her company has been selling the geisha and samurai costumes for 12 to 15 years and does not see any problems with them, suggesting that the Pacific Citizen take the issue up with the costumes’ manufacturer. But when told that other Halloween Web sites — including buycostumes.com, halloweenstreet.com, and extremehalloween.com — sell similar costumes without the offensive slogans she said, “I have no comment at this time,” and abruptly ended the interview. One change that was recently made to the Halloweenmart.com site was the phrase “beautiful and silent” accompanying the “Oriental Geisha Princess” costume which was replaced with “beautiful and mysterious.” But beyond the Asian-themed costumes, it seems that a number of ethnic group are fair game. A quick search of the Halloweenmart.com site shows a vast array of Egyptian-themed costumes, Arab dancers, Native American dresses, and French maid outfits. These costumes may also be considered offensive so are APAs being overly sensitive when they voice their displeasure with Asian-themed costumes? “As far as anyone calling me ‘overly sensitive’ I would say … How about a mammy costume called ‘Aunt Jemima’ with the saying ‘Big fat lazy mammy making you some pancakes, fo sho.’ … Or a Shylock outfit replete with skullcap and curly locks ‘Jewish Merchant makes a profit,’” said Price. “These are tired ethnic stereotypes. The ones about Asians are no less funny than ones about other people.” “Those who think we’re overreacting obviously have no understanding of what it’s like to be the brunt of racist or cultural jokes,” said Tateishi. “I have no objection to costumes that, for example, might be of a samurai or a geisha, but what I do find objectionable is when such costumes become caricatures or are used to stereotype attitudes.”
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