Officials at the University of Colorado at Boulder are asking students not to wear stereotypical Halloween costumes that could offend or paint minorities in a negative light.
“If you are planning to celebrate Halloween by dressing up in a costume, consider the impact your costume decision may have on others in the CU community,” Dean of Students Christian Gonzales said in a message to students.
“The CU-Boulder community has in the past witnessed and been impacted by people who dressed in costumes that included blackface or sombreros/serapes; people have also chosen costumes that portray particular cultural identities as overly sexualized, such as geishas, ’squaws,’ or stereotypical, such as cowboys and Indians,” she continues. “Additionally, some students have also hosted offensively-themed parties that reinforce negative representations of cultures as being associated with poverty (’ghetto’ or ’white trash/hillbilly’), or with crime or sex work.
“The goal of CU-Boulder this Halloween and every day is to create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone,” Miss Gonzales wrote. “While everyone has the freedom to be expressive, we also encourage you to celebrate that you are a part of a vibrant, diverse CU community that strives toward respecting others.”
A university spokesman called cowboy costumes a “crude stereotype,” the U.K.’s Telegraph reported.
The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities has also asked its students to keep their Halloween costumes politically correct.
“Please keep in mind that certain Halloween costumes inappropriately perpetuate racial, cultural, and gender stereotypes,” officials said in a letter, according to the Telegraph.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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