Costume  &  Theme  Selection   You  don’t  have  bad  intentions,  but  your  social  theme  or  costume  idea  could  have  a  negative  impact.   Themes  and  costumes  may  intentionally  or  unintentionally  appropriate  another  culture  or  experience.     In  short:  Cultural  appropriation  is  when  somebody  adopts  aspects  of  a  culture  that  is  not  their  own.     While  there  is  much  to  learn  about  cultural  appropriation,  let  this  be  an  introduction.                          A  checklist  to  create  better  themes  and  costumes:     c   Why  are  we  considering  this  theme?       Is  there  something  specifically  powerful  or  engaging   about  the  particular  theme?    The  more  “unique”  or   “exotic”  the  theme,  the  more  potential  for  issues  of   stereotyping,  oversimplification,  or  false   representation.  A  theme  connected  to  our  own   communities  are  more  likely  to  be  respectful  and  fun   for  everyone  (e.g.  rather  than  a  “jungle”  theme,  try  a   “Texas  beach”  theme).     c   c   Is  it  about  a  current  subculture?     Is  the  theme  or  costume  likely  to  be  reflective  of  a   certain  racial  group,  gender,  and/or  economic  class?  Is   it  stereotyping,  oversexualizing,  or  sensationalizing   women  or  transgender  people,  homeless  or  low-­‐ income  people,  people  of  color,  etc.?       c   If  a  theme  regarding  a  culture  persists,  have  we  talked   to  community  leaders  or  faculty  about  the  theme  and   event?  Have  we  done  research  on  the  culture?   Utilizing  generic  store-­‐bought  costumes  or   decorations  may  be  a  hint  that  the  representation  is   not  authentic.  Is  our  event  educational?  Could  a  non-­‐ social  event,  such  as  service,  speaker,  or  tabling   event,  be  a  more  effective  way  to  educate?       How  does  this  theme  align  with  our   organization’s  values?   Did  we  pick  the  theme  because  it  directly  represents   our  organization’s  values  or  mission?  Would  we   feature  members  in  costume  on  the  homepage  of  our   website?  Would  we  be  proud  to  report  this  social  to   our  national  organization  or  campus  advisor?     c   Is  the  theme  or  costume  referring  to  a   living  culture  or  people?     If  so,  there  are  people  who  are  continuing  to  live  or   practice  that  culture.    Anything  less  than  a  serious   representation  of  the  culture  is  likely  to  be  harmful.  In   order  to  select  a  respectful  theme,  it’s  important  to   understand  the  difference  between  native  peoples   and  people  from  a  place  (e.g.  being  born  in  Hawai’i   doesn’t  make  you  native  Hawaiian).         Have  we  consulted  with  “experts?”  Is  it   educational?   c   Think  and  talk  about  our  plan.   If  we’re  afraid  of  someone’s  reaction,  then  we   probably  shouldn’t  do  it.  Consider  consulting  our   organization’s  national  office  or  university  staff,  in   advance.  We  understand  that  we  are  responsible  for   our  theme,  our  attendees’  participation,  and  our   personal  costumes.  If  we  are  unconcerned  about  the   potential  for  negative  reactions,  and  choose  not  to   take  these  considerations  seriously,  we  are  fully   prepared  to  deal  with  the  consequences.     Preparing  Your  Organization  for  Success   ü   Assure  your  Exec,  Social  Chair,  Risk  Management  Chair,  New  Member  class  officers/social  planners,  and  other   leadership  understand  the  importance  of  creating  themes  that  are  appropriate  and  fun  for  all.     ü   Review  this  sheet  every  semester  with  new  members  and  the  general  membership,  and  remind  members,  out  loud,   of  your  organization’s  expectations.   ü   Remind  members  that  they  can  speak  to  you  if  they  see  an  issue  with  the  theme.       Intent  versus  Impact:  Planning  Your  Social   ü   No  matter  your  intent,  what  will  be  the  impact  or  outcome  of  the  event  idea?  How  could  it  be  perceived  by  others?   ü   Run  your  theme  idea  by  a  university  or  national  organization  advisor.   o   Are  we  encouraging  members  to  dress  in  a  way  in  which  they  may  not  be  comfortable?  Are  we  providing  fun   and  safe  alternatives  for  all  of  our  members?   o   Does  the  theme  “make  fun”  of  a  particular  people,  culture,  campus  group,  gender,  income  status,  or  life   situation?  What’s  the  joke—if  someone  laughed  at  our  costumes,  who  are  they  laughing  at?   o   Could  our  theme  be  interpreted  by  attendees  in  a  different  way  than  our  intention?  Does  our  theme  encourage   harmful  costumes?  What  do  I  think  folks  will  wear  to  our  event?   o   Would  we  be  willing  and  proud  to  send  photos  of  our  event  to  our  parents,  national  office,  campus  newspaper,   or  campus  administrators?     In  Your  Invite     ü   Share  a  statement  in  your  party  invitation  requesting  attendees  follow  tips  from  this  sheet.     ü   Provide  examples  of  fun  costumes  and  clarify  expectations.   ü   Remember:  Attendees  will  represent  your  organization  even  if  they  aren’t  members.  Alert  attendees  that  those   arriving  in  harmful  costumes  will  not  be  permitted  to  attend  the  event.       While  Planning  Your  Costume   ü   Brainstorm  costumes  with  members  during  a  meeting  or  host  a  costume  check-­‐in  session.     ü   Ask  yourself:  Am  I  comfortable  in  this  costume?  Is  this  an  outfit  I  feel  represents  my  own  values?   ü   Ask  yourself:  What’s  the  joke?  Why  would  someone  laugh  at  my  costume/who  are  they  laughing  at?         Harmful  Themes  or  Costumes     û  Any  time  you  paint  or  tint  your  skin  in  attempt  to  appear   to  be  a  different  skin  tone,  race,  or  culture  (e.g.  Blackface)   û  Generalized  representation/stereotypes  of  Asian  cultures   û  “Cowboys  and  Indians”/anything  “Squaw”  or  generalized   depiction  of  an  Indigenous  person  or  peoples   û    “Gypsies”  or  “Geishas”   û  “South  of  the  Border”/”Fiesta”   û  ”Hawaiian”/”Tropical”/”Leied”   û  “Ghetto  Fabulous”/”Urban”/”G’d  Up”   û  “Pimps  &  Hoes”/”Golf  Pros  &  Tennis  Hoes”/Trophy  Wives   û  “Trailer  Trash”/”White  Trash  Bash”/”Hobos”   û    “Chicks  and  Hicks”/”Rednecks”     û    “Around  the  World”     Themes  To  Consider     þ   Seemingly  harmless  themes  can  be  carried  out   incorrectly  if  you  don’t  provide  information  about   costuming.  Always  fully  consider  your  entire  social,   theme  and  guest  expectations.  (e.g.  picking  a   “western/country”  theme,  but  guests  arrive  as  harmful   stereotypes  of  Indigenous  peoples.)   þ   Decade/Time  Period  (90’s,  60’s,  early  2000’s)   þ   Comic  Book  Heroes  &  Villains   þ   High  School  Heroes/Re-­‐live  Your  Glory  Days   þ   Sporty  &  Rep  Your  Favorite  Team   þ   Catalina  Yacht  Mixer  or  “Preppy”   þ   Alphabet  Theme  (Dress  as  a  certain  letter  you  select)   þ   When  I  Grow  Up   þ   Rubix  cube  or  Memory  Match  Game     Sources:  Process  Questions  for  Culturally-­‐Based  Theme  Parties  (J.  Murakami)  &  What’s  Wrong  with  Cultural  Appropriation?  These  9  Answers  Reveal  Its  Harm  (M.  Johnson)