Mexican-themed NYE party - racist, right?

[BobLobla]

Just been invited by very good friends to their NYE party which promises to have a Mexican theme and everyone must wear a long droopy moustache and a sombrero. Already I am cringing as I think this is pretty racist. Don't think I’ll go… but do I say something privately to my friends about the fact that this seems really off? Do I just dip out and not say anything to avoid awkwardness?

See, the costume requested could be in homage to Emilio Zapata, a true revolutionary.

Must be a grey area then.

It's all part of the same thing. Blackface, wearing a Native American headdress, dressing up as a stereotypical Mexican, it's all the same bullshit.

images.app.goo.gl/LdHARFbAeVeTMYy77

Only to an idiot.

Not really, blackface is far worse because it’s not cultural, and so it is always offensive. There is no such thing as appreciative blackface is there?

And a Sioux Chieftains bonnet is more than a headdress, which is why it’s always offensive to wear one. It would be offensive for even a Sioux to wear one if they hadn’t earned it.

Can’t really compare either of those to wearing a sombrero 🤨

I’m not suggesting blackface isn’t more offensive

the point I was making is that some are still of the opinion of I can not see what is so offensive it’s all just fun when it’s been discussed and raised by people from Mexico

it wasn’t that long ago that it was argued on here that blackface isn’t so bad thankfully many people listen and learn from other peoples opinions and change theirs

im sure quite a few on here wore a bindi in the 90’s
as it was fashionable I doubt many of their daughters would be wearing one now

I would argue the opposite, it makes it more like a toga party, or one where people dress up as Socrates, or cowboys.

It's not mocking, it's silly, and that silliness reflects on the wearers, not Romans or Mexicans or cowboys.

One of the problems with CTR is it only has one tool for analysis, and so it thinks everything is a nail. There are only hierarchies of oppression and only race or its analogues.

who has a sombrero and a droopy moustache 😂😂😂😂

I think that really depends on how you define blackface. It once had a pretty limited and specific sense, you could argue that it was always intended to be rude/mocking - though it's not as cut and dried always as people think.

But if you are talking about an actor in a village theater in 1950 playing Othello, that's quite a different scenario, no one considered actors acting in serious roles the same thing. Actors in the theater often use all kinds of physical modifications to play roles and skin colour was not seen as different. It now gets classed as blackface but it comes from a very different tradition.

I’m being serious. General Zapata is a national hero in Mexico.

He is and that is why Mexican dc dress in that way on Independence Day.
It doesn't mean Brits should do it but it is absolutely part of Mexican culture.

I’m being serious. General Zapata is a national hero in Mexico

So, you've upped the ante. You are not just in favour of poking fun at generic Mexicans, you have to aim the insult at one of our national heroes.

And no, @falllakes, Mexicans do not dress up as Zapata or as anyone else on Independence day

They absolutely did in the area of Mexico I lived in, or specifically the dc did
Or to be ultra specific they wore the same costume.
Every year the dc went into school in traditional costumes. For the boys this meant having sombreros, drawn on or fake mustaches, etc.

Then people put up Facebook posts on their dc in their costumes.
I'm not stating that this is universal but it was what happened where I lived.
We actually lived close to the center of the uprising for independence so it was a big celebration.
So I'm absolutely fine with people stating that doesn't happen in their part of Mexico, it is a very large country but it absolutely happens where we were. That is why I mentioned it.

I’m not in favour of poking fun at anyone nor insulting any national hero. That’s why I reacted the way I did to that posters laughing emoji saying I was serious.

The poster also doesn't acknowledge the flaw in their own argument, in that their definition says unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption so intention is important in their deffinition.

I think there is a 0.01% time where it's ok to to do it. But you would have to explain it every 5 minutes . So I wouldnt based on that