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?

sombrero + moustache= racist? I'm a Spanish woman and think you need to lighten up a bit....

Well to be fair, there's probably aren't any Mexicans there, so a bit of a poor argument to say 'see, nobody's offended'.

I personally don't think it's the end of the world, however given the controversy surrounding cultural appropriation, I'd assume most people who are emboldened to organise such a party are a certain type of person (who I'd probably avoid)

So you’re not Mexican? Spain doesn’t have the best track record on racism either so not sure what you being Spanish has got to do with things Mexicans might find offensive or not.

I mean, like, "ouch"

I think I understand now, we can have Irish, Scottish and Welsh parties despite centuries, almost a millennium of oppression in the case of the Welsh and very recent oppression of Irish people.

We can't have a Mexican party despite the culture represented at the party being Spanish in origin and oppressed the native Americans.

It all makes sense now.

It's quite an interesting question, whether it a real situation or not ( I view all mumsnet threads as hypothetical now).

I don't know the answer as to whether a Mexican themed party of this nature is offensive due to cultural appropriation or not. I'd need to research the whole topic.

What I do know is that anyone who uses the terminologies 'Woke' and 'Offended' in a mocking, sneering way , is probably a racist or a bigot of some description.

Have they not? So when British forces invaded Mexico in 1860, then supported France to try and colonise it, what was that? #
And when the Brits built railways in Mexico in the 1880s onwards, what labour force did they use?

That's funny because when the Great British bake off did a skit with sombreros and there was backlash, there was a comments section and every single comment from a Mexican person that I saw was saying how it wasn't offensive, it was just all the white people getting offended on behalf of. Classic white people telling people they should be offended

But with all the trans issues happening, never say never.

I wish we had a like button.

Just go to the party and have fun or don't go because it bothers you. End of story.

No, you don't understand. You can't have Irish Scottish or Welsh parties where the intent is to dress up in an idiotic and stereotypical manner and be offensive to the people whose culture you are putting on as a costume. You can have parties that are Irish themed etc if you aren't going to be an offensive twat about it. #

You can totally have a Mexican themed party, with food and drinks and decorations. But not with offensive stereotyping and wearing peoples culture as a costume.

It's not hard, at all. Appreciation, not appropriation.

Are people who are offended about this Mexican dressup ok with drag? I find that very offensive but it seems to mainstream and fine to parody women.

I don't see how it is racist personally. Excluding anybody who is Mexican would be racist... Not dressing up and celebrating with a Mexican theme and appreciating their food. What a strange old world we live in these days filled with snowflakes.

I'm trying to work out the logic. Is it:

1. No Mexicans are offended by stereotypes being used as fancy dress? Therefore dress up.
2. Some Mexicans are offended but they are snowflakes and can be ignored? Neatly, anyone offended is a snowflake and that's how you can tell they are one. Therefore you have to dress up to annoy them.
3. We don't care if people are offended by people dressing up as their culture? Therefore do what you like.
4. Having 'a laugh' is more important than any offence? Being a fun sponge is worse than anything so you have to dress up.
5. Because more white people are annoyed than Mexicans, there's some rule that means that negates the offence. Therefore dress up.
6. Causing offence is fab and we should all do it all the time. Only twats have hurt feelings. So dress up.
7. Causing offence is fine and no one should care about other people's feelings therefore dress up if you want.
8. There is definitely offence. Offending your friend is worse than offending people who aren't there, so do what your ant but don't say anything?
9. Nobody likes us and we don't care?

10. Because some people don't take offence at people dressing up as them, no one should?

Did I cover it?

Agree with @MrsTerryPratchett .

It's really poor taste. Your friend has dropped the ball here.

I'm Irish, living in the US, and was shocked at the stupid paddywhackery around St Patrick's Day when I first arrived here. I've been on the receiving end of assumptions about the Irish, both positive and negative, and it isn't pleasant either way to know that people who have just been introduced to you have already dredged up an opinion about you from the depths of their ignorance.

I am a (white) Englishman who has lived throughout Latin America and speaks passable (though not good) Spanish. Incidentally, Latinos and Mexicans can be white too, and many are.

I can tell you that Mexicans from Mexico would not be offended by you wearing a poncho or a fake moustache. Most would find the idea of a bunch of Britons dressing up in such garb in London or wherever to be very funny.

If you were to actually invite one of the some 10,000 Mexicans living in Britain to the party, I'm sure they likewise would not be offended - however, I suspect that the demographics of the guests aren't particularly diverse!

If you want to have a word with your friend for that cool rush of moral superiority, then go ahead - but please do not act like you are doing Mexicans any favours by doing so. Instead you are adhering to the social mores of the white, middle classes of the United States - whose culture you are intimately familiar with - unlike that of Mexico. And let's not pretend for a second that you intend to learn anything about that part of the world.

Anyway, this is my first post here. I made an account to leave this comment.

I love that @FrippEnos and who knows, I don't have any Romanian friends but they might hate Vamp-face.

I don't want to speak for anyone else but I'm Irish and we were historically oppressed.

It’s not racist unless the purpose is to mock or make fun of Mexicans. I’m Nigerian British and love when people enjoy our culture so I think the current trend of over compensating is a bit too much.

Context and intention matters, if the aim is to go mocking and making fun of them that’s obviously wrong.

Oh, a white man has come to tell us all that none of the 126 MILLION Mexicans in Mexico have a problem with white people dressing up as them..

Its OK everyone, you can all stop talking now, a WHITE MAN has spoken! GAME OVER.

What would we do without White English Men. Phew.

Yeah, no such invasion happened. We sent one ship of marines with a debt collector official who hung out in a port for a few months trying diplomatically to get Mexico to pay the money owed to the U.K. for various treaties that had been signed. The Spanish were there doing the same thing. Then we left,

We then resisted the French overtures to go back to Mexico, we didn’t support them at all. France didn’t try to colonise Mexico, and in fact Mexico declared war on France. And France then invaded Mexico.
adventuresinhistoryland.com/2019/06/01/when-britain-almost-invaded-mexico/

So. it’s not good to hire local workforce then? Not good to inject that money into the local economy and support local families? That’s a bad thing is it? I suppose we should tell every foreign company making anything here to just sack all their British workers then and import workers from abroad? And 2/3rds of companies here are foreign owned….that would cause a lot of unemployment but if you say that’s the right thing to do, not hire locals…

Oh, a white man has come to tell us all that none of the 126 MILLION Mexicans in Mexico have a problem with white people dressing up as them..

But you can tell us that they are.

What's your thoughts on drag?

You do know that 1/3rd of Mexicans are “white people”? Why do you keep insisting that Mexican is a race?

H, the irony. On the thread where a load of white women are pontificating that said 126 million Mexicans will be offended. What would we do without white British women? Talk about an own goal. 😂