University of Texas's Steps to Prevent Official Halloween Costumes Leah Lara

      At the University of Texas, the Office of the Dean of students issued a costume and resource guide to prevent students from wearing offensive costumes. The guide encourages students to avoid wearing costumes that appropriate another culture or experience. It's introduction also mentions the dangers and harm that cultural appropriation can cause. Its questions include 'why are we considering this theme, is this theme or costume referring to living culture or people,and have we consulted with experts?' The pamphlet also includes a list of fun and harm free themes, such as decade costumes and cartoon characters.

  Although Halloween is filled with sweet treats and spectacular costumes, this time of year offensive and derogatory costumes always come to light. Most of these costumes do fall under the category of cultural appropriation, with people attempting to represent a culture that they do not fully understand. The worst part of it however, is the people who do not understand the offensive things they may be displaying, and how it could effect a person who is actually from that culture. Recently, even Disney released a offensive costume that depicts a Polynesian character. Greek Fraternities are also famous for scandals about their members wearing offensive costumes, such as blackface which dates all the way back to antebellum America.  I sincerely believe that one day, people will have enough sense to understand that wearing a Native American costume is wrong, or that wearing chopsticks is your hair doesn't mean you're a geisha. But it seems like that in 2016, we will still have to rely of a pamphlet to provide the moral judgement which so many people lack.  

http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/29680/