'Mexican Man' costume offends Latino shoppers, community groups

celeb_2006 · October 29th, 2009, 09:11 PM

'Mexican Man' costume offends Latino shoppers, community groups - ContraCostaTimes.com

EMERYVILLE — A costume dubbed "Mexican Man" has offended Latino shoppers and community groups after being discovered at a Halloween chain store.
The photo on the costume packaging shows a man with a thick mustache wearing a poncho and a sombrero. Oakland resident Monica Plazola said she discovered the costume last week at the Spirit Halloween store in Emeryville, which she was visiting with her two children, ages 7 and 9.
"We were there at the store, with all kinds of costumes, and that was the only one identified racially," she said. "I was really surprised that kind of costume existed in this day and age. I was kind of stumped on it."
Her husband, Carlos, said he could not remember the last time he'd seen something so blatantly stereotypical.
"It's incredibly offensive," he said. "I can't imagine them reducing any other culture to a costume like that and calling it by that ethnic name. Reducing a culture to such a stereotype is harmful and insulting. I can't imagine a Chinese man or black man being put out there and it being OK."
Mara Chavez, deputy director at Centro Legal De La Raza in Oakland, said her organization discovered the costume when the Plazolas sent them the photos. The group is asking Spirit Halloween to pull the costumes from the shelves.
"These costumes need to be taken out and not sold," she said. "As Latinos, we are a big percentage of consumers here in the state of California, so it is to their
best interest to not depict such insulting costumes. It affects them in terms of their profits as well."

The manager of Spirit Halloween in Emeryville confirmed the availability of the costume but declined to comment, and representatives for the corporation did not return several phone calls made Sunday through Wednesday.

Charmed Hour · October 29th, 2009, 09:45 PM

Another ridiculous reason for people to get their balls twisted.

Grimmlok · October 29th, 2009, 09:49 PM

so ponchos and sombreros aren't mexican suddenly?

Well, i'm going to be offended by a bavarian costume with that stupid feathered hat and liederhosen! THAT'L TEACH SOMEONE.

kingcap72 · October 29th, 2009, 10:09 PM

Now, that's a costume I can see people being offended over unlike the 'Illegal Alien' one.

Grimmlok · October 29th, 2009, 10:21 PM

I suppose a Geisha costume is offensive too, or a Russian cossack one... or a canadian lumberjack one..

kingcap72 · October 29th, 2009, 10:40 PM

Costumes are only offensive when they feed into negative stereotypes. The sombrero, the giant moustache and the poncho combine to play into the negative stereotype of the lazy Mexican.

sharky · October 29th, 2009, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingcap72

Costumes are only offensive when they feed into negative stereotypes. The sombrero, the giant moustache and the poncho combine to play into the negative stereotype of the lazy Mexican.

I agree. The clinic I work at is 95% Latin employees and patients. I am >95% sure they would be offended.

kingcap72 · October 29th, 2009, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharky

I agree. The clinic I work at is 95% Latin employees and patients. I am >95% they would be offended.

It's amazing how the cartoon and the costume look eerily alike. I found the cartoon by going on Google and searching for 'Mexican stereotypes.'

Brookie · October 29th, 2009, 11:46 PM

The "Three Amigos" never dressed like that.

B.C. · October 30th, 2009, 12:45 AM

I love the Mexican culture and I'd wear this costume because of that. They aren't lazy!

AliceInWonderland · October 30th, 2009, 01:37 PM

lol i saw the female version of this but they called it a "hot tamale" costume

twitchy2.0 · October 30th, 2009, 02:19 PM

And in keeping with the general skankiness of female costumes these days, I bet the "hot tamale" had a skirt short enough to show her "taco".

RevellingInSane · October 30th, 2009, 02:34 PM

I can see why that outfit is offensive, but there are some Mexicans around here who look like that, so is it a subculture or people playing into a stereotype?

kingcap72 · October 30th, 2009, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RevellingInSane

I can see why that outfit is offensive, but there are some Mexicans around here who look like that, so is it a subculture or people playing into a stereotype?

There are people in all minority groups who play into the stereotypes about their race. God knows, Flava Flav definitely plays into the negative stereotypes about black men.

sharky · October 30th, 2009, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingcap72

There are people in all minority groups who play into the stereotypes about their race. God knows, Flava Flav definitely plays into the negative stereotypes about black men.

I agree with that. Just because they belong to my minority group, don't imply I am along for the ride. Every group has fools.