Halloween is an exciting time of year. It’s when we can choose to dress up and have fun, but while we look forward to celebrating, we encourage students to be mindful of their choice of costume. It’s important to keep in mind that caricatures of peoples’ cultures are not appropriate and are offensive and hurtful. It is seen as dehumanizing and disrespectful.
As educators, we must prevent harm by engaging students in critical conversations about cultural appropriation, stereotypes and caricature versus culture. This is an opportunity to build students’ understanding of the different cultures that make up this country and the chance to build empathy and mutual respect.
To learn more, please see the resources below:
Videos
(Elementary)
Articles