10 Racist Costumes For Kids You Can Actually Buy In The Year 20-F**king-14

It’s finally October, which means we can soon look forward to seeing cute kids parading around in their costumes: little baby ghosts, kittens, favorite cartoon characters, and … gross racial stereotypes? Ew. It’s the year 2014, and you can still pop into most online and brick-and-mortar costume shops and outfit your kid in the most outdated mishmash of faux cultural tropes. I don’t care how much your kid loved the movie Pocahontas or how much anime they read, some things are just off limits – and these are ten of those things.

1. “Indian Princess”

indian princess costume(via)

Nothing says “I have a lot of respect for Native American culture” like a bit of fringe, knock-off Ugg boots, and an above-the-knee skirt. Also, the costume shop’s idea that there is a single, generic type of “Indian” whose tribe you can be member of is a nice touch.

2. “Indian Warrior”

indian warrior costume(via)

This costume doesn’t come with shoes, as apparently the costume makers don’t think the original inhabitants of this continent were aware such things existed until Europeans arrived on the scene.

3. “Cherokee Warrior”

child indian chief costume(via)

This costume at least acknowledges that “Indians” are not a monolithic group, but I’m pretty sure there’s not much authentically Cherokee about it. Extra demerits for including feathers (a religious symbol of some significance in some Native American cultures). People do understand that Native Americans are still around, right?

4. “Geisha”

child geisha costume(via)

There are so many “Geisha girl” options for little kids that I had stop looking at costume pictures and lie on the floor for a while thinking about soft kitties and singing “Edelweiss” to myself. The colors and style of this look vaguely Chinese, which makes sense considering this costume was probably designed by somebody who isn’t aware that “Asia” is a continent and not a country.

5. “Little Amigo”

little amigo(via)

Being Hispanic is a culture, not a costume, and dressing your kid up like a living Speedy Gonzales cartoon is not cool.

6. “Arab”

arabian-sheikh-lg(via)

Pro-tip: if your idea for a Halloween costume can be summarized as “an ethnicity we don’t belong to”, you should probably find something else.

7. “Harem Girl”

harem girl(via)

I’m unable to ignore the part of this where people are basically sending toddlers out in a bra and underpants. Dressing your small child up in an exotified version of historical Middle Eastern polygamy is weird on so many levels.

8. “Hillbilly”

baby hillbilly costume(via)

Okay, this is more classist than racist, but still; geez, what could be cuter than using your kid to recreate a whitewashed image of the abject poverty that other, real children in certain parts of Appalachia and other rural American regions?

9. “Gypsy”

kids gypsy costume(via)

The Roma are horribly marginalized and persecuted in several parts of Europe, but who cares about that: check out this sweet patchwork skirt!

10. “China Boy”

china boy costume(via)

Does anyone know a more calming song than “Edelweiss”? I think I need to go lie on the floor again for a while.

Similar Posts