Mid-Week Motivation: I am NOT your Costume

November 3, 2010 — 7 Comments

I am a human being.
I am not your Halloween costume.
I am not your party theme.
I am not your mascot. 
I am not your costume.

These are some of my awesome friends and classmates from the Stanford Native community, protesting the use of “Native” themes at campus frat parties back in 2009. I thought it was fitting to bring it back today, given our recent discussions of frat parties and halloween costumes.

Also, awesomely (and the reason I re-found it), the picture made it all the way to a blog I am a huge fan of, a allure garconniere, for her halloween post–and she’s in Quebec! The words under the picture actually came from this tumblr, and I’m amazed at how many people re-posted it. So cool.

Here’s another shot of Kanani, Edie, and Rachel, some of the beautiful Stanford Native Hawaiians:

You guys continue to inspire me from afar. So proud of y’all. Even in the face of injustice and racism, there are always people fighting the good fight.

(Thanks Leon (they’re his pictures), and Julia!)
In I am not your costume, mid-week motivation
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Adrienne K.

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  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/16798094383285526940 Leah Jane

    Mahalo Nui Loa for featuring these pictures! I’m not Native Hawaiian, but I was born and raised in Hawaii, and I am proud of them taking a stance to protect their culture.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468 julia aka garconniere

    aw adrienne that is so great! i will edit my post to add credit and link to this post for context. sometimes things like this on the web give me such joy! i think out loud, “i wish i had more context for this photo…” and you give me answer! really great.

  • http://openid.aol.com/sodarapper sodarapper

    That’s right. They’re not. Because no one is dressing up as them.

    Of all the things to protest… this? Really? Nothing better to do around election time than complain about Halloween costumes and parties on the other side of the country?

    Get your priorities in order, people.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/08183686721305419157 Kelly Hogaboom

    @sodarapper
    Nothing better to do than type about how other people should have better things to do? :-) Re: “priorities”, you might find this link helpful

    “No one” is dressing up as them? Do you read this blog or the many other sociological sites showing the massive sales of these costumes? Even my neighbor kid (14) was a “fat Hawaiian dude” this year, with the apparent sanction of his parents.

    Adrienne, thanks for posting this! Gave me a smile to see people making a statement.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/17653656103227796438 misatim

    great! keep going it is working

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/09174817644517536685 Roo

    Hi, I discovered your blog because it was linked on another one I was reading.

    I’m European (British on my passport), but I am rather fascinated, and indeed inspired, by a lot of cultures on the American continent. We don’t really get as much exposure to, and therefore lack awareness of some of the pertinent issues here that many cultures are having to face. But ignorance is no excuse. This blog is informative, educational and thought provoking and I wanted to say thank you for opening my mind to not taking ‘pretty things’ for granted, I will certainly think twice from now on

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/16581414874391956648 positive influence

    Don’t know if you’ve seen this, but I think it’s awesome!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o5A0VGvnXg&p=0AFE4986F5004A48&playnext=1&index=10