'Mexican Man' costume offends Latino shoppers, community groups

Oakland Tribune ^ | 10/28/2009 | Sean Maher

[DogByte6RER]

'Mexican Man' costume offends Latino shoppers, community groups

By Sean Maher

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...

[HiTech RedNeck]

I suppose that for Halloween outings, all disguises have to be of something evil? How about the kings, queens, and princesses? How about comic book and movie super heroes? If a black kid in a black neighborhood goes out trick-or-treating dressed as a white man, aren’t we supposed to rave and ooh and ahh about how cute that is?

Shoot, not only should the costume store keep on these guys, they should have specials on Frito corn chips to carry around with them. We have found something that we allegedly hate worse than we do the devil on Halloween, and it’s disgusting.

[a fool in paradise]

Cheech is Hispanic. It’s offensive.

[Tax-chick]

This is really dumb.

[Cheetahcat]

They offend me with the high DB cackling in a foreign language and the third world honky tonk look to their neighborhoods. Simple go home and not be offended or get used to it, enough of this crap!

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Why is it when I’m offended nobody gives a damn? Why is it that only certain government-designated victim groups get to be offended and to make money off it?

[a fool in paradise]

"I'm outraged!"

[Mount Athos]

What is so bad about a sombrero or mustache?

I’d rather see someone go all out and dress like a person in a mariachi band, or a pancho villa outfit.

I don’t see it as negative. Plus it gives people a chance to practice overdone accents. Beats seeing people in satanic outfits.

Can do this for all sorts of cultures other than mexican too. German lederhosen + accent, etc..

[luvbach1]

I guess I won’t wear my Aunt Jemima costume this year.

[dragnet2]

Does it come with any props? Six pack? Food stamps? Rubber chickens?

[cripplecreek]

I’m going to be an evil white heteropressor this year.

[MotorCityBuck]

Thanks. That image was stuck in the back of my mind somewhere. :) “For wearing high heel sneakers, and acting like a qu@@r.” Something like that :)

[tillacum]

Oh CRAP, every doggone “minority” looks for anything to be offended, by something. If they’re so darn offended, they can always go back across the border and be offended by the government they escaped, when they came here!!!!!

[dfwgator]

I recall the character’s name was “Alice Bowie.”

[MotorCityBuck]

Now thats priceless :)>

[TexasFreeper2009]

They are offended by a mexican man costume... but are totally ok with american indian costumes?

ROFL

What race do these people actually think they are?

ROFL

[HiTech RedNeck]

How about vinylhosen?

[BARLF]

Well,la de da, I am offended by all these whiners that find something to be offended about everyday.

Sheesh! Stop digging around looking for things to be offended about. If you don't like this country go to another one........Take all your kinfolks with you,cry babies

[TexasFreeper2009]

guess they need to pull all those Hawaiian costumes too !

ROFL

[AuntB]

“has offended Latino shoppers and community groups “

EVERYTHING offends them, especially our laws and customs. I’m sick of importing whiners and absconders, we have enough of our homegrown ones.

[Overtaxed Patriot]