The Campus Women’s Center and the Multicultural Student Coalition worked in conjunction Wednesday night to provide an open forum for students to present their views on race and gender-related Halloween costumes.

The discussion, at Chadbourne Hall, began with a 15-minute video made by Communication Arts students at the State Street Halloween Celebration in 2000. The video showed students dressed as stereotypical Asians, Mexicans, Native Americans, Blacks and women. An African American student in the video explained his discontent with people who painted their faces to look African American as part of a costume. “I think it is definitely an attempt to ridicule black people,” the student said.

The overall theme of the video was that white people wearing gendered or racial costumes — such as ponchos with sombreros — strengthen stereotypes and create an environment of hostility on campus.

The Multicultural Student Coalition recently administered a survey asking students which costumes they saw most at the State Street Halloween Celebration. Topping the list were people wearing Afros, then people dressed Hawaiian, Native American costumes, followed by depictions of Mexicans, Arabs and African Americans.

“As people of color, our ethnicity is continually degraded in our society,” said Jenn Epps, ASM Diversity Committee chair. “To have a day where people can do whatever they want and say whatever they want is really a slap in the face.”

Student reaction to the video was mixed. “I wasn’t surprised by the video, but at the same time I didn’t feel offended,” explained one of the white student audience members, who wished to remain anonymous. “After seeing the video, I thought maybe I should have felt offended, but wasn’t.”

Another student felt very differently.

“It was really sad to see this type of stereotyping,” senior Vanessa Vogl said.

An important distinction, however, was made at the forum.

Hannah Baker-Siroty, outreach coordinator at the Campus Women’s Center, explained the difference between dressing as a person who happened to be of a particular ethnicity and dressing as a stereotype of an ethnicity. She said that while dressing up as someone of a certain ethnicity may not necessarily be offensive, the most hurtful costumes are those that present a generic stereotype of a race or ethnicity.

Siroty explained her point by looking at a segment in the video in which students were dressed as Fidel Castro. While dressed with cigars, beards and dark faces, it was clear it was not their intent to stereotype Cubans in general, she said.

Students had varying opinions on what would result in a role reversal. “As an Asian person, if I decided to put on a blonde wig and polka-ed down the street, [white people] would be a little offended,” an audience member said.

A white student replied that he would not be offended if roles were reversed.

He said, “[Whites] are rarely singled out because we are white, so we don’t have those defense mechanisms up.”

During the gathering, participants were made aware of racial tensions that have occurred at other colleges during Halloween festivities. Last year, a UW-Whitewater fraternity was suspended for hosting a costume party in which every one dressed up as stereotypical African Americans, wearing chains to depict slaves and painting their faces dark. The students also had mock lynchings and flew Confederate flags at the party.

For questions about appropriate Halloween costumes, contact the Multicultural Student Coalition (262-5131) or the Campus Women’s Center (262-8093).