The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: problematic rhetoric

  • Commercial Costumes Can Be Problematic

    Commercial Costumes Can Be Problematic

    Many costumes portray culture and lifestyle in an insensitive manner

    Humboldt State students hurry last minute to piece their Halloween costumes together but find no comfort in commercial Halloween stores as the stores will often have sections full of costumes that are ignorant or insensitive.

    Sierra Cosper, a forestry major, expressed her discontent in the commercial Halloween store, Spirit Halloween.

    “I went through Spirit Halloween and they had a whole aisle of Pocahontas and it’s not cool,” Cosper said. “It’s 2019, can we move on from that now?”

    Students agreed that Pocahontas and Native American themed costumes were disrespectful and unacceptable to wear. Haley Fedalizo, a liberal studies elementary education major, found another commercial Halloween store, Party City, to be disrespectful toward culture and body weight.

    “Obviously the [costumes] that are in your face like the Native American one is not okay,” Fedalizo said. “I was literally at Party City yesterday and I saw a “fat costume” and that’s not cool.”

    Jose Moreno, a social work major, also found fault in the commercial chain Party City. Moreno practices an ironically ‘fun’ tradition at the store every year. Often losing count of the inappropriate costumes.

    “I went through Spirit Halloween and they had a whole aisle of Pocahontas and it’s not cool. It’s 2019, can we move on from that now?”

    Sierra Cosper

    “When I go to Party City or anything like that, I count how many cultural appropriation outfits there are,” Moreno said. “I’m like ‘there’s one right there, and right there! I lost track.”

    Beyond the recognizable commercial chains, the internet continues to advertise culturally insensitive and inappropriate Halloween costumes and accessories.

    HSU student Gabrielle Sturm, an environmental studies major, went online to browse for the Halloween season and couldn’t believe what was advertised.

    “I was looking up costumes online and I was a little surprised to see how many [inappropriate costumes] there still are,” Sturm says. “I think they’re bad but a lot of people still do it.”

    While cultural appropriation continues to popularize social media with cultural awareness movements, HSU promotes a safe and respectful Halloween season. Of course, the message on campus has no influence on commercial chains.

  • Letter to the Editors: CRGS lecturer responds to racism on campus

    Letter to the Editors: CRGS lecturer responds to racism on campus

    By: Maral N. Attallah

    Open letter to the folks tearing down David Josiah Lawson pictures/posters, immigrant rights posters and writing hateful, racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric on whiteboards and office doors:

    Maybe you are the same folks, maybe not, but my message is the same.

    Ignorance does not justify or excuse hate!

    Your statements about immigrants are factually incorrect. I do not intend on debating you but I am happy to share resources to help educate you and maybe then engage in some dialogue. It’s not a problem, it’s what I do… but you know this because you’ve stood in front of my office door and know what I teach. I am giving you the benefit of the doubt because it’s also what I do. At this point you have the choice of learning or remaining willfully ignorant. Take some time to think about it.

    I hope that after you tore down David Josiah Lawson’s picture that you paused to see my open letter right below it, where I reflect on his passing. I hope you read it and I hope you felt a tinge of guilt for your actions, I know you are capable of empathy, most of us are. I hope that is why you left my letter up. Regardless of your intentions, your actions were hateful but I will still show you empathy and I’ll do you a solid and put the picture back up for you! It’s all good, it’s already back up.

    You can learn from this moment and become a better human being or you can remain willfully ignorant, your choice. A young man has died and you tore down his picture. Think about that. Immigrants are needlessly suffering, in part due to the ignorance you parroted with your permanent marker. Dehumanizing language does not change the facts. The crazy thing is permanent markers are not permanent; your message did not stay up very long. You can tear down pictures/posters but folks will keep printing and posting. Take some time to reflect on your actions and in the meantime, we will keep putting up posters with statements like, “Everyone is Welcome Here”, “No Human Is Illegal”, “Compassion is Invincible” and my personal favorite, “Sí Se Puede!”

    Lastly, for those who may feel unsafe or targeted by these hateful actions, hold strong in the fact that so many folks have your back! “They tried to bury us; they didn’t know we were seeds.”

    Best wishes,

    Maral N. Attallah

    Distinguished Lecturer, Dept. of CRGS

    04/30/19