Is it racist

[StrollPatrolMom]

How is it different than other Halloween costumes?

they key word was child...I don't think the whole drug dealing, prostituting, and gang violence aspect associated with the idea of "ghetto" is particularly appropriate for a child.

 

[Briarmom]

Dressing 'gangsta' for Halloween is not offensive. It's Halloween.

I am so glad I am not a kid now. You can't do a damn thing anymore. No Halloween parties at school, you might offend someone. No Christmas talk, you might offend someone. No playing tag, being 'it' will cause little Timmy to lose his mind. No keeping score at the baseball game, you don't want someone to lose. In ds' new school, they don't give GRADES. I hate the school, but I have no other choice unless I homeschool.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Ghettos have been around since the middle ages when they were established to keep Jews apart from the rest of the populations...Venice has one of the most famous old Jewish Ghettos..Then of course there are the ghettos of the holocaust... I'm trying to teach my kids that's not a name to throw around like it's cool

 

[JennyMominRI]

Dressing 'gangsta' for Halloween is not offensive. It's Halloween.

I am so glad I am not a kid now. You can't do a damn thing anymore. No Halloween parties at school, you might offend someone. No Christmas talk, you might offend someone. No playing tag, being 'it' will cause little Timmy to lose his mind. No keeping score at the baseball game, you don't want someone to lose. In ds' new school, they don't give GRADES. I hate the school, but I have no other choice unless I homeschool.

Gee, they do all of those things at my kids school up here in Liberal RI.
DS's Halloween dance is tomorrow

 

[Master Gracy]

Ghettos have been around since the middle ages when they were established to keep Jews apart from the rest of the populations...Venice has one of the most famous old Jewish Ghettos..Then of course there are the ghettos of the holocaust... I'm trying to teach my kids that's not a name to throw around like it's cool

well thats my new thing for today!
back on topic:
Are you sure this kid isnt copying a rapper? Bc I know kids who like dressing up as famous people, and ghetto is rather thrown around with rappers (to my knowledge anyway)

 

[Briarmom]

Gee, they do all of those things at my kids school up here in Liberal RI.
DS's Halloween dance is tomorrow

That's great! In most places it is 'Fall Festival' now.

 

[MAKmom]

Eminen is blond hair & blue eyed.

 

[CathrynRose]

Gee I see kids of all races dressed like that everyday. I don't see what is "ghetto" about that. I agree with Jenny, ghetto means so much more.

Only if you make it out to be. It DID mean much more, and Im aware of the history behind that word. However - this is a child saying this, and what she meant was 'Gangsta / Hip Hop / Whatever is Politically Correct to say'

Dressing 'gangsta' for Halloween is not offensive. It's Halloween.


I am so glad I am not a kid now. You can't do a damn thing anymore. No Halloween parties at school, you might offend someone. No Christmas talk, you might offend someone. No playing tag, being 'it' will cause little Timmy to lose his mind. No keeping score at the baseball game, you don't want someone to lose. In ds' new school, they don't give GRADES. I hate the school, but I have no other choice unless I homeschool.

I agree.

Ghettos have been around since the middle ages when they were established to keep Jews apart from the rest of the populations...Venice has one of the most famous old Jewish Ghettos..Then of course there are the ghettos of the holocaust... I'm trying to teach my kids that's not a name to throw around like it's cool

(see above)

Youre right - BUT the way this child used this term wasnt meant to be offensive to anyone. If she would have said 'Hip Hop' no one would be flipping out and THAT is what she meant.

 

[LakeAriel]

Ghettos have been around since the middle ages when they were established to keep Jews apart from the rest of the populations...Venice has one of the most famous old Jewish Ghettos..Then of course there are the ghettos of the holocaust... I'm trying to teach my kids that's not a name to throw around like it's cool

Main Entry: 1ghet·to
Pronunciation: \ˈge-(ˌ)tō\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural ghettos also ghettoes
Etymology: Italian, from Venetian dialect ghèto island where Jews were forced to live, literally, foundry (located on the island), from ghetàr to cast, from Latin jactare to throw — more at jet
Date: 1611
1: a quarter of a city in which Jews were formerly required to live
2: a quarter of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure
3 a: an isolated group <a geriatric ghetto> b: a situation that resembles a ghetto especially in conferring inferior status or limiting opportunity <the pink-collar ghetto>
Exactly.


That is why I posted what I did. I don't like the intimation that ghetto is black..and yes there have been Irish ghetto's. There were many in the Bronx when I was growing up.

 

[jrmasm]

Dressing 'gangsta' for Halloween is not offensive. It's Halloween.

I am so glad I am not a kid now. You can't do a damn thing anymore. No Halloween parties at school, you might offend someone. No Christmas talk, you might offend someone. No playing tag, being 'it' will cause little Timmy to lose his mind. No keeping score at the baseball game, you don't want someone to lose. In ds' new school, they don't give GRADES. I hate the school, but I have no other choice unless I homeschool.

Normally I agree with you. I found the joke yesterday about the homeless women to be hilarious.

I think if she said she wanted to dress up as a rapper I would have been less uncomfortable.

 

[JennyMominRI]

That's great! In most places it is 'Fall Festival' now.

Not around here it's not, nor was it in California...MY kids also sing Christmas carols at the winter concert... They are the rule not the exception around here.

 

[StrollPatrolMom]

Dressing 'gangsta' for Halloween is not offensive. It's Halloween.

I am so glad I am not a kid now. You can't do a damn thing anymore. No Halloween parties at school, you might offend someone. No Christmas talk, you might offend someone. No playing tag, being 'it' will cause little Timmy to lose his mind. No keeping score at the baseball game, you don't want someone to lose. In ds' new school, they don't give GRADES. I hate the school, but I have no other choice unless I homeschool.

I'm not even going to get into whether its "offensive" or not. I really don't care about adults...they can dress as whatever they please. I used the word appropriate...for a child...to choose a costume that glorifies violence, murder, drug dealing, lack of education...etc to me thats not funny or festive.

 

[Beth76]

I don't see how the person's race or coloring has to do with whether or not the costume is racist. It shouldn't be ok for a black kid to wear it, but not a white kid. I personally would not let my child dress that way, but not because I think it's racist.

 

[Master Gracy]

I don't see how the person's race or coloring has to do with whether or not the costume is racist. It shouldn't be ok for a black kid to wear it, but not a white kid. I personally would not let my child dress that way, but not because I think it's racist.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Youre right - BUT the way this child used this term wasnt meant to be offensive to anyone. If she would have said 'Hip Hop' no one would be flipping out and THAT is what she meant.

I'm not offended, I just want my kids to be aware of the true meaning.
My DD came home from visiting her dad in a very small very nice Pa town..She came talking about that towns ghetto, which I found rediculous.. That beautiful little town full of middle class peoplewith cell phones and Ipod is not a ghetto.. As a Jew, I wanted her to become aware of what life is like for people in a real ghetto.

 

[freckles and boo]

Not around here it's not, nor was it in California...MY kids also sing Christmas carols at the winter concert... They are the rule not the exception around here.

Same here. It is what it is. My kids just can't have "weapons" or have any blood or gore on their costumes. We do have one local conflict, though. There is a nearby school district with a large Muslim population that is asking that their holiday traditions be INCLUDED along with the Christmas celebrations. You would think the world is coming to an end by the infantile reaction some "Christians" are having. These are public schools.

 

[NYBlue1]

I dont think its offensive at all, if anything people may not know she is in a costume because alot of kids , blond hair blue eyes all diffrent nationalities and looks dress this way. Its a style .

All you did was use the wrong word to describe it, no big deal IMO

 

[barkley]

Not around here it's not, nor was it in California...MY kids also sing Christmas carols at the winter concert... They are the rule not the exception around here.

none of the schools in the area of california we lived in allowed halloween, christmas or easter reccognition. when the teachers were told they could'nt have the kids sing anything that remotely could be connected with christmas they ended up doing the 'winter concerts' after the first of the year. it got to the point that the schools were so sick of arguing about halloween or 'fall festival' (which some people said was just a re-named celebration of the same thing) allot ended up purposely schedualing their teacher in-service for 10/31 so they did'nt have to deal with it.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

Without looking at any of the post, and thinking right off the top of my head, I'd say, No. And the reason for this is many young white kids seem to dress and act ghetto already. Now, I'm 37 and don't really know what manor of dress constitutes ghetto, but from what I perceive it to be it already happens. Just don't have your child paint his/her face black.

 

[Briarmom]

Normally I agree with you. I found the joke yesterday about the homeless women to be hilarious.

I think if she said she wanted to dress up as a rapper I would have been less uncomfortable.

Thanks! You know, maybe (and I don't know for sure so I really mean maybe) she meant 'rapper' but used the word 'ghetto'. She is a kid, right? I don't think I knew all about ghettos when I was a kid. I still don't immediately think of the ghettos that were used for the Jews, honestly. JMO of course.

Not around here it's not, nor was it in California...MY kids also sing Christmas carols at the winter concert... They are the rule not the exception around here.

That is super. I don't know what they will do for Christmas around here at the American school. The Belgian school (where dd goes) is all decked out for Halloween. Just like when I was a kid. I love it! DS has never gotten to experience that.

I'm not even going to get into whether its "offensive" or not. I really don't care about adults...they can dress as whatever they please. I used the word appropriate...for a child...to choose a costume that glorifies violence, murder, drug dealing, lack of education...etc to me thats not funny or festive.

Not ONE of those things even crossed my mind.