Disclosure: Affiliate links are used in this post. You can read my full disclosure here.
With the new Disney Live-Action Mulan movie recently coming out on Disney+ and with Halloween coming up. there are probably going to be a lot of kids wanting to dress up as Mulan for Halloween.
Which brings up the question:
Can my non-Asian child go as Mulan for Halloween?
Being half-Chinese, I have had others ask me for my thoughts, and have shared in private, but hesitated to make a post before because I thought being born in America, I do not have as much say as someone who was born and raised in China, and maybe I don't, but here are my thoughts as an Asian American:
In my opinion, YES! You and or your child can dress up as Mulan for Halloween, BUT make sure the costume is recognizable as the character, so buying an approved Disney costume (like the ones pictured above) is your best bet, but you can handmake your own too, there are plenty of amazing Disney cosplayers who do a great job. It's just important your costume is recognizable as Mulan, otherwise it crosses into cultural appropriation.
Cultural appropriation, according to Oxford is:
"The unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society."
Wearing a hanfu, qipao or cheongsam on Halloween is inappropriate. Being Chinese is not a costume. It is even worse when traditional Chinese attire is made "sexy" as Fawnia Soo-Hoo says perfectly:
"My big beef with the sexed up version of a qipao is that it perpetuates the stereotype that Chinese women are "exotic," subservient sluts. " - Fawnia Soo-Hoo (source)
The "sexy" versions are NEVER okay. It is disrespectful and distasteful.
Now if you want to wear a qipao or cheongsam, I feel that is totally fine, just not on Halloween and not as a costume.
So if not Halloween, you might be wondering when can I wear Chinese cultural attire? And is it okay for a non-Chinese person to wear traditional Chinese outfits??
My answer: You do not have to be Chinese to wear a hanfu, cheongsam, qipao, etc. You can wear them on any Chinese holiday or to any formal event such as a wedding or a gala, or more casual or inspired attire could even be worn to work.
For example, Rachel Green in Friends wears a beautiful black floral cheongsam to her friend, Pheobe Buffay's, elegant bachelorette party:
15 Comments
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. My kids absolutely love Mulan.
ReplyDeleteThis is completely a new concept for me-Mulan. It's fantastic learning about different country's culture and tradition.
ReplyDeleteI love this idea! My daughter loves Mulan and after watching the latest movie, she's excited to dress up Mulan this halloween. I am following your advise to just buy an approved Disney costume. :)
ReplyDeleteI love the costume! I agree, the sexy version is not okay.
ReplyDeleteVery thoughtful and interesting article. I love Halloween because it’s a time to get creative and be anything you want! Love the idea of going with the Disney approved costume!
ReplyDeletetruly love the concept of getting dressed in costumes as our imagination is the limit for what we want to be then..
ReplyDeletelove the costues you featured
It is interesting to read your perspective. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Those are beautiful costumes.
ReplyDeleteThose costumes are so cute! I can't wait to watch the movie. I'm non-Asian but have a lot of Asian characteristics so I wore traditional garmets for Halloween as a child. I love how you break this down and I couldn't agree with you more on how inappropriate the sexy costumes are!
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween for the opportunity to be something that you naturally are not. It's sad that some ruin the innocence of it. Love Mulan!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your perspective. Such an important topic during this season.
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking time to share your thoughts! I think Halloween brings out a lot of accidental cultural appropriation and posts like this help people make informed decisions about their costume choice.
ReplyDeleteNever thought of something like this. Halloween is near and I think we can dress our kids the way they wanted to be.
ReplyDeleteAs long as you aren't pretending to be a race a culture, it's fine. Stick to fictional characters and animals.
DeleteA very interesting post in today's more culturally sensitive era. I agree that if the costume represents a fictional character, especially when worn by a child, she be absolutely fine.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts. I love many of the beautiful dresses and other items and have worn them in the past. Lately I have been doing a lot of listening and trying to learn what is appropriate and I am appreciative when people are open.
ReplyDeleteThere is an anonymous comment option if you would prefer to keep your info private.