120 CommentsFrom Chicano Caucus’ statement yesterday regarding the pictures from the Theta mixer (featured at the bottom of the post):
Stereotypes are used to oppress marginalized communities. These pictures caricaturize Mexican culture and should not be overlooked. The attire trivializes an entire nation’s history, its peoples, and its cultures, reducing them to a mere mustache and sombrero. Though the attire was meant to represent Mexico in a game of Beer Olympics, in actuality it perpetuates the American stereotype of the sombrero-wearing Mexican-American migrant worker, distorting the culture into a form of entertainment.
Chicano Caucus also participated in Glass House Rocks on Valentine’s Day, where they provided students who stopped by with cutout posters to pose in. One of the two portraits provided to other students features a sombrero and a built-in large mustache. See pictures we found on their Facebook album below. While the actions aren’t equivalent and the group has the right to do whatever it wants with its culture, we can’t help but think that Chicano Caucus may have been perpetuating “the stereotype of the sombrero-wearing Mexican-American migrant worker” with this one.
Update (3:15 am): Chicano Caucus’s E-Board released a statement of apology regarding its events at Glass House Rocks, noting it “attempted to address the stereotypes imposed upon us by showcasing their underlying truths: the places and peoples they actually pertain to.” Read the full statement below.
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- some of the photos
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- there were 62 pictures in the photo album
On Thursday, February 13th, Chicano Caucus participated in Glass House Rocks 2014: Under the Sea, showcasing the southwestern coastal regions of Mexico through papel picado, lotería, face cut-outs, and traditional cuisine. We would like to apologize to anyone we offended with the images of the face cut-outs. It is regrettable that only one of the many aspects we sought to share was singled out, neglecting the overarching theme. However, our event at Glass House Rocks was far from a trivial representation of our Mexican heritage; it was a means through which we paid tribute to one of the many cultures within Mexico, combating the very issue of cultural unawareness. We attempted to address the stereotypes imposed upon us by showcasing their underlying truths: the places and peoples they actually pertain to. It is very easy to release certain images without context, and we feel that this is only taking away from the real issue at hand.
We reiterate that cultural appropriation is an issue that needs to be continually discussed and addressed on all levels. The concerns raised by both of these events (1) (2) are starting points to bring about tangible change to our campus community. As we move toward this goal, we hope it will include the participation of Columbia’s student organizations and administration.
Furthermore, we would like to be a resource for those with questions or concerns. We invite those who wish to discuss this situation to Chicano Caucus’ open meeting on Thursday, February 27th at 9pm. For further details on the location of this meeting, please contact the Chicano Caucus presidential co-chairs: Rubén Chaidez (rc2756@columbia.edu) and Trinidad Reyes (tr2349@columbia.edu).
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120 Comments
@dj “Come on people”
“Really”…. Stop blaming everyone else…. Put on your Big Boy or Girl or Undecided Pants and get a life
As a concerned parent “Paying” for my childs education…. These Racist “Chicano Caucus” girls need a life and to hit the books…. It is easy to be offended if you are always looking for the opportunity. And I hope my hard earned tax dollars are being invested in students who are thicker skinned….
Does no one have the ability to laugh at themselves and just get along….
BTW.. I am Irish and my ancesters have had their share of challenges… and happy St Patricks day…
@anonymous There is no stereotype of Mexican migrant workers in sombreros like that.
The stereotype is a proud ideal of a Mexican Warrior with a full ‘stache, a huge sombrero, and maybe even bandoliers. Zapata. Pancho Villa.
It’s hardly offensive. It’s badass, and AWESOME.
The Chicano Caucus apparently doesn’t know the first damn thing about their own culture.
Word Verification: “Hanspic” — I kid you not.
@Repete I not only find it hypocritical that the Chicano Caucus actually had the audacity to complain after doing this, but I find it EXTREMELY ironic that they complain about something as silly and fallacious as “cultural appropriation” when millions of their fellow countrymen are illegally appropriating MY country by crossing MY border illegally. Maybe they should really think things through when they want to whine about something so insignificant in relation to what is being done on the southern border of the U.S.
@'MURICA yes
@'MURICA x2 DEPORT
@JT No Juan got time for this
@Anonymous YOU WIN, SIR.
@Michel Foucault An entire historical tradition (theological or rationalistic) aims at dissolving the singular event into an ideal continuity—as a teleological movement or a natural process. “Effective” history, however, deals with events in terms of their most unique characteristics, their most acute manifestations. An event, consequently, is not a decision, a treaty, a reign, or a battle, but the reversal of a relationship of forces, the usurpation of power, the appropriating of a vocabulary turned against those who had once used it, a feeble domination that poisons itself as it grows lax, the entry of a masked “other.”
@Anonymous I’m sorry but enough with the “straight out of theta business”
Do your research on the heritage of the girls if you’re going to start pointing racial fingers
Also does everyone in Chicano Caucus have to be Mexican? No. So clearly they agree other races can represent a culture?
Also “it is very easy to release certain images without context” yeah no shit? Thetas party was an OLYMPIC game theme. They weren’t using the identity of different nations as a costume to ridicule them, they were using costumes of different nations to represent them in a game! there IS a difference and it is offensive that everyone jumped the gun and immediately assumed that because of being Greek or white or whatever assumptions go with that, that they were evil and seeking to ridicule rather than do exactly what Chicano caucus did and represent a region of Mexico.
“It is regrettable that only one of the many aspects we sought to share was singled out, neglecting the overarching theme. ” seems fitting
@Anonymous @Anonymous: nailed it. slow clap
@asdf (from above) Not sure if you were referring to my comment above when you quoted “straight out of theta,” but I didn’t mean that as a statement I personally would make about the ethnicities of the ladies in the Theta or other sororities. It was brought up that many of them looked white as a reason their behavior was particularly harmful, and I was referring to that to make the point that if that’s harmful, then what the Chicano Caucus did — inviting people, including white people, to pose in caricatured cutouts, was equally harmful.
@asdf One thing I take issue with in this is the assertion that what they were doing was “address[ing] the stereotypes imposed upon us” and that they were “reclaim[ing] its stereotypes and use[ing] them in a positive manner,” making this okay for them to do, even while it wasn’t okay for the Theta people to do what they did. At Glass House Rocks, they didn’t just take pictures of themselves in stereotypical Mexican garb — they actively invited other students, including (from the pictures) several people who look like they could have come straight out of the Theta pictures, to get behind the cutouts and smile, then took pictures of them and shared them publicly. I wasn’t there, so I can’t tell if they were actually making it clear that the point of this was to somehow “address the stereotypes imposed on us,” but that sure isn’t apparent from the pictures. It looks like they were inviting people to do exactly the same thing Theta was doing. So I do think that however “wrong” Theta is, this is on the same level.
@pleased ahh i’ll be reading these comments for weeks
@Anonymous @Peaches: Nice job correcting a word with a synonym. Here’s a song that uses the saying, seems to agree with the later version. http://youtu.be/jW3j_KXufPE
@KONY All these racial groups need to check their privilege, children in my country have their family killed and are trained to be soldiers for the rest of their short horrible lives and you all are complaining about a mustache and a sombrero. These kids would literally kill each other for some food and you pretend you don’t have privilege. Take a long look at where your priorities are because this is a stupid thing for all these privileged ivy league people to be fighting about. People of color from a first world country are not lacking in privilege. Also #kony4president
@Anonymous The Chicano caucus happens to be mistaken concerning their interpretation of the “Mexican” stereotype.
The look does not marginalize the “sombrero-wearing Mexican-American migrant worker.” The meme is intended an homage to the early twentieth century Mexican badass Pancho Villa.
Villa fought, a Mexican Revolutionary, fought against the institutions o oppression that plagued the rural poor. Often outnumbered and outgunned, he effortlessly made stronger, better equipped forces look foolish. Before the first world war, the U.S. government sent 5000 troops into Mexico under Black Jack Pershing to bring Villa to “justice;” they never came close.
Villa is a hero and a symbol of Mexican pride. The “sombrero- wearing Mexican,” remains a common personification of la raza. Don’t believe me? Watch Mexico light it up this summer in Brazil — you’ll see multiple caricatures of Pancho in Pancho Villa’s army.
Is wearing a star- spangled top hat demeaning to Americans? How about chaps, spurs, and a cowboy hat? No.
Celebrating Pancho Villa is not demeaning.
Viva El Tri
@Wait... Try again when anybody that dressed up from the sorority can (honestly) claim they knew who Pancho Villa was.
@theta my brother and I were pancho villa (ie. not merely mexican) for halloween in middle school… no regrets then and no regrets now. I’d still do it again.
@Anonymous @wait…
excuse me? yeah because no one who is in a sorority could possibly know about other cultures or in fact BE from that culture…you sound so ignorant.
we all go to columbia, stop acting like you’re smarter or more worldly than anyone else here, because guess what you’re not.
@Tacos So party at amigos at 10:30pm?
@news flash you’re all fucking idiots
@question how many privilege points do i need before i can wear a sombrero and a moustache and shake my maracas around?
@Jessep For those arguing that it was okay for Chicano Caucus to portray themselves in essentially the exact same way as “Team Mexico” from Theta (mustaches and sombreros) because they themselves were Hispanic and had a right to represent their own culture as they saw fit…
… you should know that the host/captain of “Team Mexico” was herself raised in, you guessed it, Mexico… and the host/captain of “Team Japan” is, yep, Japanese… That’s why they themselves picked those countries.
What I see here is two groups, both wearing sombreros and mustaches for a photo op, both posting those photos on a public forum, both featuring latin@s and non-latin@s, and both being led by group leaders who are proud of their strong personal ties to Mexico.
You can talk about “reclaiming” until the cow’s come home, but if Chicano Caucus wants to condemn Theta’s actions, as they did, under the banner that intention is irrelevant, then they better not hold up their own intentions as a shield.
@wait what Why did Bwog / Spec not provide this kinda crucial information. I mean whatever you ultimately believe about whether (assumed white / outsiders / etc.) sorority girls had a “right” to wear “Team Mexico” costumes, the fact that the team captains of both teams were ACTUALLY FROM THE COUNTRIES THEY REPRESENTED changes everything. What the hell.
@theta because bwog and spec are posting sensationalist articles that are merely meant to cause drama and attack greek life… did you not hear that daniela quintanilla reported there were nazis and native americans present? clearly more slander… what makes it worse is that kappa alpha theta headquarters won’t let any of the members comment on the situation. they’re throwing us under the bus. clearly i don’t give a fuck what headquarters allows me to do. this is bullshit. and yes, to clarify, the host of team japan is Japanese and the host of team mexico grew up in mexico. not to mention the rest of the members who are equally diverse.
@Anonymous word.
bwog and spec really need to give more thought before they trash members of the columbia community. once it’s out there it’s out there, whether or not it’s true or the fact that nearly all the comments argue that this is ridiculous and slander
I think we put too much power in the hands of those who cry wolf. but that’s the modern day internet world we live in. kids hiding behind computer screens can drag anyone they want through the mud regardless of the facts.
@theta also why hasn’t bwog/spec included any photos of theta’s team america that was present at this mixer?
@Yea what? Can we get more info here please before we throw all of these girls under the bus? Bwog…
@Anonymous Minorities are not “oppressed”, unless you consider it oppressive to have an easier admission to this university.
“Oh, but my feelings!” No one cares.
@ok... too far
@Anonymous wow, such edgy
@if you're going to play the affirmative action card @Anonymous: you might want to remember that asians are minorities as well
@Anonymous what does “white” mean? please and thank you
@This is BS Clarification: Chicano Caucus had different activities at Glass House Rocks, which included showcasing cultural art “papel picado”, food like Ceviche, and even playing their version of Bingo “Loteria”, and played authentic Mexican music. The cut outs, in my opinion, were raising awareness to an acknowledged fact American stereotype towards their preconceived culture. I mean come on guys, I don’t see a single white prepschool girl in Chicano’s Caucus’s pictures.There’s a difference between acknowledging cultural appropriation in an event that shows their perspectives and their challenges they may face within a community and a dumb sorority stint that shows no respect for the culture they TRIED to represent.
@Jaded Graduate Student @This is BS:
Idk man, define white? Define what a prep school girl looks like? Those girls holding the cut outs in the above photo look pretty white to me. And I know many Latinas as well as Hispanic girls (however you want to identify) that could be black, white or Asian based on their looks… Best thing is to not make any prejudgements.
@Anonymous You’re purposely advancing Chicano’s actions as tolerable while saying Theta is “dumb.” How can you act as if both are not in some way similar to the stereotype of Mexican culture? Just because one is an organization made up of primarily Hispanics does not make the act any better.
@heey hermano And here I was planning on not celebrating Cinco de Cuatro this year out of more cultural respect.
@Hey Chicano Caucus, Can you please explain how you were promoting “positive” use of the stereotype? I’m sure having students pose with fake mustaches in rather unfortunate looking cutouts does not “trivialize an entire nation’s history” and really educated students about your culture and tradition.
@Shade I read these comments and it makes me further believe that those privileged at Columbia cannot (and probably will never) recognize that members of a culture choosing to represent themselves a certain way is up to those said members. However, when another culture (specifically that of Caucasians -and here’s the part that everyone seems to gloss over- who historically retain “imperial” privilege) assumes the characterizations of a historically oppressed culture – it trivializes and ridicules the experience of said culture because of the imposition of privilege. Wearing a mustache to appear “Mexican” becomes a joke and erases the historical (and continuous) struggles (i.e. racial profiling) that goes along with it. If Chicano Caucus chooses to represent themselves through photographing themselves wearing mustaches and sombreros in cut-outs, they are choosing to celebrate their culture because they experience their culture. If a predominantly non-Mexican group (at least it appears so in the photos) chooses to wear the same garments, due to their historical privilege, its a form of defamation. If you have not undergone the effects of white supremacy, please do not make a caricature of a separate culture that has, you voice is all throughout globalized media, it is not needed here.
But then I remember all the crackkkas that go to Columbia who are so deeply disturbed by any slight shift in the comfort of their status quo who will retort back to this shouting “It’s not fair, its hypocrisy,” blinded so intensely by their shimmering glare of their privileged whiteness.
@Anonymous Aren’t we all here at Columbia to become privileged. I know that’s a main reason I work so hard. Stop making making a divide between privileged vs non. We are all trying to hustle, progress, and make ourselves better
@uh Privileged does not always = entitled and/or lazy. You can be privileged and hard-working at the same time. Obviously. I’ve worked for my A’s and worked for those leadership positions and worked all my life.
But I also come from a comfortable financial background. I’ve had my health my entire life. I have been shielded my entire life from the realities of the extremely poor, racially marginalized, the undocumented, the sick, etc. The list goes on. I have privileges that they don’t; privileges that cannot be changed by my actions or theirs. Similarly, they have knowledge about the realities of their own lives that I don’t have. I will never fully understand what’s it like, even if I listen closely for the rest of my life. But listening is still the best I can do, and the obligation I carry with me. I find it a small price to pay for having what they will never have.
@think before you speak I think you’re forgetting that there are girls from the different ethnic backgrounds in these groups that you are labeling “Caucasian”. They chose to depict there background this way too. The fact ‘caucasian’ groups are less homogenous than the Chicano Caucus, i think speaks volumes. I also think it speaks volumes about commentators who group all the girls in sororities as white. It shows a divide within racial groups on campus. And the guilt that can be felt if say you’re mexican girl who decides not be super involved with a ethnic group on campus, but instead follow different passions.
@Jaded Graduate Student While I agree with some points of your argument, I’m actually kind of offended by the fact that you refer to the “white student population” at Columbia as “crackkkas.” You are assuming that because someone is white and attends an Ivy League, they are automatically from a position of “privileged.” What about white students who are GLBTQ population? Students who are immigrants? Student who come from financially disadvantaged families or broken homes? Students who may be physically disabled or have learning disabilities? By in large, you are also assuming that the vast majority of non-PoC students are coming from wealthy, White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, the 1% or financial elite, when there are students of a multitude of ethnic backgrounds and cultures who have faced adversity. If you are trying to be politically correct, please refrain from name-calling and making sweeping generalizations about people. That’s true equality.
@just YES
@a guy You suggest Mexican and Caucasian are two separate, non intersecting identities. This is odd, considering most of the Mexican people I know here at Columbia are white.
@Jaded Graduate Student I’m not implying that at all. Mexican is a multifaceted nationality:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_people#Ethnic_groups
@Come on, Bwog Here’s what their FULL statement was:
“On Saturday, February 22nd, photographs of Columbia’s Kappa Alpha Theta members dressed in stereotypical Mexican attire surfaced on social media sites and came to the attention of Chicano Caucus’ executive board.
While we understand that the actions taken by these members may not have intended to be harmful, they were in fact offensive. Stereotypes are used to oppress marginalized communities. These pictures caricaturize Mexican culture and should not be overlooked. The attire trivializes an entire nation’s history, its peoples, and its cultures, reducing them to a mere mustache and sombrero. Though the attire was meant to represent Mexico in a game of Beer Olympics, in actuality it perpetuates the American stereotype of the sombrero-wearing Mexican-American migrant worker, distorting the culture into a form of entertainment.
That’s not to say that members outside of the Mexican culture cannot dress in our cultural garb or partake in our traditions. However, altering the Mexican flag is not the way to participate in a respectful manner. One way a nation is able to share its culture is through its respective flag. The center of the Mexican flag displays an eagle holding a serpent atop a cactus, symbolizing the founding of Tenochtitlan, what is now Mexico City. In the pictures, the students wear what is meant to be the Mexican flag, but it is defaced through the removal of the national coat of arms in order to include the letters of sorority insignia. This act strips away a foundation of our culture and pride.
After the incident was made public, one of Chicano Caucus’ presidential co-chairs received a verbal apology from the president of Columbia’s Kappa Alpha Theta chapter, and we appreciate the gesture. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. In fact, similar situations have occurred in the past with other organizations on Columbia’s campus. These photos reflect a larger issue at Columbia University in which cultural consciousness is not at the forefront of social and academic dialogue.
While we cannot speak for every Mexican, Mexican-American, or Chican@, we feel that any form of cultural appropriation is humiliating and perpetuates that group’s oppression in the United States by reinforcing a general culture of disrespect.
The term “cultural appropriation” is not one that is discussed often at Columbia, and it is not one that is easy to define. We hope that these photos promote campus-wide discussions as to what “cultural appropriation” entails and why it is a controversial topic to groups who are often the subjects of such actions.
One of Chicano Caucus’ goals is to initiate and participate in activities that foster inter-group relations among the Columbia University community. We want to use this opportunity as a starting point to establish a coalition against cultural appropriation to actualize institutional change within Columbia University.
Tangible solutions need to be reached so that this does not happen again.
-Chicano Caucus Executive Board”
Key emphasis on this part:
“That’s not to say that members outside of the Mexican culture cannot dress in our cultural garb or partake in our traditions. However, altering the Mexican flag is not the way to participate in a respectful manner. One way a nation is able to share its culture is through its respective flag. The center of the Mexican flag displays an eagle holding a serpent atop a cactus, symbolizing the founding of Tenochtitlan, what is now Mexico City. In the pictures, the students wear what is meant to be the Mexican flag, but it is defaced through the removal of the national coat of arms in order to include the letters of sorority insignia. This act strips away a foundation of our culture and pride.”
@Its all in the emphasis @Come on, Bwog: Another point of emphasis: These pictures caricaturize Mexican culture and should not be overlooked. The attire trivializes an entire nation’s history, its peoples, and its cultures, reducing them to a mere mustache and sombrero. Though the attire was meant to represent Mexico in a game of Beer Olympics, in actuality it perpetuates the American stereotype of the sombrero-wearing Mexican-American migrant worker, distorting the culture into a form of entertainment.
@What's your point? Bwog, this idiotic article won’t change Theta’s fate. What was your point in posting this? The Chicano Caucus outlined a clear sentiment that a large concern was the altering of the Mexican flag.
@Jesus Could we not say what was their point in posting the article about Theta? Just because this may offer an alternative side to the discussion doesn’t invalidate it and make it “idiotic.” If Chicano Caucus are going to respond to the costume incident and criticize the use of any form of stereotypes, they themselves should be held to the same standard, and I for one am glad Bwog is holding them to it publicly
@What's your point? Except this wasn’t news when it happened and it only is now because of what happened with Theta. I am not on any side, but Bwog’s intentions are transparent and weak.
@Anonymous It’s news because this goes directly against the statement Caucus released in response to Theta. This is hypocrisy and it needs to be talked about.
@OG Kush How can ANYONE criticize Theta’s altering of the Mexican flag when the American flag is altered every day for consumerist purposes? Think about how often you’ll see a version of the US flag on any given person’s clothing, and it won’t include all 13 stripes and all 50 stars. If the former offends you and is a cause for outcry, while the latter isn’t, that’s a problem. All I’m asking for is consistency in your outcry against the trivialization of national symbols and flags.
@duh so just because black people call each other ni**ers, it means we should be able to call them that and expect them not to be offended?
context, people.
@Anonymous so you are equating a derogatory word to mustaches and traditional garb? interesting, fairly interesting
@duh yes, a derogatory word can be as offensive as a mustache in the right context. I’m sorry this is interesting to you, but that’s the way it is. Calling a baby “baby” is totally fine, but a male boss calling a female subordinate “baby” can be derogatory and/or offensive.
“Why does context and intent matter in this situation but not thetas. I’m sure neither meant to offend, but they both ended up doing so.”
Yes, it is EXACTLY the context that matters. Chicano was educating whoever turned up about Mexican culture. Thetas were distorting the Mexican flag.
@Context @duh:
No it means that when a black person uses the N word, it can also be offensive to other people.
Why does context and intent matter in this situation but not thetas. I’m sure neither meant to offend, but they both ended up doing so.
@um @Context:
the context IS what’s in question here vs. with the thetas
thetas are white girls who dressed up as a culture that was not theirs using stereotypical representations of that culture like that’s the only thing that exists in mexico
the chicano caucus is a chican@ group that used their own images
context
is
exactly
what
people
have
issue with
learn to read tbh
@abndsa its more like should black people be offended when other races eat fried chicken in Harlem?
@Anonymous shots fired. stinson style
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odz20vGAJF8
@Anonymous SIG EP DID THIS TOO! please stop saying the poor ladies of theta are the only ones at fault.
@Apparently... everyone in Sig Ep went as team USA because, well… ‘Murica.
@superior Smaller brains. It’s science.
@No, bro The Sig Ep leaders told all the guys to be very careful when dressing for the party theme and not do anything stupid. Shame that the Theta girls didn’t have the same foresight (and by foresight I actually mean common sense).
@assumptions greek community*
@Jesus Christ. I cannot. Do not use the argument of we were dismantling stereotypes, getting students to think critically about these negative stereotypes etc etc. That’s bullshit. In your statement, you said: “While we cannot speak for every Mexican, Mexican-American, or Chican@, we feel that any form of cultural appropriation is humiliating and perpetuates that group’s oppression in the United States by reinforcing a general culture of disrespect.” If you feel that way, that ANY FORM of appropriation is negative, don’t do it yourself. Simple as that. Yes what Theta did may have been offensive. But getting mad at them for doing something you yourself did is a little beyond ridiculous.
@Seriously Addendum: There are SO MANY OTHER WAYS to educate people about sombreros and the origins of that doesn’t use cutouts that are stereotypical.
Seriously just a sombrero and put up some info slides. When people ask to take a picture say no and tell them about the negative implications that one photo has because it facilitates a trend in America that reduces culture to one stereotype.
Do not actively allow people to take these racist photos. That’s the problem.
I don’t see why intent matters here when it didn’t matter for the beer Olympics photos. Yes perhaps the it was the intention of the group to educate people about Mexican culture. It was the intention of the sorority girls to represent Mexico in beer Olympics. But the result is the same, people are offended at the photos generated. If intent didn’t matter for the girls, intent shouldn’t matter here.
More generally, they should be held to a higher bar because they know how their actions affect individuals of the minority group that was hurt because they are in said minority group and have faced this kind of discrimination.
@POC who took a cutout pic This is hilarrrriousssss
@Splooge Drenched Blowjob Queen It was hard to masturbate to this.
@Anon The hypocrisy is actually hilarious. Nice one Chicano Caucus! You’re real cultural heroes!
@Seriously To me this is so much more offensive than what those sorority girls did. I am from a minority and it pisses me off much more to see individuals of your own minority reduce your culture to stereotypes because they know and have experienced this discrimination first hand and yet still play a part in it.
Yes it sucks when people are shitty and don’t think when they act, but it’s far worse when people are aware of the implications of their actions and still do it. It’s as if they paid no mind to the fact that there are Mexicans who would take offense to this stereotyping of their culture, and did it anyway to claim some benefit for their group.
Also don’t give the bullshit that people from their own culture can do what they want with it. By that logic women can slut shame because they are women. Being offensive is being offensive, no matter which way you cut it. Being offensive while having suffered that offense is far worse in my opinion.
@When You Wish Upon a Star I wish I could like this a hundred times.
@Dumb I feel as though this is one way to shift the actual problem that plagues Columbia’s campus and that is Cultural Appropriation. In this context (which i’m guessing most people commenting did not attend Chicano Caucus’ event at Glass House Rocks) this was used to decontextualize the stereotype of the “typical Mexican”. If anyone actually went to the event at Glass House Rocks Chicano Caucus was explaining how in the Coastal Region of Mexico Sombrero’s are worn in order to shield themselves from the sun and they even included food and drinks that were culturally relevant to that region of Mexico. It was a means to de-stigmatize the stereotypes and a way to reclaim the sombrero and mustache. I feel almost as if these photos and the means that Bwog wrote the article is to make it seem as if Chicano Caucus is perpetuating the stereotypes but in fact stereotypes of all kinds have a starting point and Chicano Caucus was using this opportunity to reclaim the stigmatism. I feel as if this is entirely different from dressing up as “Mexican”, checking into Mexico on instragram, defacing the mexican flag, and displaying yourself on social media to be representing all of Mexico. These are two entirely different situations in which one is Beer Olympics culturally appropriating numerous nationalities. While Chicano Caucus may appear to be doing the same thing, the context of the entire situation (the background, the explanation of the pictures with historical context about the reasoning etc..) is not cultural appropriation but rather cultural awareness and a form to reclaim a stereotype in a positive educational way. Furthermore as a Mexican American student I was more offended by the pictures of the Beer Olympics because they never explained or apologized (the specific sorority) and as for Chicano Caucus I am grateful for the way they are handling this situation and making it a little less worrisome for when my family comes to see me graduate. I say this because my father has a mustache and so do my Uncles and they always tell me that just because the are Mexican and know the stereotypes they just wish people would understand that it’s not them perpetuating the stereotypes but rather it’s a part of their culture and I think Chicano Caucus was trying to reclaim this portion of culture.
@assumptions As a member of the greek I can tell you members are not allowed to comment without the approval of their larger, national organizations. Assumptions make and ass out of you and me.
@Anonymous plz just use paragraph breaks
@TLDR TL;DR
@Good Point I totally agree with this point. It is a completely different context for an organization to reclaim an often stereotyped image and use it in a positive image versus a group of mostly underaged sorority girls defacing a flag and drinking in their letters for a beer olympics game
@Ok, Bwog, I'll bite. I cannot speak for the Chicano caucus, but I also think it is bullshit that people of color have to defend every fucking thing they do if they’re going to call other people out on being racist, so I’m going to offer some clear differences between these two things for you to consider.
When posing in a cut out board, you could be sticking your face into anything. The most common ones I’ve seen are for super muscular white men. You are putting your head on a different body, jokingly playing dress up as someone else, but not presenting yourself as the quintessential member of any group. If you go to a party dressed as A Mexican, as some women in Theta did, you are.
The man in the sombrero on the cut out board is wearing a lei and next to a mermaid (?). This is silly and festive, in the spirit of a carnival cut out board, but also deviates from a stereotypical presentation of an ethnicity. Leis and mermaids are not part of any Mexican stereotype I know of, so this is not an ethnic caricature. Those Theta women did not deviate from stereotype a bit.
Oh, and did I mention that those women claimed, by attending a mixer as “Team Mexico”, that they could represent an ethnicity in a costume, and this cut-out does no such thing? It was not a “Take a picture of yourself as a Mexican” activity.
Just in case you still think the cut-outs are an ethnic caricature, consider that within the same photo you see papel picado. So there’s another dimension to the culture right there. Glass House Rocks is about fun and relaxing activities, so it’s another shallow element, but the members of the Chicano caucus are actively trying to combat stereotypes by spreading an appreciation of their culture.
P.S. I found Theta’s “Team Japan” extremely offensive as well, but offended Japanese students were not under fire here.
@Come on “It was not a “Take a picture of yourself as a Mexican” activity.”
Bro, that’s exactly what it was. Did you not see the photos?
@Anonymous “P.S. I found Theta’s “Team Japan” extremely offensive as well, but offended Japanese students were not under fire here.”
That’s because they didn’t do it publicly… They probably would have if the Columbia Japan Society had released a statement.
@Hey hypocritical social justice kid shutup
@Team Japan It’s because the Chicano Caucus is soft. The Japanese homies and homegirls know that it was all made in plain fun, and honestly were chillin. They turn up and have a good time. The Chicano Caucus is hypocritical and are just tryna find something to call out. Lame.
@lol is this for real…….whenever i think i go to an institution that’s like, actually active in social justice and does a pretty good job of being forward-thinking in terms of social equality, bwog posts stuff like this
are you trying to imply that a bunch of white girls dressing up in mexican stereotypes is AT ALL equivalent to a group trying to play with the stereotypes of their OWN CULTURE? somebody needs to reread that bell hooks essay we were all forced to read in uwriting
@Anonymous As an Indian person am I allowed to then say racist stuff about Indian people because I am Indian? Maybe you feel that way, but to me that comes off as a bit slimy. I feel like all people should be held to the same standards
@Shut up Shut up.
@Martin Perez Colon There is a huge difference between when a group tries to reclaim its stereotypes and use them in a positive manner and when someone else just reaches for them because they’re easily accessible.
To see these girls represent Mexico in their ‘beer olympics’ with sombreros and mustaches and a defaced Mexican flag only serves to bring up a negative image of a Mexican. There is no way around that, and the last thing I want to see is another person presenting the image of a drunk, sombrero-wearing, mustached, Mexican with a bottle of tequila in their hands.
So instead of looking at this as a hypocrisy, look at the context of both instances. There’s a reason people feel insulted, and our campus’s reaction shouldn’t be rushing to take sides, but instead trying to understand why it is that a group feels hurt.
I’m in the Chicano Caucus, and I’m not yelling back at anyone. I’m not even calling for the sorority to get in trouble. I’m just asking that people don’t be so thoughtless when reaching for potentially offensive stereotypes to represent a group. Because it hurts.
@Tacos So how do you feel about Amigos’ logo?
BOYCOTT AMIGOS
@Tacos I do like their tacos though…
@Anonymous you are killing it, tacos.
@Anonymous Absolutely ridiculous. Hypocritical beyond belief.
@Avenue Q Everyone’s a little bit racist sometimes.
Doesn’t mean we go off committing hate crimes.
@Anonymous they were only up in arms because people were telling them to be, and now will probably have some bullshit ” poor us we are a minority, they are the white wealthy folk ” excuse. here comes the liberalist crap. CANT WAIT. LET THE GAMES BEGIN
@Tacos Party at Amigos tonight?
@Anonymous lol if you actually look at the amigos logo it has as overweight male with a large beard and a sombrero… why aren’t ppl boycotting them?
@Come on Really, Chicano Caucus? LITERALLY A FUCKING CUTOUT
@Anonymous Thank you for improving my Monday, Bwog.
@Anonymous And the butchery begins…
@Come on, Bwog “We found from their Facebook album”…?
http://bwog.com/2014/02/23/mixer-mix-up/#comment-1463472
@Anonymous “the group has the right to do whatever it wants with its culture”
what?
@Anonymous /Mickey Mouse clubs
@Anonymous I feel like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=RP4abiHdQpc#t=64
@popcorn gif guy bwog you’ve outdone yourself this is more than a shitstorm, it’s a shitsnowflake, unique and precious in its absurdity and controversy
http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/popcorn_yes.gif
@Jaded Graduate Student Annnddddd privileges were checked.
http://imgur.com/LESdCcy
@adderalled-up math grad student This is one of those infographics that is an active impediment to the information it’s trying to express. But I guess a deep enough understanding of non-Euclidean geometry to know how to represent 14-dimensional spaces is a privilege that none of us have yet. Drat.
@maeby marry me
@Lololol Lolololololol this is great
@BSGS lol,
Wait,
lol.
You kids, you.
@Anonymous Bang….
bang…
@Will.I.Am Can Theta release a statement now on how they’re offended by the hypocrisy of chicano caucus? I would support it.
@Anonymous HYPOCRITES!!!! DONT THROW STONES IF YOU LIVE IN A GLASS HOUSE CHICANO CAUSUS
@Peaches FTFY: don’t throw ROCKS if you live in a glass house…
@I'm just thinking out loud. A lot of times, we jump on hypocrisy as a way of excusing the condemned behavior, when we should instead be pressing critique against both parties (albeit, tailored to suit each individual case: let’s say the CC *doesn’t* get off scot-free for their cut-outs. Surely the portrayal carries a different force when given by Chican@s than by non-Chican@s).
Some carpenter, I forget his name, made a quip about how petty it is to gripe about your neighbor’s hedges when your own backyard looks just as bad. The lesson there isn’t “You’ve got no room to talk,” it’s that both of you should whip out your hedge clippers and get to work.
@Anonymous Or people can stop being so sensitive and learn to laugh at things… But that’d be too easy, wouldnt it?
@Anonymous lol.
@Will.I.Am I’m gonna need to re-stock on popcorn
@WOW the irony is so real right now
@CC15 Waiting for the Chicano Caucus’ statement on how deeply offended we should all be about this.
@Anonymous well duh. I bet the cutout posters were a test
that we failed
@Well done Bwog Shots fired
@BOOM Headshot