When Cultural Appropriation Happens Outside of Halloween

a man dresses up as a catrin and a woman is dressed up as a catrina
Photo credit: Samira Rashid

Representation matters to people of color, but it must be done right. As much as social media has helped influencers and entrepreneurs access many potential customers with a click of a button, it has also provided a public platform for whistleblowers to call out bad behavior such as cultural appropriation with all the necessary receipts. The line between cultural appreciation and appropriation can be pretty thin.


On the Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance’s (AORTA) website, Nisha Ahuja, an actor and wellness coach, wrote that “Cultural appropriation is taking a symbol or cultural practice out of its original context and then plunking it down somewhere else. And it becomes devoid of its original meaning. The people who are doing the extraction often are benefiting, whether through personal gain, financial gain, or entertainment.”

Adrienne Keene, author of the blog Native Appropriations, wrote, “There is always an inherent power imbalance — it is the dominant group taking from a marginalized group. With cultural appropriation, this also often plays out in the realities of colonization: It is the colonizer taking from the colonized.”

Yet with the abundance of information and resources available on-demand and at our fingertips, some continue to make poor decisions and, as a result, get justly called out for it. So what are some blatant examples? This goes well beyond Halloween costumes, which is important to note. Cultural appropriation takes shape every day of the year and in fundamental structures of our society. We gathered a few of the worst offenders and the resulting accountability that ensued:

Self-proclaimed Culture Leech, Jessica Krug

Jessica Krug, a former associate professor of History and Africana Studies at George Washington University, revealed in a Medium post that she is a white Jewish woman who has posed as an Afro-Latina for her entire career. She sometimes used the persona “Jess La Bombera” like she did when she testified during a New York City Council meeting about police brutality this summer using a heavy accent that we all now know was fake.

She called herself a “culture leech” in her Medium post and wrote that people should cancel her, but that self-deprecation seemed to be an act. According to The Cut, Krug posted the online confession before she was exposed after a group of Black and Latinx scholars learned the truth. According to a statement from The George Washington University Department of History, Krug resigned from her position in September 2020.

“With what she has termed her “audaciously deceptive” appropriation of an Afro-Caribbean identity, she has betrayed the trust of countless current and former students, fellow scholars of Africana Studies, colleagues in our department and throughout the historical discipline, as well as community activists in New York City and beyond,” the statement reads. “The discipline of history is concerned with truth telling about the past. With her conduct, Dr. Krug has raised questions about the veracity of her own research and teaching.”

No Elotes Without Representation

Protesters gathered online and offline after restaurateurs Brian and Sarah Ingram, who are not Mexican, announced their plans to open a Mexican-inspired cantina called Elotés Woodfired Cantina in Minneapolis this summer. According to Eater Twin Cities, the Mexican-American protesters took issue with the use of the word “elote” in the restaurant name especially since none of the restaurant owners are Latine.

Protesters called the ingredient sacred to Mexican heritage and culture. Fortunately, the Ingrams were receptive to the criticism and listened to the community’s concerns when they gathered outside the restaurant. The restaurant opened in September as Woodfired Cantina, dropping “elotes” from the title.

The Usual Suspect: Halloween 

After the success of the animated film, "Coco," the world was exposed to the highly spiritual and revered Día De Los Muertos, the Mexican holiday that celebrates the loved ones we’ve lost, which is right after Halloween. With the growing popularity of the holiday, it’s important to remember that Latine culture isn't a costume. Dressing as a caricature of Latine culture such as a cholo/a or putting on a sombrero and a fake mustache is cultural appropriation when the "costume" is someone else's actual identity.

It's a fine line between appropriation and appreciation, but it often boils down to intention. Before you paint your face to resemble a sugar skull associated with Día De Los Muertos, the question that's recommended to ask is, why? For those moments you find yourself straddling the line, AORTA has a list of clarifying questions to ask.

marquee at a movie theatre with a promotional image of the movie Coco

La Chingona Cannabis’ Fabricated Origin Story

When Susie Plascencia received a message from La Chingona Cannabis on Instagram, she wanted to learn more about the three Latina sisters/founders celebrated on the company’s website. She learned that the origin story was completely fabricated by Michael Kaiser, the true owner and founder of the cannabis company. Of course, there was backlash once people learned that truth.

Plascencia told Luz Media in a phone interview that she saw an opportunity for the brand to empower women, but as she learned more about the company, she decided to help spearhead a boycott in July. “With La Chingona, we didn’t just boycott them with nothing. We didn’t just say, ‘hey, we think this brand is doing this, let’s just destroy it.’ We did our due diligence, and we did a whole investigation first,” Plascencia said. Kaiser eventually apologized on Instagram, but followed it by blaming others for destroying the brand.

A Stolen Mask and a Guilty Conscience

This situation is an example of power dynamics at play when Latina small business owners are left vulnerable to a white-dominated power structure. Karen Perez, owner of Second Wind, released a line of fashionable face masks during the second COVID-19 pandemic summer including the Tina, a linen mask that comes in five neutral colors with a detachable gold chain. According to Refinery29, the Latina designer was “extremely excited” when influencer Danielle Bernstein, of WeWoreWhat and with 2.5 million Instagram followers, reached out for a mask.

Perez told Refinery29 that her heart dropped when she received another message from Bernstein letting her know that she was also releasing masks with a detachable chain. She wrote that her masks were inspired by sunglass chains and didn’t want Perez to think she was copying her, but Diet_prada, a popular fashion watchdog instagram account, posted side by side photos of the two masks on Instagram, and it’s hard to argue that the masks aren’t similar. Bernstein said in an Instagram story that the accusations that she stole or solicited the designs are false and donated all the masks to frontline healthcare workers.

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).