Halloween in the office shouldn't offend others
Dear Amy: I am not from India, but I had a traditional Indian shirt, called a kurta, made when I was invited to an Indian wedding. The shirt is made of Indian silk with gold embellishments.
Would it be appropriate to wear this shirt to a Halloween gathering at my office?
I know that there are some people from India working in the same building.
-- Colleague
Dear Colleague: No, this would not be appropriate; it would be appropriation.
Cultural appropriation is when you take something that has cultural meaning or significance for someone else, and use it for your own purposes. You choosing to wear this beautiful shirt as a Halloween costume could be quite offensive.
I think that anyone wondering how to dress for an office-related Halloween gathering should just pick a character from the TV show "The Office," and go with that.
Dear Amy: I'm a wife and mother of two. I do a lot of volunteer and activist work in my community.
Recently, I won an award for some of my activism. The ceremony where I would be recognized was during a brunch that cost $100 per person.
My husband and I were invited (our tickets were comped).
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