día de muertos, sugar skulls & cultural appropiation: a thread by a mexican

i have this thread explaining día de muertos & the traditions we have surrounding it, you can check it out rn: https://twitter.com/cemntryboys/status/1312630612516204544?s=19

cultural appropiation is defined as the unacknowledged or inappropiate adoption of one social or ethnic group by members of another (typically dominant) community or society.

using things like sugar skulls as halloween costumes or tattoo designs when youre not latine is NOT OKAY. sugar skulls have a history with mexica offerings to gods, as well as the current placement of them in our día de muertos ofrendas.

our culture is not a costume, and it is not an aesthetic, and you do Not get to dress up as or get a tattoo of what is the literal representation of our deceased loved ones. why would you want to anyways?

"but ive seen latines dress up as sugar skulls!"
if you see what you think is a latine dressed up as a sugar skull, thats probably a catrina. many of us use the attire of catrinas for día de muertos, it is part of our culture, which you, a non latine, are not part of. +

seeing non latines wear catrina make-up, call it a sugar skull costume, then say if we do it they can to, feels like such a ridiculization of my culture. given that you dont even celebrate día de muertos, your halloween costume feels more like "im dressed up as a latine".

"but im supposed to be xyz character!!"

movies and shows with "sugar skull" characters, such as coco or the book of life, are representations of our culture. you dont get to dress up as one of us, wear make-up traditional to us, just bc ur fav character is latine.

this isnt cultural appropiation, but please for the love of god do not joke about celebrating día de muertos instead of halloween. the fact that ive seen it happen more than once is apalling. día de muertos is not a halloween equivalent, and i dont really get the point of joking+

about celebrating a latinamerican tradition if you just dont??