Stereotype-Free Halloween

Dear Campus Community:

During this season of Halloween celebrations, we offer the following friendly reminder from the Office of Inclusive Excellence. As you know, here at CSUSM we value inclusion, civility and social justice. We encourage all members of our community to maintain a commitment to these values in the decisions we make each day. This includes how we might choose to celebrate Halloween. If you celebrate Halloween, we hope that you have a great time and encourage you to keep the following in mind:

• Live Beyond the Stereotype in your choice of costumes and event themes. Costumes that appropriate or mock cultures, promote hate or reproduce stereotypes are harmful because they are offensive, perpetuate social exclusion and promote oppression.

• Social media posts can have very real consequences, both short- and long-term, on relationships, communities and reputations. Be mindful of the photos and words that you post online.

• We can certainly enjoy celebrating the holiday without promoting stereotypes or bigotry.

Have a safe, responsible and fun Halloween!
Office of Inclusive Excellence