"Illegal Alien" Halloween Costume Debated

Human Rights Groups Say Costume Is Offensive; But Anti-Immigration Advocates Rally to Its Defense

(AP)  A Halloween costume that depicts a space creature in orange prison garb emblazoned with the words "illegal alien" is reigniting debate over a long-used term based on the U.S. government's designation of all foreigners as aliens.

The dispute has immigrant advocates calling on retailers to pull the costume from its shelves, while a group that supports strict immigration laws says it's all a to-do over nothing, with freedom of speech being turned upside down by political correctness.

Since Friday, when the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights in Los Angeles first raised the issue, companies including Target, Walgreens and eBay have removed the costume from their inventory. Still, many local retailers continue to stock the costume that also comes with a "green" card — which technically makes the alien legal.

At costume stores in Miami, the responses have been mixed.

Don King, whose mother immigrated from Cuba, bought pirate and Homer Simpson costumes Tuesday at Halloween USA in midtown Miami, where the costume is on sale but has attracted few customers. "It's a joke," King said. "I really don't think much of it."

A few miles away in the Little Havana neighborhood, workers at a popular costume store said it was not something they would carry because it was discriminatory. They do stock a human taco costume, replete with a Mariachi hat.

Cashier Carmen Torres, who recalled facing discrimination after arriving from Cuba as a young girl in the 1960s, said the costume was tasteless. "They haven't done anything bad. You can punish those who are criminals, but not people who are trying to, trying to work," Torres said.

Target has said it sold the costume online only and that it was posted by accident though it did not meet the company's standards. eBay said it asked sellers to remove the costume because it "does not allow items that promote or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual, or religious intolerance, or promote organizations with such views."

Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman for the immigrant coalition, said the costume "perpetuates this idea we have about undocumented immigrants as alien foreigners, strangers, scary."

Cabrera said he knew the costume could be taken as a play on words but the jumpsuit was too close to what many immigrants must wear in detention centers, "where they can spend months at a time, and where there is a lot of suffering."

"That the creature was holding a green card was a stab at a (broader) community," he said, because it suggests even with a legal document, immigrants are still scary criminals.

William Gheen, head of the North Carolina-based political action committee Americans for Legal Immigration, said efforts to get stores not to sell the costume amounted to an attack on freedom of speech. He urged Americans to buy the costumes in protest.

"I looked at the costume and thought it was kind of funny. The only thing that wasn't funny was how many illegal immigrants are in this country," said Gheen, who has given speeches suggesting Latin Americans are bringing an epidemic of tuberculosis to the U.S., despite government figures showing the illness is at an all-time low.

Gheen said he didn't understand why people would have a problem with words used in federal law.

"This is a battle over psycholinguistics," he said, referring to the study of the relationship between language and the psychology or behavior of those who use it. "Nobody is supposed to be able to use the words 'illegal aliens' ... except in the government literature."

There's a big difference between how words are used officially and what people say in popular language, said Charleton McIlwain, professor of race and media at New York University.

"When people (informally) talk about immigrants, the term aliens seems to almost exclusively get used for Mexicans or other Latin Americans. We don't talk about Canadian aliens," he said.

Many major media organizations, including The Associated Press, no longer use the term "Illegal Alien" unless quoting an individual or government text.

[azsunny1]

I think this is crazy to be so up-in-arms over a costume!! I for one, LOVE it, and I'm an immigrant, though I did come here legally. I might just make a bigger copy of my RESIDENT alien card (green card) and put the alien head on it to replace the green card. There is no basis to allow the Hispanic groups to be so irate over this, as not all illegal immigrants are hispanic, and it is not targeted at one specific group (Martians?). If they really wanted to do something to increase acceptance of immigrants, try telling them to help their special interest to arrive legally. The arguement that they "have done nothing bad" is moot, as to arrive without proper documentation, is, in fact, illegal, and thus, BAD. Don't encourage the breaking of laws by kowtowing to these groups, who are drunk with the power that anything even remotely Hispanic themed can be irradicated by the term "racially insensitive." They will hold the country by the throat with this, until we as a group can stand up and take back our right to a law-abiding and safe nation.

[kdc1234567890]

This costume is a deep morale statement about the status of our country's position on immigration and how we treat human beings from "across the border". It makes it clear that "illegal aliens" from another planet deserve (and would assuredly get) green cards while those who are just trying to find work and feed their families are branded as criminals.

Then again, maybe it's just a funny costume?

[endurorob_5]

It's not a statement about our country's position on "immigration" it is a statement on our country's position on "Criminal Immigration".

It is also a funny costume.

[endurorob_5]

curse914 October 21, 2009 11:27 AM EDT
A lot of spud eating Irish up here are angry they also had to leave their country or starve to death. What is it I always hear as a retort, oh yeah, "stay in your own country and fix its problems". I guess the Irish did not live by that motto.




The Irish that came here during the potato famine did so legally. If you look at the costume it says illegal alien. It does not specify any ethnicity. So what cause your racist rant against the Irish. Did your favorite college team lose to Notre Dame recently?

[curse914]

I have a little of that spud eating blood in me.

"There are an estimated 50,000 Irish illegal immigrants in the U.S.; 30,000 of them are thought to live in New York City. Today, this tiny corner in the northern reaches of the Bronx is perhaps the most heavily Irish-born neighborhood in New York, and advocates believe that as many as 40% of local immigrants are undocumented. "

[eus109937]

This is really a non-issue. Everything is fair game at Halloween, from Presidents to celeberties to everyday folks, everyone and everything is fair game for Halloween.

[docpeter1953]

That's right, it is a non-issue. I think the costume is really cool.

Oh, BTW I am going trick-or-treating as an old white piece of trailer trash. i.e. just gonna wear my everyday's

[Stevenapoli7]

Funny costume. Freedom of expression baby!

[endurorob_5]

Why did this story get buried? It is the most entertaining one on the site right now.

[mallorycole]

The only only aliens that should be offended by this costume are the ones not from this plant. It's a freaking joke, get over it. If you don't like the sense of humor Americans have, then you can go back to your own country or planet!

No one had their rights violated. This hole debate over the costume is stupid. I think the "PC" movement has gone a little too far.
If we banned EVERYTHING that someone else thought was offensive we'd all be wearing big black burkas!

[jja2456]

THE ONLY ONLY AND FROM WHAT PLANT OR PLANET, TRYING TO BE SO CORRECT YOU JUST WRITE LIKE A ILLEGAL ALIEN.

[jja2456]

I GUESS BY INSULTING A HUMAN BEING IS RIGHT,BUT WE KEEP COMING BACK AND STRONGER. JUST LIKE WE NEVER THOUGHT WE HAVE A AFRICAN AMERICAN PRESIDENT. 100% MEXICAN OR HISPANIC, BUT I LIVE IN THE U S A!

[endurorob_5]

Criminals deserve to be insulted for their crimes.

[curse914]

A lot of spud eating Irish up here are angry they also had to leave their country or starve to death. What is it I always hear as a retort, oh yeah, "stay in your own country and fix its problems". I guess the Irish did not live by that motto.

[endurorob_5]

Ms_enza October 21, 2009 8:54 AM EDT
Illegal aliens have ALWAYS been a problem in this country, just ask a Native American.


The following is one defenition of native:

"being the place or environment in which a person was born or a thing came into being: one's native land."

Since I was born in this country as were my parents and their parents and their parents I guess that makes me "Native American". The funny thing is I do not have one drop of "American Indian" blood in me.

[endurorob_5]

martin9p2 October 21, 2009 10:25 AM EDT
Yes, illegal aliens are .... "illegal" and do not have protection from being joked about. They certainly DO have protection from being directly taunted or physically abused.



Taunting is only illegal in the NFL.

[endurorob_5]

ianlou October 21, 2009 10:13 AM EDT
by chonder2 October 21, 2009 8:53 AM EDT
I'm still looking for a Dick Cheney custume!
**********************************************
Just go out to your back yard and roll around in some Dog Shiit.




He said Cheney not Obama.

[rpbohman]

I suggest replacing it with a black-and-white Pilgrim costume with the caption "Undocumented Alien"...

[uswarrior]

My buddy back in the States says he's gonna order a dozen or so and take them down to the Circle K and pass them out. But he's gonna try and sell the green card thing.

[curse914]

Flyovervillians will rush out after Sunday service and purchase this costume made in China from Walmart. The illegal alien costume will be hanging next to the Jesus Christ costume that comes with fake blood to add around the crown of thorns and optional fake spear wound.

[endurorob_5]

Was there a point to this rambling comment?

[curse914]

Just looking for a reaction, thanks for responding.

[mrs_nuetron]

Does the costume come with a lawn mower?

[bubbadubba]

How dare someone make a costume that actually makes fun of people who are criminals and are breaking federal and state laws.
This abuse of law breaking criminals from other countries must stop!
I guess it is still illegal to come into our country without permission, isn't it?
I could be wrong.

[martin9p2]

Yes, illegal aliens are .... "illegal" and do not have protection from being joked about. They certainly DO have protection from being directly taunted or physically abused.

[westorfer]

how many Canadian aliens??...how absurd a question!!..millions like the latinos??..certainly not!!...and i find it offensive that there are so many illegals here and we have to cater to them in our everyday life - press 1 for english...bilingual signs in gov't bldgs!!..whatever happened to assimilation?? it's great to remember one's heritage, but to foist it on the population at large and demand equal rights for lawbreakers - that's what illegal means - is more than a bit ludicrous!!..

[uswarrior]

Aren't there more Americans who are aliens in Canada? Although I know that dropped-off substantially years ago when the draft ended.

[excop1949]

Uh...if you can't stand the heat, gt out of the country.

[chonder2]

I'm still looking for a Dick Cheney custume!

[Ms_enza]

It's in his bunker... the one in which he hid from 9/11/2001 to 9/14/2003 and directed the funding of Haliburton

[ianlou]

by chonder2 October 21, 2009 8:53 AM EDT
I'm still looking for a Dick Cheney custume!
**********************************************
Just go out to your back yard and roll around in some Dog Shiit.

[Mark_67]

"Warning.The Surgeon General has requested that those who do not have a sense of humor, please see your doctor and have one surgicaly inplanted!" I dont hear hispanics or blacks crying foul about the hillbilly costumes or the bubba teeth.
Grow up folks. Its a joke. Man I miss Mel Brooks movies. Where you could make fun of anyone without some looser wanting to use it as an excuse to sue for money.