ICE Chief Apologizes for "offensive' Halloween Costume

Julie Myers, head of the Departmentr of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement, hosted a Halloween costume party fundraiser for the Combined Federal Campaign. About 50-75 people attended the event, which raised money for various charities and it included a costume contest for which Myers was one of three judges. The Combined Federal Campaign allows federal employees to give directly to charities through their workplace and many states have similar programs, so the party was a major event for the annual giving campaign.

One of the guests came dressed in a black and white striped prison outfit, wearing dreadlocks and 'bronzer' makeup to make him appear African American, according to Myers. When the guest paraded by the judges Myers initially gave the individual points for his originality. After a photographer snapped a picture of the guest with Myers, and after others present (and officials of various member charity groups) later complained the costume was offensive, Myers apologized for a 'few' of the costumes being 'inapppropriate and offensive" according to CNN and the AP. Myers added that many people could not tell the guest was wearing the bronzer to make himself appear African American. One assumes those guests thought the man was indeed African American.

I am left with two impressions here. First, who on earth, eighty plus years after Al Jolson sang to his mammy, and more than a hundred years after traveling minstrel shows in the US, thinks dressing up as a convict and wearing 'blackface' (Bronzer is such a muted term) is 'original'? It's a tired old stereotype. One would think people who deal with immigration matters on a daily basis eschew such stereotyping. One would hope, at least. My second impression is, what white person dresses up like that at a public event completely ignorant of how offensive a display it is? Who lives in such an ivory tower that they are unaware of immigration profiling, police profiling, airport security profiling? Who works for Homeland Security and ICE and isn't aware of those things?

You know, this country is full of private parties where people come in costume, and sometimes they dress to offend. We've all been to parties where we found someone's costumer offensive. Maybe it wasn't blackface in a prison jumper, but it was a man in a strapless bare midriff nun's habit, someone in a Nazi uniform, or a couple who came as Jesus and his girlfriend, or worse yet, his boyfriend. I don't think the head of ICE would allow her picture to be taken at a party with her arm around two guys dressed as Jesus and his boyfriend, or around a guy in a Nazi uniform. I think the head of ICE would have the presence of mind to think that no matter how 'original' such a costume might be, it wasn't appropriate and it shouldn't be rewarded with any honorable mention in a costume parade.

So, why did she call this Rastafarian blackface convict 'original' as the guest paraded by her? And why did she pose for a picture with him? And why is she now saying some people didn't even know he wasn't black (as if that makes darkening your face for effect less offensive), but those who did took 'understandable' offense. This is the sensitive, unbiased person in charge of Immigration Enforcement? Sadly, this sort of story only furthers the other stereo-type, that law enforcement, and especially immigration law enforcement in this country can't let go of racial stereotypes. If coming to the party as a convict was original, it would have been just as original to come as a convict of your own race. But, I guess, that wouldn't have been as funny. And, it seems the party guest was not in any kind of a hostile surrounding. He seemed to feel perfectly comfortable with such a racially charged display at a fundraising party. And that is the problem.

At a public gathering hosted by a the head of a high profile government agency charged with the sensitive issue of immigration enforcement and seeking to highlight a major charitable campaign, no party guest should be comfortable dressing up to mock someone of another race in such a blatant manner. And in a country this diverse (especially when one looks at our regressive immigration policies toward Haiti, for example) no one who heads such a sensitive government agency should create or help perpetuate such an environment. The time for her to have pointed out that the costume was offensive and inappropriate was at the party, before she congratulated the guest and before she posed for a picture with him. After that she lost her credibility. That is not political correctness, it is setting an appropriate standard. It should have been done and it wasn't .