Put another way, minorities have to put up with so much real BS every day of their lives — discrimination, hostility, structural violence and exploitation — then they go out on Halloween and everywhere they turn are people making fun of them and their family and friends using erroneous stereotypes. “You can be whoever you want for a day, but with what ramifications?” says Dr. Akbari. “Who suffers at the hand of your public display of dress-up?” Can you imagine being Mexican, hearing Donald Trump call all Mexicans rapists, and then seeing guys partying in sombreros on Halloween? Or being a Muslim and unable to get on a plane without being pulled out of the security line, and seeing someone dressed up as a terrorist? And then, you can’t even say anything without being dismissed as overly sensitive.