Americans have a habit of stealing from other cultures. We have stolen the land we walk on, and we continue to steal the values and heritage of minority peoples through cultural appropriation. A perfect example of this type of appropriation lies in holidays celebrated by the Latinx and Hispanic population.

Dia de los Muertos — Day of the Dead — is a holiday celebrated throughout Latin America, though it’s largely associated with Mexico, and was born from blending the traditions of Catholic missionaries and indigenous populations like the Aztecs. Taking place at the end of October and beginning of November, it’s a time to celebrate the lives of deceased loved ones.

The holiday has several traditions like decorating graves and putting together ofrendas for the dead. However, one of the most well-known traditions is the face-painted sugar skulls. The skulls symbolize courage and are meant to mock death, but many people who are not of Latinx descent don’t know this and simply view the tradition as an opportunity to get dressed up.

Celebrities like Kris Jenner who have posted pictures of themselves on Instagram wearing Day of the Dead costumes illustrate this trend well. In one post, Jenner wore sugar skull face paint and a mariachi band costume, yet she didn’t acknowledge the history and values behind the holiday. Famous people are not the only ones exploiting the holiday. The #diadelosmuertos hashtag on Instagram has nearly three million posts under it, many of which feature people of non-Latinx descent using tone-deaf captions, demonstrating that people who have no connection to the tradition view it as “Instagrammable.”

Wearing Day of the Dead Halloween costumes –– despite the holiday having nothing to do with Halloween –– is one of the most common ways in which Latinx culture is appropriated. Knowingly or unknowingly, it is done by non-Latinx people to look good in the public eye.

This type of exploitation doesn’t just occur on a small scale with individuals. Well-known and powerful companies have attempted to reap economic benefits by commercializing Dia de los Muertos.

In 2013, The Walt Disney Company attempted to trademark Dia de los Muertos for merchandising purposes of an upcoming Pixar film. Disney did not gain the rights, and they eventually titled the film “Coco” which grossed over $800 million at the worldwide box office. “Coco” has won several awards since its debut in 2017.

Some may say the film seeks to amplify Latinx culture and raise awareness, but has it actually accomplished that? María Salud Ramírez Caballero, the 105-year-old woman who inspired Mama Coco’s character, has not received recognition for her contribution to the film. The town in which she is from, which also helped inspire “Coco,” and Caballero herself, may be becoming more popular locally, but the world doesn’t know how instrumental they were to the film’s production. Moreover, the film was not even set to feature an all-Mexican cast or authentic aspects of Mexican culture until public backlash resulted in the production team hiring Latinx cultural consultants. In reality, the only thing Disney wanted to amplify was its revenue.

Mattel is another company that has profited from commercializing Day of the Dead. They released a “signature” Barbie doll in September 2019 that wears traditional Mexican-styled clothing and a decorative skull-painted face. Mattel charges $75 for this collector’s doll whereas other Barbie dolls can be bought for only $20. Corporations like Mattel are hiding under the mask of representation to garner their own profit.

So, how can we celebrate a holiday like Day of the Dead without appropriating it? There are a few questions you can ask yourself before you decide to paint your face this Halloween: who is being honored when I do this? Who is benefiting? Who has the power in this scenario?

If something you are doing minimizes, mocks or exploits someone else’s culture for personal gain, it is cultural appropriation.

There are also plenty of ways you can honor Dia de los Muertos without stealing from the Latinx and Hispanic communities. You can visit festivals and museums to observe and educate yourself about the holiday. The Lam’s Museum of Anthropology at Wake Forest University currently has an exhibit to honor this celebration.

You can also try purchasing Dia de los Muertos merchandise from Latinx-owned vendors. If you really want to paint a sugar skull on your face, go to Walmart and buy the make-up intended for this purpose from Regina Merson, a Mexican-American beauty entrepreneur who founded the brand Reina Rebelde. Make it a point for others to know you are supporting this culture rather than stealing from it.

Large corporations that want to highlight Latinx culture can create merchandise or media that is inspired by Day of the Dead and donate the proceeds to Latinx-owned businesses, immigrant relief funds and Latinx-centered nonprofits.

Oppressors have already stolen from Latinx and Hispanic communities over the centuries, and now it’s time to give back.