Washington - An "illegal alien" kit is the latest Halloween costume to spur controversy in the United States, particularly among pro-immigration groups. "He didn't just cross a border, he crossed a galaxy!" Internet publicity for the costume says.
The kit includes an orange prisoner jumpsuit, an alien's mask and a green card - the US permanent residence card - and many regard it as an "offense" for 12 million illegal immigrants thought to be living in the United States.
Halloween, at the end of October, is traditionally an occasion for many US citizens to mock politicians and celebrities in their country.
For some, however, there is a limit to making fun of others. And the so-called "Illegal Alien Adult Costume" shouldbe out of bounds, since it mocks what is a serious issue for millions of people, Latino organizations stress.
"It is an unpleasant costume that obviously hurts the sensitivity of immigrants, particularly undocumented immigrants that are pejoratively called 'illegal aliens' in this country," Jorge Mario Cabrera, of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), told the German Press Agency dpa.
"Mocking a community is never fashionable and it is never appropriate," he said.
"It's an insult," agreed the president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Rosa Rosales.
"We took offence. For us they were making fun of illegal immigrants who are really suffering quite a bit from the treatment they are getting in the United States, which is shameful, putting chains on their hands, waists and feet," Rosales told dpa.
This is particularly the case since the migration reform that has stagnated for months has taken a renewed boost under President Barack Obama. Obama has promised to back reform, albeit after he gets through greater priorities, especially healthcare reform.
"It is our duty to defend human rights, civil rights and the rights of our community, and we believe this costume is in very bad taste," Cabrera said.
After getting letters of complaint from organizations like LULAC and CHIRLA, retailers like Target and Walgreens removed the costume from their online stores.
"We Latinos give Target lots of sales, and if they want us to keep buying at their stores they have to have more sense than when they insult us with this costume," Rosales said.
She stressed that Target contacted LULAC to say that the costume was no longer on offer.
Target, which said the costume had only been available online, said it had been removed from their website.
Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas apologized for the costume, saying it was "never our intent to offend consumers with the products we offer."
However, the kit was still available from other websites, like BuySeasons, whose CEO Jalem Getz stood by his decision.
"It's not a caricature of an illegal immigrant; it's a play on words," he told the Tuesday edition of the newspaper USA Today.
To the great sadness of the anti-migration-reform organization Americans for Legal Immigration (ALIPAC), however, the stock is running out.
ALIPAC president William Gheen said that he had bought the costume for himself. The organization said in a press release that he had promised "to appear in the costume for an interview on national television if invited."
"I think it is great that this attempt to censor free political expression in America is backfiring on the illegal alien amnesty supporters who went after Target over this costume," said Gheen.
The conservative television network Fox News also made fun of the controversy.
"It's a joke! Where's your sense of humour, America?" one moderator said.
"If you are here illegally, go to your local police station and tell them how outraged you are because you are an illegal alien and this costume offends you!" another commentator joked.
"This costume is going to be the most popular costume of 2009 because 78 per cent of Americans oppose any path to citizenship for illegal aliens and resent this attempt to quell free speech and freedom of expression in America," Gheen said.
For Cabrera, such reactions confirm all fears.
"The fact that ALIPAC wants to mobilize its grassroots using this issue makes us think that we were right: anti-immigrants see this costume as a message to the illegal community," he said.
"The costume itself is not really what is important. The important thing is that in the United States we are going through a very difficult crossroads of anti-immigrant feelings that we have to fight as a society," Cabrera stressed.
