Thread: ALIPAC: Wisconsin company criticized for alien costume

Wisconsin company criticized for alien costume

Wisconsin company criticized for alien costume; state briefs

NEW BERLIN -- Immigrant's rights groups are calling on a Wisconsin company to stop selling a Halloween costume, depicting an "illegal alien." Critics say the costume is offensive and distorts the immigration debate.

The costume depicts an extraterrestrial alien, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit and brandishing an oversized green card.

BuySeasons Inc., of New Berlin designed the costume, and is distributing it to retailers nationwide.

Christine Neumann-Ortiz is director of Voces de la Frontera, an immigrants' rights group based in Milwaukee.

She says while she loves Halloween, there's nothing fun or festive about the illegal alien costume. Neumann-Ortiz says "it dehumanizes undocumented immigrants," and sends a message that people should not empathize with immigrants instead of treating them with understanding and compassion.

Neumann-Ortiz says Voces de la Frontera is joining other immigrant rights groups in California and Texas in calling for the costume's removal from numerous retail stores, including online giant Amazon.com.

Meanwhile, the conservative group, Americans for Legal Immigration, calls the effort an attempt to censor free speech, and is trying to popularize the costume.

Several calls to BuySeasons Inc., seeking comment were not returned.

http://www.rivertowns.net/daily/rfj/c091020/

They are a little too late... The costumes have already sold out so their efforts to stop the sales are worthless.

Dixie