Mummers Parade at New Years Festival - Essay Example

Mummers Parade Introduction Mummers Parade is a New Year’s festival that is held in Philadelphia every January 1 as a way of welcoming the New Year. Being one of the oldest folk festivals in United States, Mummer Parade attracts large number of performers based on its elaborate costumes as well as moveable scenery. The events that takes place in various clubhouses within the 2nd Street, acts as a social gathering the local residents. Mummers’ parade is related to mummers’ traditions that were undertaken in countries such as Ireland, Scotland and England among others. The first parade was held in 1901. As the community continued to hold the parades, the early make shifts outfits were replaced by modern outfits. Despite the fact that almost all the participants are white, the parades have clear African American perspectives. With an approximate budget of more than $1 million annually, the parade has generated budget crisis within the sate of Philadelphia. Through the support of Southwest Airlines, the organization which took the right of the parade, the ceremonies have been benefited from regular funding. From the outside, everyone may be of the opinion that Philadelphians were proud supporters of the glittering and feathered events referred to as New Years Day Mummer’s Parade but they would not be correct. This is based on the fact that on several occasions, racially insensitive acts have featured. One of the most common racial insensitive acts has been use of Blackfaces despite their ban in 1960s. Racism is not new in Mummers parade and despite the ban of racial insensitive acts like use of Blackface; racism is still real in present day Mummer Parade in Philadelphia. Historians believe that Mummers Parade is the only tradition that has lasted for a long time running fork festival in the United States. The parade usually consists of thousands of performers who spend months developing and rehearsing so that it will be enjoyable. They build costumes and scenery and make the parade to be perfect preparing for entire day moving their way up Broad Street where day drinking marks the event. For those who do not go for the parade choose to keep drinking the whole night and in the morning while others use the New Year Eve to move to other countries for leisure. People usually come to the parade by train, bike and others on foot carrying glasses and thermoses of beer so that they can wear their costumes which will depict foreign cultures. Some people who do not like to be associated with racism do not let their children to go to the parade since they say that the parade is a racist tradition that is usually carried from one generation to the next despite the parade being banned (Jordan 40). The participant of the parade dress like a person or a thing that they are not, where they colour themselves and others depicts creatures which are colourful though they are white men they present simplistic cartoons which depicts foreign people and their culture showing that the parade is usually prepared to mark racist agendas in each and every year. During the 18th and 19th century the slaves who were transported to United States and later employed in the plantation used to play instruments in the plantations whenever they were tired and when one remembered the pain and atrocities one was passing through. The white performers who usually go to the parade try to depict slaves of African origin who used to play the instruments on daily basis. The white men who used to torture the African slaves later started to play the instruments that the African slaves were associated with but they did it to publically spread racist in United States. This was a tradition that has a deep root that the African slaves used to play the instruments though they did it to forget all the torture they were passing through. The Irish, Swedish, and German fraternity started the parade as a celebration of working class immigrant culture. The group was against and up to date classist and racial discrimination that made the economic margins in 19th century to be low and being racially discriminated in the workplace. Since the Africans slaves and during the civil war, some African had migrated to United States for peace and stability they used to be given opportunity to work making it hard for the Irish and other minorities groups to be employed. This made the minorities to start the traditional racist parade that had to depict the African cultures and condemn it since they were the threat to the minorities. This is the reason why they had to use creatures that resemble human being and thus the animals are the African people who are employed in the States thus the parade being conducted in all states so that the African origin people can be aware that they are no longer required as the source of power to the United States (Donaldson 25). After the end of civil war, free blacks, Chinese residents, Vietnam, the Caribbean and other East African countries that are part of United States population had to move from their mother country seeking work and thus they had to compete for jobs with the poor ethnic minorities like the Irish. Again the employers were much pleased with the African origin workers since they were energetic and ready to work even in poor conditions and in plantations that many ethnic minorities groups would not work. This made the minorities groups in the United States and other residents to start the Mummers Parade wearing all kind of attires that depicts the African and other groups of foreigners who benefit in United States after working. The Mummers Parade tradition was conducted and some things change though they had to fight for without getting back but in 1960s the use of blackface paint was banned officially and whenever any protest was to be done no blackface was allowed in public. The blackface paint was banned after a protest by black Philadelphians who argued that the city together with the government should not support or even allow an event that disregarded the taxpayers. Though the blackface paints were banned from being used up to date, the trend still continues though the Chinese and Caribbean are depicted using the masks and other attires. Social media still emphasizes for the ban of blackface in the public since they term it as a strange celebration which is representation of how Philadelphians are backward and ready to encourage race, gender, and social class at the parade. Others see the parade as a joke while others considers it as an annual celebration of a white man and his famous burden and backward traditions that is passed from one generation to the next that do not have place in the modern society. Outsourcing is a method that is used by many countries where they build companies and later they will use the locals and other foreigners to start their businesses that will make the outsourcing country to benefit. This is one of controversies that the United States is associated with and during one of the past parades, the United States residents decided to take part in musical skit where they condemned the outsourcing for jobs overseas. Since the Indians are known as the major outsourcing agents in United States, all the white including the children dressed in a stereotypical manner like the Indians with red sports painted in their forehead. They danced as usual and all kind of drama was shown, then the locals or the Native Americans had to act in a way that they were chasing the Indians who are venturing in United States. The stereotypical Indians had to sign an agreement with the Native Americans where they had to change their name and chase the workers away changing from New Delhi Call Centre to New Jersey Call Centre. The Mummers Parade was seen as an acceptable habit of the drank white people pretending to be just joking but it is a sign of racial discrimination of white people (Guendelsberger 21). The Indian complained saying that it does not represent the Indians, or any one and thus urging the government to stop supporting such kind of celebrations but rather to consider the economy of the country and support education and other beneficial programs that can revive the United States economy. Though the purpose of Mummers Parade is to poke fun as they start the New Year the 2013 parade was more than a joke since depiction of Indian people in United States in a manner that was racially discriminating them was uncomfortable viewing and thus pushing minorities away from enjoying the parade. The parade originally was used as a festival that would mark the New Year with folk performance. The Indian in-sourcing was shown like how race was being portrayed in 1960s where the Native Americans used to participate with painted black faces at the Mummers Parade indicating how race is conducted in United States despite the ban and government involvement in an effort to curb racism. The Indian faces that are painted and red sports in their forehead depicts exactly how Indians are and thus native American communicating that the red Indians should not conduct their businesses in US though it is assumed that they are just jokes. In 2014, the black faces were not seen in the street. The target for 2014 was the Indians who are known for outsourcing jobs in United States. The musical skit featuring all the white people with their children advocated against the outsourcing of jobs since they say employment opportunities are cut and leads to more foreigners moving to United States (McQuade 26). This is the reason why they were protesting and dressing in a stereotypical manner. The loss of American jobs to foreign competitors is a clear racial discrimination and thus the Indians together with other foreigners who have moved from other countries in search of jobs are the unwanted job stealers from across the globe. The black faces that are shown in the parade are in some part wanted since in case of jobs that require a lot of physical strength the black American is considered and thus why the masks used depicts all size and larger creatures in the Mummers Parade. During Mummers Parade in the streets, the Chinamen, Dutchmen, Red Indians and Blackface appeared regularly in each year being associated with sexual behaviours and excessive drinking and this depicted the foreigners who were in the United States. The use of blackface was used in all the Mummers Parade to show how they were and it involved male Philadelphians who were working class of Germans and Irish. The representation of the foreigner’s involvement in excessive indulgence in sex, alcohol, or drugs showed how the foreigners were racially discriminated. The use of blackface to depict the African culture of sexual behaviours, engagement in drugs was common in the New Year Day holidays showing how the African American were engaged in business transactions that involved drugs. Despite the Native American involvement in drugs the African origin and other foreigners were perceived to be the main drug peddlers though it was just to racially discriminate the foreigners since many of them were employed in companies and thus the main idea was to terminate them from working. Arm smugglers were also depicted in black face since the people of African origin were associated with theft and other behaviours (Perry 15). The slaves who were transported in United States as prisoners of war and those who were free and moved for employment were humiliated in all the cities being depicted as alcoholic and engaged in sex behaviours in the Mummers Parade despite the use of blackface officially banned in 1960s it hasn’t completely disappeared. For example, in 2014 event when they were conducting a tribute to the minstrel show, the native Philadelphians residents did not use dark makeup though black mask was used showing that racism is still practised in United States. This depicts how tradition that is passed by the modern is being passed from one generation to the next despite many ways of honouring the festival history without stereotyping multiple ethnic groups in the New Year Eve. The government makes sure that no support should be given that is humiliating taxpayers since the people of African origins and others from countries like china among others are taxpayers and they play part in the development of the United States. The Mummers Parade is a tradition that the Philadelphians residents highly value implying that it will continue and be passed from generations to generations. When the festival is being discussed so that it can be boycotted, some activists fight for the festival saying that it is their tradition and culture. The officials of the Mummers Parade who are fierce critics of immigration policy ones showed immigrants from the African origin and foreigner from other countries trying to break through a fence. The immigrants were being turned back by white men soldiers with fake guns shooting those who were not going back to their mother countries. Other leaders who are part of the drama came throwing cheeses-steaks to the cheering crowd as sign of happiness since the foreigners are out of United States. This is a racial discrimination act since the immigrants are depicted with certain attires that are not worn in United States indicating that the foreigners were being forced to move back to their countries and the Native American were using fake guns to intimidate and even killing the foreigners who did not move. The Arabs had long beards and turbans, Mexicans were also represented in the Mummers Parade wearing a broad-brimmed felt or a straw hat that is usually worn by the Mexico people or in Spain since it is their tradition and culture (Early 31). The Asian were not left out and thus the Asian women were depicted wearing Japanese hostess that is trained to entertain men with conversation dance and song making sure that each and every country is depicted with their tradition and culture that they are normally associated with. The Mummers Parade was disturbing since the New Year Eve is funded by the government and this means that the taxpayers are the one who fund the festival with dollars which they work for then they are racially discriminated by the government that they are deducted their tax from their daily routines. The Mummers Parade is a tradition in united states the Mummers should be aware that their tradition is funded by the help of public funding and thus the participants should be aware that Philadelphia are no place for hate. Conclusion Despite the foreigners moving from one country to the other, some move because of war and others move since they are competent and they are qualified in certain fields and they can contribute positively in nation development. This implies that they should be treated well and thus no racial discrimination should be supported during cultural ceremonies such as Mummers Parade. Ethnic grouping or gender, religion among others vices should not divide people since despite being a foreigner they are taxpayers and thus they are involved in national development. Works Cited Donaldson, K. Through Students' Eyes: Combating Racism in United States Schools. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 1996. Print. Early, G. This is Where I Came in: Black America in the 1960s. Lincoln, Nebraska: U of Nebraska Press, 2003.Print. Guendelsberger, E. Why Blackface Still Dogs the Mummers 50 Years After It Was Banned. Philadelphia City Paper 19 December 2013: 3-4. Web. Jordan, W. The White Man's Burden: Historical Origins of Racism in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press, 1974. Print. McQuade, D. Is This Mummers Routine Racist? Philadelphia Magazine 2 January 2013: 23-24. Print. Perry, H. Race, Politics, and Governance in the United States. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1996. Print. Philadelphia Mummers Parade 2011.Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEGhL0K6C0o Quaker City String Band Mummers 2013. Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPXl5tiUg_E Read More