brownface

American  

[broun-feys] / ˈbraʊnˌfeɪs /

noun

1. makeup used to darken one’s face and other exposed skin to imitate the skin tone of an ethnic or racial group, as Hispanic, South Asian, or Middle Eastern.

   People were offended when he arrived at the Cinco de Mayo party wearing brownface.

2. imitation of a minority group member’s appearance, speech, traditional dress, etc., by a person who is not a member of that group.

   White voice-over actors have recently come under fire for performing brownface with stereotypical Indian or Mexican accents.

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Etymology

Origin of brownface

First recorded in 1965–70; brown ( def. ) + face ( def. )

Example Sentences

Jan Gube, an assistant professor at the Education University of Hong Kong who studies multicultural education and diversity, said that many local viewers lacked the historical context to understand why brownface is offensive.

From New York Times

Ricky Chu, who leads Hong Kong’s anti-discrimination watchdog, the Equal Opportunities Commission, said brownface cannot be the sole measure in determining discriminatory behavior.

From New York Times

Local schools did not teach cultural respect — let alone the context for brownface — in an in-depth way, he said.

From New York Times

Although its characters are cast authentically and not wearing brownface — the bare minimum of moviemaking in 2021 — these performers, like Moreno in the original film, are inevitably put in the position of cultural watchdogs for the Puerto Rican diaspora as well as being skilled singers, dancers and actors in a big-budget release.

From Los Angeles Times

Thankfully, no actor is in brownface in the new version of the movie musical, now playing in theaters.

From Los Angeles Times