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 • Apr. 26, 2022

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

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2021

"Any time we hear examples of brownface or blackface, it's making a mockery of someone for what they live and what their lived experiences are," Mr Singh told journalists on the campaign trail in Toronto.

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2019

Scheer, the opposition Conservative leader, said brownface was racist in 2001 and is racist in 2019.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 18, 2019

But in this version, directed by Alex Timbers, the musical that Christian is writing is no longer set in India, a move that dodges brownface and cultural appropriation.

From The Guardian • Aug. 13, 2019