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brownface
[ broun-feys ]
noun
- 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.
- 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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Word History and Origins
Origin of brownface1
First recorded in 1965–70; brown ( def ) + face ( def )
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Example Sentences
Many debates have erupted over the years about the musical’s brownface origins and cartoonish depictions of its Puerto Rican characters.
From Time
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