MALDEN, Mass. — A Malden city councilor is facing backlash for a Halloween costume that made light of the 2019 solicitation case of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
A photo shared with Boston 25 News by the Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition shows Ward 8 Councilor Jadeane Sica wearing an Orchids of Asia T-shirt and a bamboo rice hat.
Her husband, apparently dressed up as Kraft, was wearing Patriots gear and aviator sunglasses. The caption on the photo reads, “Happy Halloween with a Happy Ending!”
“Our culture, our people, our pain really isn’t a costume. It’s not something that’s for entertainment. This was very hurtful,” said Andrea So, Board President of Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition.
A coalition of advocacy groups put out a statement on Tuesday night calling out the costume choice.
“Malden is a city that is just a little over 22% Asian American. Our youth, especially our young women, should not see themselves represented and mocked in this way by an elected official of our town. This is racial violence: the appropriation of Asian identity for someone’s amusement,” the statement read.
Sica has since issued an apology on Facebook. She also clarified that the costume was worn several years ago.
“Two years ago, John and I attended a Halloween Party with costumes that made light of what was at the time a current news event, specifically, the well known case of Patriots owner Robert Kraft having been involved in engaging illegally with sex workers at a Florida massage parlor. Since that time, many, myself included, have become much more aware of the fact that the women involved in cases like these are all too often vulnerable members of the Asian community who are victims of exploitation,” she stated.
Malden Mayor Gary Christenson acknowledged the controversy Wednesday. He said he hopes the community can learn and evolve from it.
“I was pleased to see Councillor Sica acknowledge the harm that’s caused, even if unintentional, with stereotyping, racially-based costumes. Part of the collective journey we must take together is questioning things that we have done in the past, but should not have, and taking responsibility for identifying those actions in the future before they cause hurt to others,” read a portion of Christenson’s statement.
This isn’t the first time Sica has been criticized by her community. She was called out by her constituents in May of 2020 for organizing a party in a back parking lot for her daughter’s 21st birthday, which some believed was a violation of social distancing guidelines at the time. Sica also issued an apology on Facebook back then.