As Americans dress up for Halloween during a year of record holiday spending, experts are saying: Be careful. Costumes might come off as racists or offensive, even if that wasn't the intent. Mia Moody-Ramirez, director of graduate studies and American studies at Baylor University, says cultural appropriation has long been present in American history, but social media has elevated the awareness of it. In recent years, celebrities have been called out by the public for their use of cultural appropriation for Halloween. "There's been so many events like that in the news, so I think we're at a point now where everyone has heard about cultural appropriation," Moody-Ramirez told USA TODAY. "Sometimes it's out of ignorance or innocence. But then sometimes it can be done on purpose." What is cultural appropriation? Cultural appropriation is when someone adopts a culture that isn't their own and does not acknowledge or respect the culture being used for their own benefit, according to the Cambridge Dictionary. Examples can be hair, clothing and impersonating, like using popular African American Vernacular English terms, to fit a persona. Moody-Ramirez said those who wish to have a cultural costume for Halloween should think twice about it. She adds it's important people actually understand the culture and aren't attempting to profit from it, whether it be monetary or by popularity, and there are many other ways to appreciate a culture throughout the year. "For Halloween, I think it's important just to kind of steer clear of those types of costumes," Moody-Ramirez said. Shannon Speed, director of American Indian Studies Center at UCLA and member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, said rather than dressing up, people should respect and engage with communities instead, whether that be learning about their interest or needs as a community. "There's no reason to take it for yourself," she said. Why does cultural appropriation happen? The use of costume cultural appropriation ranges all across ages, but Susan Scafidi, director of the Fashion Law Institute at Fordham University and author of "Who Owns Culture? Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law," said the issue really came to light in 2015 when Yale told its students to be cautious of wearing certain Halloween costumes. Schools like the University of Michigan Ann-Arbor have put warnings of what cultural appropriation looks like.