My name is Roger Sanchez I’m from Southern California, born
and raise here in the good old U.S. A, but for some strange reason people have
a hard time believing that. I always get questions such as
What are you?
Where are you really
from?
I also get remarks such as…
You’re lucky, because
Spanish comes easy for you.
Your Spanish is really
good.
One that always makes me laugh is when Caucasians start
talking about the Perpetual Education Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, and they look at me as if I benefit from it, when in all
reality I don’t, and I didn’t even know it existed. There are always
assumptions that because I’m another color other than white I must be
international, when in fact people who can be considered Caucasian come from
different parts of the world.
I’m not here to generalize but I mainly get those questions
and remarks from Caucasians. Racism is
still big and I’m not here to state that other ethnicity's are not racist;
however they experience discrimination more than Caucasians do.
Talking about issues on race, correct me if I’m wrong, but
when someone of another ethnicity other than Caucasian does a horrific crime
the whole community gets blamed for it. However, when it’s a Caucasian person
it’s either the certain individual has a mental problem or he’s just one bad
apple that fell very far from the tree. Again, if it were someone of another
ethnicity they get categorize as if the whole ethnic population were all bad
apples.
In a recent experience, I have a cousin who was born in El
Salvador but came here at the age of 5; I on the other hand was born here in
the United States. He was raised in Utah and I was raised in California, we
both came to BYU, people are always telling us that I’m more Latino than he
is. The question that always comes to
mind is…
How I’m I more Latino?
In high school people would always tell me that I’m a Latino
who dresses “white” and acts “black.” For them it was funny and I laughed only because
it didn’t really faze me, however the question that comes to mind is…
Do people actually
believe their own jokes?
Is there actually a
certain way ethics groups are supposed to act?
I dated a black girl over the summer and the only thing all my friends would tell me is that I have “jungle fever” I don’t even know
what that means. Also, when they would find out that she’s black they would
lower their voice and say…“She’s black?”
"Jungle Fever?" If that's not a racial slur i don't know what is.
Racism is very alive now as it was in the past, it might be
a little better but it’s still very real. Something my mother taught me is that we are
all the same, we all have two ears, a nose, fingers, toes, and we all go to the
bathroom, and besides skin color we are all children of a kind heavenly father.
Not all African Americans are gangsters, not all African Americans play
basketball, some are more than that. Not all Latinos are illegal immigrants or
someone’s gardener, heck I don’t even cut my own grass. I know Caucasians that dance more than I do. In all ethnicity's there are people that are
good, bad, and ugly. We might be from a different ethnic background but we all belong to
one race and that’s the human race.
Questions: Are any racist comments in a joke or not, ever appropriate?
If yes, why? and when?
Questions: Are any racist comments in a joke or not, ever appropriate?
If yes, why? and when?
By Roger Sanchez...and yeah its Roger not Rogelio.
The pictures are from my visit to Atlanta. The pictures were taken in MME C.J WALKERS Beauty Shoppe museum. Also, a clip from mean girls which portrays what we sound like when we generalize.
14 comments:
I'm not very clear as to the question we are to address here is but allow me to comment on the post. I fully agree that people say stupid things. People say stupid things about race all the time and I too wish people would think before they speak. And I completely agree with the fact that racial discrimination is a huge issue still. My moms side of the family is from the South and I don't think a lot of people realize what a problem it is. But I also want to make one side point that I think it is easy to go both ways with generalization. I imagine that a lot of people who hear comments like the one listed above are going to get to a point where they are going to have a lot of trepidations when talking to white people. Assuming that all white people are going to have a racial comment or think something stupid. Just like a lot of whites will stereotype a group of blacks after hearing of a robbery or something like that. I am not trying to say that stereotyping or generalizing is right, I guess this is just what came to mind when reading this post.
To answer the question on whether or not racist jokes are appropriate is tough because people define the word "racist" differently. I may have my preconceived notions based on someone's looks, but I don't hate anyone just because of the color of their skin. I don't ever feel the urge to commit any sort of hate crime because I don't like the way someone looks.
I think that this is definitely a hard question to answer because it is so complex. When I think of the racist jokes that I have heard, I wouldn't say "appropriate" would be a word I would use to describe them. But at the same time, I would be a hypocrite if I condemned everyone who has said a racist joke. I am half white and half Korean and almost all of my friends will make jokes or comments about asians and asian stereotypes, ie: "you got a better grade than me because you are asian". Honestly this doesn't bother me at all, I even will make comments myself from time to time. Granted, I am only half and not all of the Asian stereotypes people comment on are derogatory. So I guess what I am saying is that I think racial jokes or comments are okay if there is not hate behind what is being said. I would also like to bring up something I find kind of interesting. Most of my friends here at BYU are multicultural and I can not tell you how many times I have heard someone roll their eyes and say something like "ew, white people." It definitely goes both ways, and no matter what is "appropriate", people are going to make jokes about race.
I know that a lot of Caucasian people will defend their joking by saying that there are racial white jokes made towards them too. But from personal observation, I believe that many of those white jokes are made in retaliation of the ones made about non-whites. Personally, I don't get offended by Asian jokes as long as they are creative. But I do think that it would be wise to tone down the racial slurs whether or not they are directed toward "colored" people or white people.
I wouldn't say that racist jokes are ever "appropriate" per se, but I do think that at times they can be just jokes. There have probably been people who have said what would be considered a racist joke with no ill sentiment behind it. Everyone could feel discriminated against by every joke but is that taking yourself too seriously that you can't take a little bit of teasing? There are blonde jokes and ginger jokes and jokes about football players but they hold no real enmity behind them. Are they appropriate? Nobody can really say because they are still poking fun at a certain group. I think that racist jokes as purely jokes might have a place and time as all jokes do, but when people are using them to be hostile or discriminant that is when it crosses the line as always inappropriate.
Well first, ethnic people dress a certain way because their ethnic background has changed them to a certain way. I would say most mexicans at my high school would ware their cell phones clipped to their belt, all the time. They would also all have Nextel cell phones. Why you ask? Because with that cell phone you can "beep" or walkie-talkie people for free, and internationally. So there are distinct things that ethnic people do because of their background, it's obvious, and of course people are going to make that assumption about that group, because it's 90% true.
Second, I totally feel that it is ok to make ethnic jokes. I due stand up comedy and I always make jokes about my hispanic heritage. I feel that when you hide behind all these actual truths that certain ethnic groups have you're just giving power to those truths. Just like how Jay-Z argues about using the N word in his music. He argued that for a long time with Oprah on her show. His point was is that he is belittling the N word when he uses it in a casual setting. When you hide behind it, it gives the other people power to use it in a hurtful way. If that doesn't make sense ask me about it later.
Well the term racism is defined by the dictionary as: a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement; usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others. In that sense I think a lot of the comments that are defined as racism are in reality not racism. Our society is afraid to reward off merit for fear of coming off racist. I don't care that my lawnmower is white and he does it as a business or that he is Mexican and does it as a business. Racism is believing that someone is bound, that limits are set. It is to claim whites can't play basketball, Mexican's cant speak English, or that blacks can't use cognitive reasoning. It has included sexism, which in the past believed women were incapable to enter the workforce. I believe that most of the jokes made today are not in effect racism, but poorly defined stereotypes, too broad to be accurate or too cheesy to show signs of intellect, and not entirely used to restrict a group or individuals progress (the definition of racism). But sadly inaccurate stereotypes can stick- but I wouldn't call that racism just ignorance. Many of Polish people have been assumed stupid, but assuredly they aren't. So as it says in the book "Made to Stick," the only way to break a sticky stereotype is to make a more sticky one. So the black ignorance racism will not be overcome with frustration or declaring they aren't incapable to think; it will be overcome by blacks overcoming that sticky view and proving that they are in fact intelligent- just as Polish people are now rarely the butt of a joke. The only way to overcome limits- is to break them, ask the Wright brothers.
Hmmm that is a tough question. I think it is good to be able to joke about things but there is a fine line for sure. I took a political science lecture series here at BYU and we spent a whole class period talking about Jehad and the extremist Islamic brotherhood and one of the points brought up in this class relates to this question I think. There was an outline of ways that this group was going to "bring down" the Us. One of them was to make the US too politically correct. to trap them in their own agenda of trying to get rid of racist terms and pin pointing stereotypes to this.
So in regards to racial jokes. I think they become inappropriate when you believe what you are saying. Did your friends really believe that your african america girlfriends where from the jungles of africa. Probably not. But I am white so it is hard for me to be in that mind set. white jokes are boring.
I think when things are said with hate and derogatory belief than there is a real problem.
You're going to see more racism from caucasians in the U.S. because of their numbers--there are many more white people here than other races. Were you to go to a country where that is not the case, things would turn out differently. In Venezuela, where my dad lived for some time, my dad was often made fun of, because he was white. The general assumption was that he was rich and stupid, because those were the stereotypes about Americans. I've also read about problems with racism in Japan, where foreigners can't get hired, because employers are afraid they won't "fit in." Even native Japanese who study outside their country have a hard time getting hired.
That being said, I don't think it is ever appropriate to make an offensive joke at someone's expense. Not for any reason. If I repeat something and it becomes evident that what I said was offensive, I will apologize. But I need to be made aware by someone that it was offensive, because sometimes those of us who have little exposure to other races and cultures are unaware that their actions may be taken as offensive. The answer to the problem, and also to the problems of stereotypes and racism, is always education.
Dan Johns
I am white...I look white (I think); the funny thing is that in the summer, I generally tan really well, and people also sometimes think or assume that I am Hispanic. So, for some reason, I have had similar experiences to those described here. I also often get Spanish-speakers who just walk up to me and start speaking Spanish, assuming that I will understand what they are saying. Fortunately, I do speak Portuguese (having served and LDS mission in Brazil), and so I can usually understand and I help when I can. I just think it's funny the conclusions that people draw, based only on appearance.
Along the lines of "racist jokes," I do not tell them because I do not know any. I often think they are funny though - and I certainly do not consider myself a racist. I just think many of them are humorous, others are not. But I do not think that telling, or laughing at jokes revolving around race makes a person racist, necessarily.
I think there is a very fine line when you are telling racial jokes. Most people tell them because they think it's funny and they want to be liked. I feel that most people don't mean any harm when they are telling racial jokes. Personally, I don't find them very funny or tasteful. I've been taught since I was little it's never appropriate to make a joke at someone else's expense. As I've grown up, I've tried to say away from that as much as possible. I don't find it very funny to make fun of others, no matter what the situation is.
I think we need to define the word racism:
— n
1. the belief that races have distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and that this endows some races with an intrinsic superiority over others
2. abusive or aggressive behaviour towards members of another race on the basis of such a belief
thanks dictionary.com :D
the first definition came pretty close to confirming everything you said, but the last part is what i think allows people to make jokes. I think it's fine for people to make racist jokes, just as okay as it is to make blonde jokes, mormon jokes, fat momma jokes. i have made plenty of racial jokes in my life, but never have i thought of myself as superior to another race.
i've always said it's extremely unfortunate and disappointing when someone confirms a stereotype: when a black person commits a ridiculous crime, when a latino gets involved in a gang or is illegal, when a blonde is really as dumb as she is made out to be, when a white person is really an ignorant moron. but the truth is, all of those things can be switched around. you can have a white person in the gang, a real dumb black person, etc.
in professional settings, racial jokes are probably not appropriate, but amongst friends, in films, in liesurely places, i think they are fine.
just dont go thinking that you're superior to anyone. especially because of their skin color.
I think it depends on the intentions of the person who said the joke. Some are just jokes. People will throw a comment out there to make people laugh, and their only intention is to be humorous and make others around them think they are funny. Where jokes are inappropriate is when they become excessive, or when the person's intention is to degrade another race or those around them. It is sometimes hard to know the intentions of those around you, and racism is something that can be very personal. Judgment is done on the inside, thus making the "racist" joke only racist if the person is passing judgment or feeling some kind of negative feeling on the inside.
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