Racial remark

[Guest Hera]

I think most of you have come into this situation before. A lot of people claim to be open-minded and liberal. However they are in the company of other people of their same race they will sometimes make negative remarks about other races.
What do you do when people of your race start doing that? Do you join in? Do you keep quiet? Do you admonish them? What if they are people you know well - friends, relatives?

[Gin]

[color=black][size=1][font=Comic Sans MS]Hmm... I don't think that that has happened to me before... I'd probably just say hey that?s racist ?er ?sometimes my brother might say like something is an odd name and I?ll say like I bet someone from that nationality is probably thinking ?Wow Andrew is such in odd name!? ?er does that make any since?[/font][/size][/color]

[font=Comic Sans MS][size=1]?But I probably wouldn?t join in with the other people I?d just point out that everyone in that race isn?t like that and how would they like it if someone said that persons race was? I dunno? ?Fat ugly lazy and stupid? just point out that what they said is stereotypical and point out that they wouldn?t like it if someone from that race considered the people who are talking?s race some bad stereotype[/size][/font]

[font=Comic Sans MS][size=1]Does that make since?[/size][/font]

[size=1][font=Comic Sans MS]Well I hope what I said helps![color=black][/color][/font][/size]

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

If I were you I would just say absolutely nothing. You can't change people's minds, but if you don't like what they're doing you can at least try to distance yourself from them when they're doing things you disagree with.

[Shinmaru]

For me, it depends on if said remarks are humorous or not. If someone's just poking fun at stereotypes, and I know that they're not saying them with any malicious intent, then I'm okay with it. I'm half-Mexican, and I've joked around with people of various races about my own race on numerous occasions. I can take a joke, heh.

I only have a problem with it if there's no humor in the statements. I think that Sciros' advice is good for the situation: If someone is spreading around bitterly racist remarks, then just ignore them. Don't try and attack them, because you're just using hate to negate more hate. That doesn't work.

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

Personally I'm not a fan of racist jokes, there's just something I find slightly wrong about making a joke based on the differences of another race just because they're different. There have been times yes that I have laughed at jokes that were mildly racist, however jokes or comments that are severely racist with no intended humour do tend to annoy me. In cases like that I actually feel sorry for the person, somebody who has to make fun of another's differences to get others to laugh must really be shallow.[/SIZE]

[Orb]

If someone were to start being mean to someone about their race, I would just say it was rude, and not cool. Only dumb little punks would find it funny. Even though still, I know a lot of people do make fun of or talk about peole behind their backs, even if they don't really mean it. Like some people i know actually might refer to a black person as ******, but they have nothing against them, and actuallly have black friends they greatly respect. (I think they think it makes them sound cool, you know, with all the rap musac and stuff) I would not really do this, but I think it is rude in a way. The same thing goes for people talking about fat people or gay people or anything like that. Also jokes about races are funny, people should be able to take a joke, weather theyre white, black or mexican or whatever.

[wrist cutter]

Generally I'm the one making jokes. People usually laugh or gasp in horror, depending on how cool they are.

[Godelsensei]

[COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New]My school is 80% Asian, or some crazy statistic like that, so, yeah, you get alot of race-related jokes flitting about.

However, it's remarkably easy to distinguish between a time when some one's just poking fun, like Shin said, and when they're spewing racist slurs and ought to be smacked a good one across the head.

If some one pulls a lame "yo' mama" joke, in a heavy Cantonese accent, along the lines of, "Yo-aa mo-thaa is so fat, when she jump--she get stuck!" (believe me, I do not know...) no one really interprets it as either racist [i]or[/i] offensive towards whoever it was directed at's mother.

Some people get worked up over things like that, and some people take them too far, but most people are level-witted enough to treat them as they are: mildly amusing, the first time, and restraintlessly dumb.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[eleanor]

[color=darkslateblue] A lot of people will get angry when someone pokes fun (in a joking way) and one's race, and I totally understand. It's just that people should also learn to just laugh along and get over it. There is a definate line between jokes and insults.

Anyone who really knows me and hangs out with me a lot knows I made fun of all races many times just to get people to laugh, but I don't in any way mean to insult anyone. I mostly make fun of my own race, anyway, so it really doesn't matter. If anyone I knew were to say something insulting about a race, I wouldn't be afraid to tell them to shut up and never say that again and then be on good terms with them.

And yeah, if anyone does try and insult you for your race, best thing is to ignore them and in your mind think of how utterly pathetic they are.[/color]

[Xander Harris]

The only race I make fun of on a consistant basis is white middle-class americans, and I am one, so I consider it o.k.

[Manic Webb]

In high school (and today, really) I was the only black guy in my group of friends. Nearly everyone else was Asian. So naturally, quite a few jokes have flown by that concern stereotypes. They were all in good fun, and nobody ever got hurt. I mean, if I had a dollar for everytime I used the "it's so hot, I used to be white" joke, I'd have a few thousand dollars under my money-belt.

I think how comfortable you are with your differences has something to do with it. If you're expecting a racist comment to come from somebody, and you're ready to take offense to it, you [i]will[/i] be offended. However, if you know the person you're talking to means absolutely no harm, and you have a good enough sense of humor, then you shouldn't have much of a problem bouncing back and laughing it off.

You just have to know where to draw the line.

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]As has been said, it depends upon the tone with which the comment was made. Generally, racist comments are not vicious and are funny...and if I like it, I'll laugh. If it is vindictive, then I won't say anything. But, I have two words which describe racism:

Outspoken Minority.[/size]

[sinna]

This seems to pertain a lot to my family. They're all overtly cristian so needles to say they are quite racist, sexist (towards homosexuals and the like), and they don't like anyone to have any religion but theirs. I think that if the person saying the joke means it not to be a slam towards the race then it's fine, but if they fill it with scorn then they are just really LAME.

[wrist cutter]

[quote name='sinna]This seems to pertain a lot to my family. [b]They're all overtly cristian so needles to say they are quite racist, sexist (towards homosexuals and the like)[/b'], and they don't like anyone to have any religion but theirs. I think that if the person saying the joke means it not to be a slam towards the race then it's fine, but if they fill it with scorn then they are just really LAME.[/quote]

Yeah. People really shouldn't stereotype. That's just really LAME.

[crobo]

It depends on the kind of joke...if it's just kind of silly and in jest I'd laugh, but if the comment's totally unfunny and offensive then I won't.

I don't mind when people poke fun at me because of my nationality. Most peoples think Irish are drunken jimmies (and lot's are) The Simpsons do it best. :D

[future girl]

My parent's are racist. In actuality most of the older hispanic people that were raised in their country are, or at least the one's I've come across. With my parents, it's gotten to the point where I don't even say anything about it anymore. When I was younger I would really tear into them about it, but I don't really think the generalizations she makes are malicious or anything. I think mostly it's the environment they were raised in. My mom wants me to end up with a Hispanic Christian man, I don't care. I dated this guy that was white, and she was so mean to him and he was so nice to me. I don't understand her reasoning sometimes, I figure as long as he pays the child support it's all good.

As for outside of my parents, it all depends on the context and the situation, when I was younger I was picked on a lot because I was Hispanic and I guess I learned to use self depreciating humor as a defense mechanism. I proud of my heritage, but stereotypes when not taken seriously can be pretty funny. I can't stand being talked down to though, and I can't stand watching people being talked down to either so yea. It depends and stuff.

[Lunai]

[font=georgia][color=purple]This is the second anime forum I've seen this question in the past week. Since I didn't reply to that one, I'll post here.

I really depends on the context. I tend to make racial remarks in jest..so does my boyfriend. Because we both grew up in areas where we were the minority. In different ways.

If the context is negative, meant to do damage, then I'm telling them to take a long walk off a short pier. Because there are enough problems in the world without all that going on, too.

My boyfriend said something on the other forums:

Living with racism is like living with cockroaches:

When people don't see it, they don't tend to think about it.
But when it's there right in front of a person, it's the center of attention.[/color][/font]

[Pumpkin]

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1] I think I have to deal with alittle bit of racism each day. Where I live, its a somewhat small town, its more like all these towns smushed together making a big city. Where I live, there is a big seperation of Mexicans and Whites. In my old school, there use to be the Mexican table, and people used racial words like calling it the "Beaner Table". My boyfriend happens to be Mexican, which is rare, especially around here to even see a white girl with a mexican guy is almost kinda shocking. Its just different. I dont think they mean to be racist, but in a way everyone here is. I tend to have alot of Mexican friends too, that get alot of crap from other people. At my new school there are these two white boys who talk crap, half of the insults i dont even get the meanings of and Im afraid to ask. My boyfriend and I make racial comments at eachother, but in a JOKING way, I'm not offended unless its in a serious tone. When its in a serious tone, I feel angry because I think of how many people have talked crap to my bf about his race calling him horrible names. I might make fun of my boyfriend's accent, but he knows im joking. When your joking people can tell because the sound of your voice, and i think people who take things too seriously can sometimes just take it out of hand. Only way it can be offensive is when the person says the racial comment and means it truely. My parents are not exactly happy with me being with someone thats mexican, but they just have to deal with it.That is life. You just gotta shrug it off, and if you cant then alot of crap is just going to get you down..

Okay that was pretty long. >.< sorry for me rambling. pay no attention. [/FONT][/SIZE]

[EVA Unit 100]

Whether something can really be considered offensive or not depends on the context and the use of it. When watching The Simpsons or Family Guy, you know that Matt Groening and Seth MacFarlane don't really believe all of their slams against everyone. However, when it comes to something like the KKK hate crimes that recently occured at the town high school from where I live, that is definately racist and prejudiced and gives you every right to be very angry.

[Retribution]

Well, I'm African American, and there's racist jokes a-plenty to us. I'm not the sterotypical black guy. Now think... what is the sterotypical black guy?

I'm going to guess that about half of you think of a black male, listening to rap, baggy clothes, maleducated, and raised in a rough neighborhood. I'm not that at all, therefore when I get angry at other black people for ruining our name, my mom says that I'm worse than the KKK.

I mean, jeez.

I don't think it's that bad that I'm ashamed that more black males (college age) are in jail than there are in college, or that the leading cause of death for black males b/w the ages of 15 - 21 is gunshot wounds. It's a sad fact, and my mom get's pissed for me guessing that a great deal of black people fit the description given in the second paragraph, and being ashamed that many don't try to break their vicious cycle.

As for the jokes, meh, they don't really bother me. I usually keep quiet if people are serious about it, sometimes I may say "Shut the ******* up you racist b*****" Depends on how the wind blows.

I don't crack racist jokes. I used to, but my parents hammered me hard about the fact that racism is no joke -- be it not serious or for real. I don't have a problem with people joking. But you cross the red line when you are a bigot.

[Heaven's Cloud]

[color=indigo]I love telling derogatory and sexist jokes, they are funny. I have often noticed that the people that get upset or bent out of shape at racist jokes are usually uptight oddballs that have zero connection to the race being poked fun at.

I think that most people can tell what comments are malicious and what aren?t. For example, when I make fun of blacks (why do they steal so much?), whites (die oppressors, die!), Jews (c?mon man, you have sooo much money, why are you being so cheap?), Hispanics (want to touch the hiney), and Muslims (actually I don?t make fun of Muslims ever, they are to be respected and feared?feared? Did I say feared? I meant loved) I am just joking.

However, when I insult the French, French Canadians, and midgets, it might seem like I am just cracking a harmless joke but I am really brainwashing my listeners/readers so that one day I can launch a blitzkrieg against those three groups (although I will be superbly happy if I can just take out the French Midgets, I really hate them).[/color]

[Kareiyasha]

Ok, Yeah I'll be the first to admit that I have done this before... But I was young and I didn't know anybetter. But now whenever I hear one of my friends, or family make fun of someone of a different race, sexuality or lifestyle I say to them right up-front "Hey,I don't like hearing stuff like that. If you're going to talk like that about others then I don't want to be around when you say it." You have to be firm with people like that because closed minded people are just making this world into a war-ridden, hating mess. Where's the love, Damn it?

[KarmaOfChaos]

[color=deeppink][size=1]Well, I live in the deep south, so a majority of the older generations (40 and above) that were born and raised here are at least slightly racist. Two of my best friends have racist parents and there have been serious arguments about who they date because of it. There are quite a few serious implications of racism today, not just the stuff people talk about going on 30, 50, and 100 years ago.

Yet, this doesn't mean I won't laugh at a good racist joke. Because the key thing is that they aren't being serious. In fact, they're making fun of a common stereotype, which in away, takes away its power, and presents it in the view of something not to be viewed with respect. Of course, it will be argued that making jokes about racism is taking light of the situation, but I have found that most people who take racism so seriously are honestly just looking to pick a fight.

But it's never cool when someone is being openly racist. It's usually most effective to walk away/ignore them.

Unless they have a gun and are surrounded by a large group of people dressed in white with torches.

-Karma[/size][/color]

[Eternal Snow]

Since I live in a small city with many races, and my country believes in "one united people, regardless of [U]race[/U] language or religion....." so I don't really see any racists everyday, except for some of my classmates and other people who don't really know anything. Most of them just say that that person is "fat, ugly" because it's a fact.... but if they were to say that he/she is "fat and ugly" because of her race, then I will not respect that person. After all, the world doesn't really belong to only one race, so why not live with respect for one another, instead of screaming at a friend who is from another race, or making fun of them? We are still human, are'nt we?

[Harry]

[quote name='Eternal Snow]Since I live in a small city with many races, and my country believes in "one united people, regardless of [U]race[/U'] language or religion....." so I don't really see any racists everyday, except for some of my classmates and other people who don't really know anything. Most of them just say that that person is "fat, ugly" because it's a fact.... but if they were to say that he/she is "fat and ugly" because of her race, then I will not respect that person. After all, the world doesn't really belong to only one race, so why not live with respect for one another, instead of screaming at a friend who is from another race, or making fun of them? We are still human, are'nt we?[/quote]
There's no racism in Singapore? Impressive. That death penalty must be working out for them.