I'm not saying that racial jokes aren't funny. Nor am I saying that I have not made my fair share of them. I will say that some do cross the line (as any brand of joke can). I'm not trying to be hypersensitive or inconsistent or a stick-in-the-mud or an activist.
All I'm saying is that the reason I have grown a decent-sized hatred for these kind of comments is that I seem to be the only one who gets the brunt of them. What's up with that? I just want you to walk a mile in my shoes.
If you could understand how many of my friends make fun of me (and only me) for being black you might understand why I don't like this kind of ribbing. If I were to make a racial joke, most of the time it would be about black people so... why can't you joke about your own kind? Why can't I tell you how belittled and angry I feel when this happens without being scoffed at and called a hypocrite? I'm not trying to be a hypocrite! I'm not. Just walk a mile.. imagine how every snide remark, even when you're being serious, has to do with your race.... What do you see me as? An easy target? Just think about it and go hang out in a place where you're the visible minority.
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I dont think you sound like a hypocrite I think you sound honest. Thanks for letting me know that you don't like jokes or remarks referring to your race (It should be automatic that I would assume that but it isn't). Just so you know I will say that my whiteness draws a pretty large number of remarks itself but typically I have learned to joke along. But I guess it has more to do with paleness than race so its not the same. I always think that I wouldn't care but I have actually never really been a visible minority, especially not for a significant time. Its not fair that we would make it obvious for you when you probably notice it all on your own.
I hope I made sense.
Hey Kates,
yea that made sense.
I wouldn't say that I don't like jokes or remarks referring to race because really - it's part of who I am, right? There's no denying.
I wish I had freedom to joke back-and-forth with people because I used to and there is great potential for ongoing hilarity.
I mean to say that it's unnerving to think that people have such a focalized arsenal.. you know? I mean it would be different (I think it has been different) back in the Tobes when there was not such a landslide racial distribution. yep.
i think my perception on racial jokes, even among friends, has changed/shifted since i moved to vancouver. but even if i'm the minority in my group, i am still not "the minority" and probably never will be. yeah. i have lots of thoughts on this. and questions. but not for now.
Fish: I'm ready when you are. :)
and P.S. please tell me more about your minority experiences.
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