I'm not sure why, but I feel like the word Mexicans is racist, even when I'm using it correctly. For example, I was watching the Mexican soccer team play on television. When the announcers referred to the Mexicans, I cringed. It made me laugh that I was so sensitive to the word, even when it was politically correct. I think that is where most white people are these days... at least those of us that don't want to offend anyone (blog not included). "Did I say black? I meant African American permanent marker...?" The slightest verbal misstep forces us to write long-winded apologies to coworkers and/or peers. Does it make me racist that I am uncomfortable with the word Mexicans?
'Midget' and 'handicapped' work the same way, just because I either don't know the more appropriate term, or because I don't find the politically correct term more appropriate. I can't talk about anyone with those conditions, no matter how careful I'm trying to be, without feeling awful.
I might actually be 1/4 Mexican,
~RoB
I've just taken to prefacing anything I say with "This might be racist but…" and that's been working out pretty well so far.
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