LOL: maybe we should listen to this doctor, and also stop speaking English!

[Sue B]

Thanks, lithium, for changing the subject line. I'm sure no harm was meant.

My reaction (as a person of half-Asian descent) wasn't so much offense, as an eye-roll. Like when I used to be approached by total strangers wanting to know where I was from. Or do I know kung-fu. (Should I walk up to a fat person and ask if they're a sumo wrestler? They'll think it's hilarious, since fat people are jolly! )

Luckily, the Asian population in my county has exploded, so I haven't been singled out in a long time.

[GeekyGirl]

Originally Posted by susan p

With apologies in advance to miners and their families:

For Debbie S: What do you get when you drop a piano down a mine shaft?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

A flat minor.

HAHAHAHAHA. (Sorry.)

Love it!

[PeakFitness]

Originally Posted by sophie kat

Why is it that no gets offended at the so called halting speech mannerisms of Italian immigrants? That's a gooda pizza pie...Oh wait, that's funny, but OP joke is not...ok. Or what about German immigrants, or Greek immigrants, etc. and where does it end?

You don't know the difference between a German and Chinese? Whiteness. No one gets offended at German immigrant speak because no one makes jokes about Germans. Because it wouldn't make sense for racists to make jokes about other white people. That's why people make fun of Chinese and Mexicans, not Italians or Germans. I thought it was obvious.

[dnk]

Originally Posted by Sue B

Thanks, lithium, for changing the subject line. I'm sure no harm was meant.

My reaction (as a person of half-Asian descent) wasn't so much offense, as an eye-roll. Like when I used to be approached by total strangers wanting to know where I was from. Or do I know kung-fu. (Should I walk up to a fat person and ask if they're a sumo wrestler? They'll think it's hilarious, since fat people are jolly! )

Luckily, the Asian population in my county has exploded, so I haven't been singled out in a long time.

Sue, I'm also a person of half-Asian descent. The way people used to treat me when I was younger was sort of incredible. "Do you speak English?" (Better than you do, buddy.) or "you must know Chinese" (which is something all half-Korean kids learn when they grow up in the states, right?) or just coming up to me, slanting their eyes and mocking some generic Asian language. And those people thought they were JUST. HILARIOUS. and wouldn't understand how offensive they were no matter what language I spoke.

Deb

[dnk]

Originally Posted by PeakFitness

You don't know the difference between a German and Chinese? Whiteness. No one gets offended at German immigrant speak because no one makes jokes about Germans. Because it wouldn't make sense for racists to make jokes about other white people. That's why people make fun of Chinese and Mexicans, not Italians or Germans. I thought it was obvious.

<== That.

Deb

[Mary09(b)]

I don't think it's limited to cross-racial jokes. It can be blondes, gays, Republicans, Jews, retirees, whatever. If you poke fun at the differences in a group, it's iffy territory and people can feel offended.

People make plenty of fun of Italian and Germans. It's no more funny than any other ethnic humor (from an etiquette standpoint).

[kelsey211]

Originally Posted by dnk

Sue, I'm also a person of half-Asian descent. The way people used to treat me when I was younger was sort of incredible. "Do you speak English?" (Better than you do, buddy.) or "you must know Chinese" (which is something all half-Korean kids learn when they grow up in the states, right?) or just coming up to me, slanting their eyes and mocking some generic Asian language. And those people thought they were JUST. HILARIOUS. and wouldn't understand how offensive they were no matter what language I spoke.

Deb

Originally Posted by Sue B

Thanks, lithium, for changing the subject line. I'm sure no harm was meant.

My reaction (as a person of half-Asian descent) wasn't so much offense, as an eye-roll. Like when I used to be approached by total strangers wanting to know where I was from. Or do I know kung-fu. (Should I walk up to a fat person and ask if they're a sumo wrestler? They'll think it's hilarious, since fat people are jolly! )

Luckily, the Asian population in my county has exploded, so I haven't been singled out in a long time.

As a 1st generation Chinese American growing up in the South in the 50's and 60's, I'm still extremely sensitive to these types of so-call "Jokes". Like Sue I use to be asked "where are you from? I would say "I'm from Virginia" and they would ask again, "No, where are you really from?" And don't get me started about the crank phone calls about winging the wong number.

Originally Posted by PeakFitness

You don't know the difference between a German and Chinese? Whiteness. No one gets offended at German immigrant speak because no one makes jokes about Germans. Because it wouldn't make sense for racists to make jokes about other white people. That's why people make fun of Chinese and Mexicans, not Italians or Germans. I thought it was obvious.

Bingo

[Lucky Star]

My original point was not just the dumbness and potential offensiveness of the mock-English, but the fact that (as far as I'm aware) the joke didn't start out that way. For years I've seen it and been emailed it in standard English grammar. It just seems odd and, yes, tasteless that someone would think to rewrite the whole thing in 'broken' English, and why? To add to the humor by making fun of Chinese-accented doctors? Nah, I don't get it.

[suebella]

Originally Posted by PeakFitness

You don't know the difference between a German and Chinese? Whiteness. No one gets offended at German immigrant speak because no one makes jokes about Germans. Because it wouldn't make sense for racists to make jokes about other white people. That's why people make fun of Chinese and Mexicans, not Italians or Germans. I thought it was obvious.

I understand your point. The history of people of color in this society has made "jokes" about them particularly ugly.

However, the above statement is not entirely true. There are plenty of truly ugly Polish jokes, and most Polish people are Caucasion. I've heard some really horrifying Jewish "humor", and many Jewish people are white. Don't get me started on some of the "funny" stuff I've heard about homosexuals, who come in all colors.

And I've heard offensive jokes and characterizations thrown around by people of many colors, too. It goes around.

It tends to be more prevalent in geographic areas where there a few of the target group around and people have developed their ideas about them through media, and, well, bad jokes.

I don't want to sound like I have it all figured out myself, but I think you do have to be careful when you are talking about groups of people as stereotypes. Sometimes it can happen without even thinking. For example, I was a full grown adult before I learned that saying you were gypped out of something was a nasty crack at gypsies - so I'm not perfect in my own thinking by any means. Someone had to point it out to me, and it was very embarassing when I realized I was just speaking without thinking.

Thanks to the OP for being sensitive to people's concerns and changing the title and removing the dialect.

[JP44]

As a blond (Okay, I'm actually gray but I'm dyed blond), half Polish, part German, part English, part Scottish female in her mid 40s, I think it's best to avoid jokes pertaining to age, appearance, gender & ethnicity.

Humor is not harmless. It's been used for centuries to ridicule, isolate & discriminate against groups of people. Take a common example, the male boss or family member who makes lewd or sexist jokes about women & then says, "What? You can't take a joke??" Okkaaayyy....

Among other ethnic slurs, I despise the word "Polack". Three of my uncles actually changed their surname to hide their Polish descent so they could get jobs during the 30s & 40s. Otherwise, they wouldn't be hired since no one wanted a "dumb Polack" as an employee.

I know every ethnicity has faced discrimination--some far, far worse than others--but that only underscores why making fun of others for ethnicity, etc. is really not appropriate.

Joan