Society may be becoming sensitive to you, but this is why it isn’t.

Growing up in an Immigrant Latino household there were many things that I learned and was aware of, from a young age. As a child, I saw my parents as anyone else and I did not believe that they were different in any way, but they were. My mother who speaks fairly good English in my opinion, is subjected by those who speak better English, to be mocked because of, her accent. My father who speaks very little English and finds it hard to understand other English speakers is always treated unfairly by people in, society.

To me my mom spoke perfect English and I didn’t understand why in her jobs she was treated as if she knew nothing. One day I remember when I was speaking to my friend when I was younger, she mentioned my mom had a “strong accent” I was confused because I didn’t understand what she meant, so I said no my mom doesn’t have an accent and she continued saying yes, she does her English isn’t good.

This comment has stuck with me, I know we were both children and didn’t know any better compared to adults, but those minority aggressive comments start from such a young age.

When I started getting older and understanding media and television is where I started to learn about, racism. The way that the media was showing racism wasn’t in an educating way it was in a way of entertainment, to have others laugh at minority problems. The show that really did it for me was probably The Simpsons. Even if you’re a child it doesn’t take much of a brain to make the connections of the show to modern world. The Simpsons really did depict races in the most stereotypical was they ever could.

Because these jokes and television series are made in non-harmful comedic ways they are not seen as “racism” per say, and if you do see it in that light you are “sensitive”. I really started to understand the negatives of this when I would visit my dad’s side of the family in Guatemala. I saw firsthand how hard people worked and how they lived and what they did in order to make a living.

In grades 6 and 7 kids are kids and would crack those racially insensitive jokes, how all Latinos are housemaids, undocumented, border jumpers and so on. In school I remember being told to go “sell my oranges” now I understand these are kids being annoying, but when I would explain to them how this is harmful and kind of racist, they didn’t understand. Then although being born here I did get called a “border jumper”. I did recently mention the orange jokes to the kids I grew up with and looking back at it know they were so embarrassed, and it was a little funny to think back on. But not everyone is going to be so forgiving about these comments because they do affect how you as a minority perceive yourself.

So, who is sensitive?

I have personally, heard those calling gen z as being “sensitive” coming mostly from millennials and the way older crowd like boomers. Some of the sensitive comments also come a lot from people who make these insensitive jokes and get called out for it. So, the trend of calling everything sensitive is coming from lots of people why is that?

Not to sound like your typical blogger, but it is because the media and we as viewers normalized this. People preach for change and a better society but pick and choose for what they want changed.

But even though we believe we are becoming more sensitive, when you’re out in the world as a minority society will not act sensitive against you in any way. People will not try to hide their racism, discrimination, or misogyny against you in any way.

Lots of anger has come out of recent situations with people losing their jobs and not being able to get hired because of what they have said publicly. While the aspect of cancel culture is a whole different topic, there is always consequences to actions that you take, you literally learn this when you’re 7. Adults don’t like being told no at all just like a toddler so now you have a bunch of big babies crying because they got in trouble and they don’t like the idea of not being able to say whatever they want.

I feel like if these people were on the side of the receiving end of these comments, they would change the energy and views they had. This will always go back to the privilege people have and the oppression that people of colour experience.

Lots of people make these jokes without thinking about the origin of where they come from and stay uneducated. A lot of racial jokes come from very close-minded ways racist people viewed those minorities as and it isn’t ok.

Why should it be so wrong to have a society and live in a world where people are treated properly and respectfully?

Racial jokes only feed into the narrative in which you see these people as, it is also harmful to you as a person of colour because it changes the way you see yourself. The jokes are a part of the racial aggressions that Indigenous, Black and People of Colour experience.

There is not only an issue with the racial jokes being said but also misogynistic jokes that are made about women. How men will use women as props in their videos to harass them because she is a woman. Because of all these jokes as a woman when will you also ever feel safe in the world without the fear of a man harassing for the sake of his enjoyment and needs.

In conclusion, no I don’t think society is becoming so sensitive that you can’t make a racist joke; society is progressing into being more educated and moving away from that old timer mindset. I think people need to expand what they know and change their 60s mindset on society.