Racism And Racial Jokes

 Sometimes talking to co-workers can be a welcome break for the tough grind of the workday. Discussing what happened on last night’s popular television show, or joking about a funny incident that happened to a co-worker can build better working relationships or company pride.

However, the discussions are not always positive or humorous. What happens when a co-worker says something offensive like, “What sound does a flat tire make? Wop, Wop, Wop.” If a co-worker makes a racial joke or remark at a company function, such as, ‘How’d your Dago?,’ which is a play on words using ‘Dago’ in place of “how’d your day go.” Both are offensive slang words that some people use for Italians.

While those are mild examples, how to respond to unexpected situations like those mentioned above, can be difficult to figure out since a working relationship with the co-worker must continue after the incident. If no one reprimands or corrects the co-worker about the comment, they may think everyone condones the joke or remark. However, if someone tells the co-worker the joke or remark is racist, then he or she may feel alienated.

According to Carmen Van Kerckhoven, co-founder and president of New Demographic, an anti-racism training company, if you laugh at the jokes, you maybe seen as agreeing with the co-worker.

Saying that you are offended may do more harm than good because it may damage your working relationship and make it seem like you are the one with the problem. “You have to be realistic and not damage your reputation in the company,” Van Kerckhoven says.

Instead, play dumb. Playing dumb, which means having a bewildered expression or questioning the joke’s meaning, is more effective. Many of the racist jokes rely on racial undertones, Van Kerckhoven explains. Therefore, pretending that you do not understand the joke, and asking questions creates an uncomfortable or awkward moment where the co-worker must expound on the joke’s racist overtones. In most instances, the co-worker will avoid this.

What happens if the co-worker does expound on the joke or tries to blame you? When a person of color brings up the issues of race, others view him or her as a racist and sometimes finger pointing sessions begin, according to Van Kerckhoven. She suggests carefully choosing which battles are worth fighting, “we have to recognize that even though it is not so easy to brush one racist comment or joke off, you need to pick your battles.”

If you do decide to pursue action, or the joke is a part of a continuous problem at the workplace, find out your company’s protocol for filing a complaint. If the issue is not resolved, you can file a complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In 2007, the EEOC received 30,510 charges of race discrimination and nearly 7,000 racial harassment charges.

David Grinberg, spokesman for the EEOC explains, “the reason why race discrimination is a persistent problem is because we as a society still have the same issues that have always been there since the EEOC was created.”

Black employees initiate 90 percent of the racial discrimination charges filed. In 2007, the EEOC resolved 25,882 racial discrimination complaints. According to Grinberg, if there is merit to the charge, “we will try to reach a voluntary settlement with the company.” However, if the EEOC and the company cannot reach a settlement then they will go to court.

What if someone is present when the joke happens, but it was not directed at him or her? Should they speak up or let the person affected handle the situation? Van Kerckhoven suggests that you should think about where you stand in terms of race and gender. Then “try to be a good ally.”

Nevertheless, everyone should remember the best response to a racist joke or remark should accomplish three things, Van Kerckhoven says. First, communicate that you find the joke or behavior unacceptable. Second, try not to damage your working relationship with your co-workers, and third, you may want to build a bridge of understanding between you and your co-worker.

For people who are the focus of the racist joke or remark, Van Kerckhoven suggests that you do not keep replaying the moment in your mind or get angry with yourself that you did not do enough. “It is always very difficult to pick the right reaction in the moment, sometimes it happens, but people should not beat themselves up for something that happens in the moment.”