Jokes

Honestly, I have never been profoundly offended by someone’s remark aimed at a certain community I belong to. Mainly because when people broadcast what they have to say about race, religion, etc. it's usually in a respectful manner in a meaningful conversation or just to crack a harmless joke or two. I even crack those jokes once in a while, too. Rarely do I encounter anyone with cruel intentions, even though I am sure there are plenty out there.

Usually people make jokes about their own race, religion, etc. just because it is socially acceptable, so they wouldn't be risking their lives if they did so. In one situation, I went with a friend over to a neighbor's house where he taught me and my friend how to shoot a pellet gun. He is Cuban, my friend is Colombian, and I'm a mix of both. We went outside to his backyard, and set up a pyramid of tin cans for us to shoot. My friend and I had trouble at aiming the gun, and on the verge of giving up, my neighbor shouts at me, "Shoot those cans as if it was someone taking your drugs!" The most common stereotype of Colombians is that we are the biggest drug dealers, as you can infer if you've seen the movie "Blow" with Johnny Depp. My neighbor's comment took me a little off guard; I have never been told something like that in my life. But I found it funny regardless, especially when I began to hit the tin cans afterward.

Then there are those who don't know much of what they're talking about. You could say I feel a bit of sympathy for their ignorance sometimes. Listening to a classmate say in class, "I've heard the stereotype that Cubans can't swim" was actually amusing to me. At that instant I thought, If anything I've heard that we can swim. In music videos when Hispanic women are portrayed to have a dubious morality, I'm almost indifferent to what people have to say about this image. To a certain extent, stereotypes are what they are because there is some truth to them. It's unfortunate that some of these people are the ones who represent my race and other miscellaneous communities I'm involved in, but I can't do anything about it other than prove them wrong.

Stereotypical jokes are funny to me for the simple reason that they can't sink deep enough under my skin; they won't ever affect me personally. I give the image I want people to see, regardless of how they perceive my demographic information. I don't lower myself to what is "expected," I make a new name for myself that defies the social norm.