Son was called a monkey by a Hispanic child

[Anonymous]

I'm white, so perhaps clueless. Regarding what's been posted above: Sure, it's possible a 9-year-old doesn't understand he's being offensive, even if he has correctly picked up from others that "monkey" is a word used only for people with a certain skin color.

But the thing is, in our culture he's being offensive. And while it's great when another 9-year-old feels confident enough to call out racist and other offensive behavior when they see it, I don't think it's right to lay the burden of correcting this behavior on a 9-year-old-- particularly the one who's the target of the offensive behavior. It's really not OP's kid's job to school other kids in this way.

So I think if I were OP, I would tell the teacher, because it is actually their job to deal with things like this. Maybe this kid is acting out of ignorance rather than malice (although malice certainly possible with kids this age); either way, it's not appropriate in school (or ever) and the teacher should know its happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, I’m not saying it’s great for a Latino kid to call a black kid a monkey. I just wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that the kid meant it in an insulting or racist way. There’s a real possibility—a likelihood, in fact—that the kid didn’t make any connection between “monkey”
and OP’s son’s race.

I’m just not ready to crucify a 9 year old from a different culture over this. My suggestion would be to explain to your son that his friend likely doesn’t know any better and encourage him to talk to his friend about it directly. I don’t think a teacher needs to be involved.

You are a tool. F857 you.
WHAT OTHER EXPLANATION COULD IT BE?

If he called him a llama face sure. But you good and damn well what monkey refers to. Cultural or not.

NP I clearly must be stupid but I haven’t heard blacks called monkey. I’ve heard Asians call other Asians monkeys.

Yes, you are. Or you are blind/deaf/purposefully obtuse/ignorant.

[Anonymous]

NP and I also had no idea people go around calling blacks monkeys. The incident would not have even registered in my mind as I am calling my kids monkeys all the time. I do think 9 is a little old for it to be totally innocuous though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP and I also had no idea people go around calling blacks monkeys. The incident would not have even registered in my mind as I am calling my kids monkeys all the time. I do think 9 is a little old for it to be totally innocuous though.

You are telling me you have never seen black people drawn as caricatures, specifically, monkeys? You dont know the history of animalism towards slaves and the use of animalism in the US? You havent seen the memes of comparing black rioters with monkeys? You dont recognize that black children are treated like adults but white 20-40s adults are being referred to as "kids" by our VP and the news? Black children are referred to as monsters, heathens, etc. Black female children are sexualized. Black male children are seeing as aggressive. In sports, they are predominantly referred to as beasts or compared to animals. White athletes are praised for their knowledge, skills, and athleticism without being compared to animals. There was a time no too long ago when it black athletes werent considered smart enough to play quarterback....have any ideas why that might be?

Do you live in the US? Do you have an education? Have you studied anything to do with history? Do you read a newspaper?

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/comparing-black-people-to_b_9345322

Understand that calling your (own) kid who is climbing and monkeying around a little monkey is not nefarious. Your kid calling a black kid a monkey while at school for no reason.....thats not the same and dont act like you dont get why its different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would definitely tell the teacher. Listening to your son without reacting would be so hard for me. I’d be so angry. But good for you. Anyway, I’m sorry America sucks wrt racism.

It’s worse everywhere else in the world.

We know this because the long winded explanation about some "culture" thinking this is ok. They are bringing their long standing racist beliefs here and then pretending like they didn't know it was wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP and I also had no idea people go around calling blacks monkeys. The incident would not have even registered in my mind as I am calling my kids monkeys all the time. I do think 9 is a little old for it to be totally innocuous though.

You are telling me you have never seen black people drawn as caricatures, specifically, monkeys? You dont know the history of animalism towards slaves and the use of animalism in the US? You havent seen the memes of comparing black rioters with monkeys? You dont recognize that black children are treated like adults but white 20-40s adults are being referred to as "kids" by our VP and the news? Black children are referred to as monsters, heathens, etc. Black female children are sexualized. Black male children are seeing as aggressive. In sports, they are predominantly referred to as beasts or compared to animals. White athletes are praised for their knowledge, skills, and athleticism without being compared to animals. There was a time no too long ago when it black athletes werent considered smart enough to play quarterback....have any ideas why that might be?

Do you live in the US? Do you have an education? Have you studied anything to do with history? Do you read a newspaper?

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/comparing-black-people-to_b_9345322

Understand that calling your (own) kid who is climbing and monkeying around a little monkey is not nefarious. Your kid calling a black kid a monkey while at school for no reason.....thats not the same and dont act like you dont get why its different.

+1 million

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would definitely tell the teacher. Listening to your son without reacting would be so hard for me. I’d be so angry. But good for you. Anyway, I’m sorry America sucks wrt racism.

It’s worse everywhere else in the world.

We know this because the long winded explanation about some "culture" thinking this is ok. They are bringing their long standing racist beliefs here and then pretending like they didn't know it was wrong.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP and I also had no idea people go around calling blacks monkeys. The incident would not have even registered in my mind as I am calling my kids monkeys all the time. I do think 9 is a little old for it to be totally innocuous though.

You are telling me you have never seen black people drawn as caricatures, specifically, monkeys? You dont know the history of animalism towards slaves and the use of animalism in the US? You havent seen the memes of comparing black rioters with monkeys? You dont recognize that black children are treated like adults but white 20-40s adults are being referred to as "kids" by our VP and the news? Black children are referred to as monsters, heathens, etc. Black female children are sexualized. Black male children are seeing as aggressive. In sports, they are predominantly referred to as beasts or compared to animals. White athletes are praised for their knowledge, skills, and athleticism without being compared to animals. There was a time no too long ago when it black athletes werent considered smart enough to play quarterback....have any ideas why that might be?

Do you live in the US? Do you have an education? Have you studied anything to do with history? Do you read a newspaper?

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/comparing-black-people-to_b_9345322

Understand that calling your (own) kid who is climbing and monkeying around a little monkey is not nefarious. Your kid calling a black kid a monkey while at school for no reason.....thats not the same and dont act like you dont get why its different.

+1 million

+1 billion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm white, so perhaps clueless. Regarding what's been posted above: Sure, it's possible a 9-year-old doesn't understand he's being offensive, even if he has correctly picked up from others that "monkey" is a word used only for people with a certain skin color.

But the thing is, in our culture he's being offensive. And while it's great when another 9-year-old feels confident enough to call out racist and other offensive behavior when they see it, I don't think it's right to lay the burden of correcting this behavior on a 9-year-old-- particularly the one who's the target of the offensive behavior. It's really not OP's kid's job to school other kids in this way.

So I think if I were OP, I would tell the teacher, because it is actually their job to deal with things like this. Maybe this kid is acting out of ignorance rather than malice (although malice certainly possible with kids this age); either way, it's not appropriate in school (or ever) and the teacher should know its happening.

Except you’re wrong. It’s not true that “monkey is only used for people with a certain skin color.” Especially when it comes to kids. What’s true is that it’s only offensive when used against people of a certain skin color. Kids call kids monkeys all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm white, so perhaps clueless. Regarding what's been posted above: Sure, it's possible a 9-year-old doesn't understand he's being offensive, even if he has correctly picked up from others that "monkey" is a word used only for people with a certain skin color.

But the thing is, in our culture he's being offensive. And while it's great when another 9-year-old feels confident enough to call out racist and other offensive behavior when they see it, I don't think it's right to lay the burden of correcting this behavior on a 9-year-old-- particularly the one who's the target of the offensive behavior. It's really not OP's kid's job to school other kids in this way.

So I think if I were OP, I would tell the teacher, because it is actually their job to deal with things like this. Maybe this kid is acting out of ignorance rather than malice (although malice certainly possible with kids this age); either way, it's not appropriate in school (or ever) and the teacher should know its happening.

Except you’re wrong. It’s not true that “monkey is only used for people with a certain skin color.” Especially when it comes to kids. What’s true is that it’s only offensive when used against people of a certain skin color. Kids call kids monkeys all the time.

I have never heard a kid call another kid a monkey. This isn't an all the time thing. And since it's not really kid slang, if I did hear it, it would seem most likely it would be used as a slur.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP and I also had no idea people go around calling blacks monkeys. The incident would not have even registered in my mind as I am calling my kids monkeys all the time. I do think 9 is a little old for it to be totally innocuous though.

You are telling me you have never seen black people drawn as caricatures, specifically, monkeys? You dont know the history of animalism towards slaves and the use of animalism in the US? You havent seen the memes of comparing black rioters with monkeys? You dont recognize that black children are treated like adults but white 20-40s adults are being referred to as "kids" by our VP and the news? Black children are referred to as monsters, heathens, etc. Black female children are sexualized. Black male children are seeing as aggressive. In sports, they are predominantly referred to as beasts or compared to animals. White athletes are praised for their knowledge, skills, and athleticism without being compared to animals. There was a time no too long ago when it black athletes werent considered smart enough to play quarterback....have any ideas why that might be?

Do you live in the US? Do you have an education? Have you studied anything to do with history? Do you read a newspaper?

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/comparing-black-people-to_b_9345322

Understand that calling your (own) kid who is climbing and monkeying around a little monkey is not nefarious. Your kid calling a black kid a monkey while at school for no reason.....thats not the same and dont act like you dont get why its different.

That was an eye opener article. But no, what I read or saw never has had those images in them or memes. I stipulate you are accurate but not every person in America has paid attention, apparently, or read history of colonization.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP and I also had no idea people go around calling blacks monkeys. The incident would not have even registered in my mind as I am calling my kids monkeys all the time. I do think 9 is a little old for it to be totally innocuous though.

You are telling me you have never seen black people drawn as caricatures, specifically, monkeys? You dont know the history of animalism towards slaves and the use of animalism in the US? You havent seen the memes of comparing black rioters with monkeys? You dont recognize that black children are treated like adults but white 20-40s adults are being referred to as "kids" by our VP and the news? Black children are referred to as monsters, heathens, etc. Black female children are sexualized. Black male children are seeing as aggressive. In sports, they are predominantly referred to as beasts or compared to animals. White athletes are praised for their knowledge, skills, and athleticism without being compared to animals. There was a time no too long ago when it black athletes werent considered smart enough to play quarterback....have any ideas why that might be?

Do you live in the US? Do you have an education? Have you studied anything to do with history? Do you read a newspaper?

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/comparing-black-people-to_b_9345322

Understand that calling your (own) kid who is climbing and monkeying around a little monkey is not nefarious. Your kid calling a black kid a monkey while at school for no reason.....thats not the same and dont act like you dont get why its different.

Poster you are applying to here. Honestly, no, I don't see the stuff you mentioned. Maybe if I lived like 80 years ago. I am not white, not black, American. I don't pay attention to black vs white race wars. How would I come across racist content in my daily life? I do think a 9 year old calling anyone a monkey is a bit strange, so I am not denying that is racial or derogatory. Just that I don't assume those things automatically. Again, I am not white, but my motto in life is to not attribute anything to race unless beyond a reasonable doubt.

[Anonymous]

I’d speak with the child’s mother under the assumption that her Hispanic child doesn’t know that calling an AA child a monkey is a bad thing. Take the high road, make your point and move on.

[Anonymous]

Anyone who was raised in the U.S. claiming that they've never heard there are racial implications in calling an African American a monkey is full of it. Even if you weren't aware of it growing up (although even that seems far-fetched), do you not recall how certain media outlets were blasted for saying Obama looked like a monkey (or maybe it was Michelle)? It was big news at the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[img]NP and I also had no idea people go around calling blacks monkeys. [b]The incident would not have even registered in my mind as I am calling my kids monkeys all the time. I do think 9 is a little old for it to be totally innocuous though.

Really?! Have you had more than a 5th grade education?