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i think it's hilarious that if people tell a joke about a canadian, everyone finds it funny. being from england (and i know it's the same in most of western culture) there are many jokes about the irish being idiots and alcoholics. living in ireland, it's all about the english being colonialists, posh, stuck in the past ect.

the british have bad teeth (apparently). the british are also called "limeys" because they had the good sense to take sources of vitamin c on board long voyages to prevent scurvy. another one i've never gotten, is that in europe (especially in germany and france) we are known as "roast beef" - because that is what we eat. i got no problems taking on any frogs and krauts with that one.

...but alas! this is me from the inside looking out.

americans are stupid and fat. the french smell, eat weird shit and are cowards. the welsh fuck sheep.

it's called humour. some people are born with a sense of one. it is based on small aspects of society or stereotypes of a certain ethnic group that are commonly attributed to said group and then blown out of proportion in order to generate what is known in neurological comedic studies as "the funnies".

people are afraid of things that are different - especially when it comes to people. the idea of people coming in to your country and culture (that you like the way it is) and bringing their own customs and language in is scary because we know from history that it does effect things in varying degrees.

humour is a safety device and defence mechanism... and a fucking good one at that. jokes put us at ease, so don't knock them. what makes shit worse is you being so defensive over a joke that is funny, because it not only makes you seem like you have no sense of humour, but it isolates you from the joke tellers (pushing you further out of the circle) and almost inhances the reality of the joke and the truth of it because it has touched a nerve with someone at the recieving end - which only spurs on the fact that the stereotype must be true to one degree or another otherwise that wouldn't happen.

people are afraid of mexicans because of the long and short term effects they will have on the america we know. ultimately and unfortunately, it's something you have to deal with in order to live in a country as a minority.

...and before you tell me i don't know what it's like, i left england at 13, lived in spain until i was 19 and now, at 21, i have lived for over 2 years in ireland. so i've been around and experienced racism. more importantly, i constantly deal with the alienation directly and indirectly involved with being isolated from your own culture, language and people. but then again, i don't really feel at home anywhere anymore. so who says i have any culture but my own? and that is to say does anyone else in any country?

if i have learned anything from this it is truly racist people are stupid and afraid. mostly stupid. take pity on their ignorance. they most likely eat mexican food with glee twice a week and have their tivo set for george lopez, and yet give people shit. people who do the jobs that they wouldn't dream of doing. people who consciously changed countries knowing it would put them selves on the firing line for that shit for the sake of a better life for the ones they love.

people are mostly racist against mexicans because carlos mencia sucks, and he's not even really mexican.

I have a great sense of humor. It's just the joke wasn't that funny. I've heard hilarious jokes about Mexicans, and that is not one of them.

And I have a better outlook on Europeans, Brits, Scottish, Irish, etc. I don't know why, but I respect them much more than Americans. I guess I'm with you on that one. Americans are really stupid and really fat.

Alas, being in the UK you have less access to good Mexican jokes, so I forgive you on that one.

And the French indeed do smell. I've been there, I've smelled them. Yuck.

But you DO understand. That's why I explained earlier that I'm not judging ALL white people. If you've left your country for whatever reason, you know what it's like. You have good arguments and opinions.

thanks dude. i dare say i'm more enlightened than most, seen as i've experienced some if this first hand. not as a mexican american but i get the idea.

i actually got that joke from my best friend who lives in san francisco, and he got it from his mexican workmate.

i always think american attitudes toward immigration can be a little strange, seen as if you pick any american and random and they'll say "i'm a quarter irish, a quarter german, half russian on my dog's side and one 16th cherokee".

i currently suffer with 10 yankee exchange students in a class on my course - including michael fitzgerald, partick o'doyle and chris flanagan. they are dumb as shit. my lecturer commenting that judging by their names, they are more irish than the irish themselves.

Ugh. I remember we had German exchange students a few years ago. God what a blessing. They were probably the only people I could have an intelligent conversation with in the whole school.

And that's where I get pissed off. They're so proud to be American, yet when you ask them what they are they come at you with that "Irish, German, Russian, etc." bullshit. But if I mention that I'm Mexican, they automatically go to "Go back to fucking Mexico you dirty wetback."

And then, as you said, they go back to eating their tacos and watching George Lopez.

BTW, I'm curious, do you know of any Mexicans in Ireland?

I just saw George Lopez's latest HBO special, and it sucked, the guy is losing his touch.

Really? Damn. His specials usually have me laughing me ass off.

I think it's called "George Lopez: Dark, Tall And Chicano", it certainly has a few good jokes but it's not "Why You Cryin".

funny that you ask of mexico and ireland, diego. a girl here that i know happens to be both. odd combination, but her features make her look like a purebred irish.

I think any type of Mexico - UK combinations are awesome. My mom's boss and good friend in Mexico City was English with a Scottish father, but he basically adopted Mexico as his country.

Also, I'm wondering why there seems to be a sort of kinship between Mexico and Scotland. I was in Edinburgh for 4 days, during which I saw 3 or 4 Mexican restaurants (with at least 3 Mexicans working there), as well as 4 or 5 Mexicans who lived there, and another 4 who were visiting.

Then on top of it all, I saw 3 flyers posted on a wall, in support of the EZLN, a political and social movement in southern Mexico. It was the last thing I expected to see.

I started thinking about it, and what I came up with might be a far reach, but interesting nonetheless. Both Mexico and Scotland border Economic powerhouses/ empires. Both are often looked down upon by these global powers.

On a less interesting comparison, I began noticing that the type of patriotism shows by my Scottish friends was almost identical to Mexicans', as is our humor. Of course we also love to drink

And back to Ireland, My cousin and her American friend were there a few years ago, and visited a pub. The locals they sat next to asked them where they were from. My cousin answered "Mexico" and they were all ecstatic. Then her friend says "San Diego" and they went completely quiet, got up, and left. I'm glad they have a good attitude towards Mexicans, but the rest was incredibly rude, although I do find it a tad bit amusing.

PLEASE watch this. This sums up my thoughts in so many ways, but more than anything shows why I am so angry. PLEASE watch this. These guys make great points showing what's going on with the racism in our country. It is a great example of why I'm saying that most whites in our country don't understand what we go through.

And btw, watch all the video, not just the first clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh3dR5QxB5U

Ah, political pundits. The crackers that give white people a bad name.

I'm only 1:42 in and I can already tell that this guy is a straight-up honky. It's hard, but I'm going to listen to the rest.

Thanks for sharing, diego. It's good to have the occasional reminder that racism is real and it is ugly.

Criminalien? What the fuck?

The guy who they show the sound clip from and the video in general is shocking, but the final blow for me was some of the ignorant youtube comments underneath.

That is shocking.

I wouldn't get riled up over YouTube comments, tbone. There's no telling how many of them are actually racist and how many are just trying to kick up a storm because they're anonymous and have a huge audience.

Anyway, the Young Turk host had me right up until he said that this attitude seeps into the listening audience. There, I disagree. Anyone who didn't turn off the radio when that bullshit came out was a racist to begin with.

OK I guess I agree with the comment about the people on YouTube, but I am not sure agree with you entirely about the radio stuff. Yes I found that voice clip they played very hard to listen to because I despise what he is saying, but I am not sure that anyone who didn't turn the radio off would be a racist person, this is largely because I believe there will have been people who listened to what he said just out of pure shock, for example, I don't agree with what Nick Griffin (leader of the British National Party, who have homophobic and islamaphobic not to mention plain out racist views) and his supporters have to say, in fact I find him disgusting and frightening, because if he is the presentable face of that party then what are the others like? But anyway, I watched a TV programme called Question Time, which is a political debate programme, recently which invited Griffin on. Even though I know I wouldn't vote for him, I wanted to see how he would respond, and if he could support himself with valid arguments. Does this mean I am a racist person for listening to what someone has to say? I think if people who aren't racist don't hear the kind of things that the man on the you-tube video said, then they would be ignorant as to what goes on, and just how racist some people are. I think it is important that people don't turn off the radio when they hear things like that, as people must counter this, and get their counter argument heard. It is better to listen an have a reaction, than not listen and do nothing.

You're right, tbone. My previous argument came out wrong.

I was simply trying to make the point that the TYT host was incorrect when he said that this racist attitude trickles down to the listening audience. The only people who would listen to that lunatic's tirade and hold any respect for him afterward was a racist to begin with.

ok. In that case I whole heartedly agree with you.

For the most part I agree, Curi. But that's not always the case. There WILL be a few people who are so extremely ignorant, that they fall for it. For example, my best friend's dad. I've known these people for 9 years. They love me and my family, and they even have a Mexican ancestor or two. They have no problem with Mexicans whatsoever. Even my friend is surprised by this. And yet, because they're ignorant, you'll often catch them watching FOX, and saying things about illegal immigrants that could very well be taken as racist. But I know them well enough to know they are not racist.

Now this guy did take it to a new level, but there is a possibility that a few people who are ignorant enough may start agreeing with him.

As for the commentaries that the hosts of the show made, that's what I've been trying to say. Their totem pole explanation is right on the money. We Mexicans are at the bottom of that pole, only above Muslims. As they explained it, people can say racist things about us that they could never get away with if they said them about blacks, jews, etc.

Oh, I refuse to watch TYT, someone will have to give me an analysis of it later.

But funny enough today, in the subway station while waiting for the F train to show up, I noticed on two support beams someone had written "Mexico Live Forever" on the beam to my left and "Viva Mexico Forever" on the beam to my right. I've never really noticed any Mexican people in that part of Queens, just mostly African and Middle Eastern. Found it interesting and it made me think of this thread.

As for me, I live in a fairly conservative state (North Carolina), so I am not unfamiliar with ignorance and racism. It's disheartening to see at this point in history, when we tout ourselves as so enlightened. I was, however, fortunate enough to have been raised in a liberal oasis and can see through the bullshit. I don't equate this with race, but I am gay and as such I have personal experience with discrimination and I know how pointless all of it is. People are people, and it's high time we treated everyone equally.

If you're looking for a fairly provocative treatise on race and sexual identity, check out C.H. Dalton's book A Practical Guide To Racism. It masquerades as comedy, a humorous compilation of all the racist and sexist bile you could ever hope to encounter, and while it's highly likely you'll be offended at some point, it makes a very good case for how pointless racism in all its forms is. I'm glad I read it.

As for Mexicans in the U.S. - I fully support them and recognize their importance on our culture and economy. People need to stop being so ignorant and simplistic.

You're gay? Ewww...... jk

I'm glad you feel that way. It always brings a smile to my face when I know that others support us and understand us.

And I might have to get my hands on that book