I know two girls. Both are intelligent and were raised in large cities with large minority populations. So it surprises me that two smart city girls could make semi-ignorant remarks. Now, because both are my friends and are kind in every other way, I cannot correct their ignorant remarks by yelling at them, "You're so racist!" It's insulting, counterproductive and antagonizing.
Their comments aren't blatant racist like "I hate race X." But they're more subtle. Some examples:
"I don't date blacks and Hindus." People are entitled to their racial preferences I suppose. But by "Hindus," she meant all South Asians.
"So J needs to go to synagogue. What time does his church start?" Um. Church is for Christians.
"All these Middle Eastern guys like me. Why, the other day, this Indian guy came up to me and asked me out!" India is in South Asia, not the Middle East.
So how to correct the politically incorrect?
As to the first comment, I was genuinely curious, so I asked, "So you don't date those of the Hindu faith? Or do you mean South Asians?" She responded, "Um, I guess South Asians. But most of them are Hindu..."
How do you correct someone tactfully without making them feel like they're being attacked? The media, politics, and general human relations demonstrate that attacking people by labeling them "bigot" or "racist" isn't exactly the best way to convert them into racial tolerance. But staying silent seems to enable the ignorance. Perhaps I will take the feigned curiosity approach, like "Don't Christians go to church, not Jews? Not sure..."
We'll see.
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