I’m full of threads lately, but I wanted to talk about this. The author of this tweet is uninterested in hearing why talk like this is racist, so she is now an example for those who actually want to learn. Let’s unpack this, shall we? https://twitter.com/nepasoccermom/status/1278846090654220293

Firstly, she mentions he is Mexican. In comments later, she says that he WAS Mexican, so this is not a racist statement. As with everything, context matters. Was him being Mexican relevant to the story? Some would say yes, to explain his description of “White girl music.”

So assuming this is true, though this sounds like bad dialogue written for a TV villain and later she says she was listening to the Hamilton soundtrack, which doesn’t sound “White” in the slightest, this is still problematic...

It’s problematic because 1. In this country we ALWAYS assume that someone in a story is White until told otherwise. She could’ve said “this guy at the gas station approached me and I was scared,” but she wanted to ensure we all knew he wasn’t like her, that he wasn’t White.

2. She is clearly using his race as an insult. It’s all over her words. He is Mexican so therefore he is jobless, ignorant, and dirty. If he was as rude as she says, she wants to make sure that we know that of COURSE he was rude and poor; he’s MEXICAN.

3. The first thing she thought of as an insult in this tweet was that he was “some Mexican.” She might argue that this isn’t an insult because “he WAS Mexican,” but it’s subconsciously there in the way she takes away the personhood of it. The words are said like “some mangy mutt”

You can’t say you’re not racist if the first insults you think of when a PoC gets on your nerves are insults against the color of their skin, their race, or their religion. Then you’re racist but with extra steps.

And finally, the big piece at the end. She mentions her money and her jobs and her cars, which SOUNDS like it’s just a wealth flex, but with all other pieces combined, it’s underlining where she thinks she stands in our modern caste system in comparison to “some Mexican.”

“I have more money and more cars and I’m White. You’re some little Mexican who is a nobody in this country. How dare you speak to me.”

Now the part some of you will disagree with: she’s not doing this on purpose. This is subconscious. It’s gross and it’s sad, but she has no idea of the problem with it, and she won’t because that means a LOT of introspection that would make her super uncomfortable.

People like this are better used as examples for those who are consciously trying to learn, or those who are curious but indifferent. Once the indifferent ones are pushed to action, hopefully people like our friend here will feel more inclined to follow.

Anyway. I promise no more threads til I live tweet The Princess Diaries, but this needed to be said. Happy Friday to alla yuz