We have had discussions in our house about whether imitating accents is racist or not. I think we all agree that there are certain instances when someone is intentionally doing it to mock others, and that is never okay. But, what about when it is done just for fun?
No one blinks an eye when someone imitates a British accent, at least in the United States, it might be a different case in other places in the world. So, why is it not okay to imitate an Indian, Chinese, or Jamaican accent? If the Superbowl commercial had a guy walking around talking in a British accent, would anyone even comment? And, the follow up question, in that case, would anyone notice that there were no black people in the commercial?
One of my daughter's loves to walk around the house imitating all sorts of accents. Yet, she is the first one to condemn others for doing the same in school. For the most part, there is a distinction. She is imitating almost as a form of flattery. She likes the way certain accents sound. Others do it, particularly at school, to poke fun at certain ethnic groups. But, do her good intentions make her behavior okay, while it's not okay for others?
And, is there a difference between imitating, say, a British accent, and imitating one associated with a certain ethnicity?
Any thoughts? Discuss.
