One of my students made an anti-semetic remark

[bluestateguy]

Let me say for the record that I have no idea what this guy's politics are like. I never really got that vibe from him at all. He's a white male, but that's all I know.

After class he said he needed to see me to ask for some help about some of the concepts from the course. I said I was happy to help, and I met with him for about 10 minutes. Then as we were wrapping up he said he was sorry he could not come to office hours but he had to work during that time, and he had a difficult boss. "He's like this stereotypical Jewish guy from New York. You know, pushy, no class, no tact. I was stunned. I should have been enraged, but I was so shocked that a student would directly say something like that today. I'm ashamed of myself for not reacting more furiously to this hateful statement, but at that point I just wanted to wrap up the conversation and not talk to him anymore.

[BikeWriter]

1. Damn, that's a sorry attitude!

[Iris]

2. Well, he did say stereotypical.

At least he recognized that.

But, yikes. What an awkward situation.

[BOHICA06]

3. Hmmmm ......

he recognized a sterotype and applied it to his boss giving you an almost complete picture very quickly. If he had left out "Jewish", would the statement have past the smell test?

[Book Lover]

4. I got news for you, kid

We're all like that. And someday you're gonna say that shit to the wrong New Yorker, and then you will know what "five different kinds of pain" actually means.


Grrr!
:mad:

[jobycom]

5. Half anti-semetic, if you ask me

I mean, the statement and message were bad, but maybe he said "stereotypical Jewish guy" to indicate that he knew the stereotype wasn't true, but that his boss seemed like that, anyway. If he had said "He's this New York Jew--etc," that would be pure antisemitism. If that makes sense. (It does in my head, I just can't explain it well.)

I remember once in a grad paper I wrote something about race that came out wrong. My professor just frowned--terrifying me, of course--and said I should be more precise with my language. I remembered the lesson well.

[shrdlu]

6. Don't have a cow...

...Just tell the fellow you were offended and why. He may be surprised.

He said he was relating a stereotypical view and he was.