By Cynthia Shank
“Joke ra bitaw na, ayaw seryoso-ha.”
(It’s just a joke, don’t take it seriously.)
How many times have you heard that familiar line? If you’ve ever been a target of anti-Black racism in Silliman, you’ve probably heard this at least once. I know I have, sadly.
Someone points out your skin color, mimics your curly hair, or asks, ”Negro imong papa?” (Is your dad a Negro?) — and when you call them out, they just throw out the old Filipino defense mechanism: “Ay, char lang oy!” (Just kidding!)
But here’s the thing: racism isn’t suddenly not racism when you say “joke lang” (just joking) at the end.
As a half-Filipino and half-Black Sillimanian, I know what it feels like to be looked at like a zoo animal, taunted and mocked by my skin color and asked ignorant questions that seem to categorize me as if I’m an exhibit. And I know I am not alone.
So, to my fellow Sillimanians who think racism is only for humor, let me break it down for you on why it isn’t, to the ones unserious about it.
Racism is not just calling someone the N-word. It’s the stares, the assumptions, the jokes, the “Dili man ka Pinoy kay itom man ka” (You aren’t a Filipino because you’re black) comments and the way others treat you differently because you don’t look “Filipino enough.” Uhh, okay— whatever that means, because, let’s be real, Filipino identity isn’t measured by skin color.
The feeling when teachers hesitate to pronounce your foreign last name, when tricycle drivers overcharge you because you’re a foreigner, and when other students say “Hala, imong buhok murag pancit canton.” (Oh wow, your hair is like noodles.).
News flash! None of that is a joke.
And if you still think it’s funny, you’re part of the problem!
“I didn’t mean it that way” is not an excuse either. I get it. You didn’t mean to be offensive. You went about this thinking you were being funny, but consider this: intent does not negate impact.
Just like if I stepped on your foot and broke your toe, do you think “wala to tuyo-a” (I didn’t mean to do that) will somehow fix your broken toe? No. So, how can you expect the excuse to erase the damage caused by your discrimination?
Rather than getting defensive, do this instead: Listen. Apologize. Learn. Repeat. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about what you meant to say — it’s about what we have to live with every single day.
Sillimanians, I tell you, bisag dili ikaw ang gi target, barugi gihapon. (Even if you are not the target, take a stand.) Why? Because it’s one of the most common misconceptions about racism in Silliman — that it’s only a problem if it affects you. But, just because you haven’t experienced it, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
So speak up and correct your friends. Neutrality only serves the oppressor. If you’re not calling it out, you’re letting it happen. And if you’re letting it happen, you’re part of the reason it still exists.
Let’s be honest, people who experience racism often don’t speak up because they’re tired, scared, or simply used to it. That still doesn’t make it okay, it just means we have been compelled to put up with it silently.
When I say something is racist, I’m not doing that for the attention. It’s because I want change. If we keep laughing it off, we’re just teaching the next generation to do the same. So tell me, when does it stop?
Jokes reflect culture — so what does it say about ours? Some say, “Basta Pinoy, bugal-bugalon gyud.” (Filipinos love to tease.) It’s true, Filipinos do love humor, but what kind of humor are we endorsing?
Racist jokes are racist, and racism is not a joke. By continuing a culture in which mocking dark skin is normalized, we are propping up colourism.
But here’s where it gets even more frustrating: even within our own country, skin color dictates how Filipino you are perceived to be. No one really questions a light-skinned Filipino’s features. Yet, a dark-skinned Filipino is interrogated and mocked. This mirrors how darker skin people are treated in predominantly white societies. So why do we allow the same thing in our own culture?
Do we truly want to be those types of individuals to continue on? I bet not, now let that sink in.
