I don’t understand today’s youth. I am attempting to take part in the raising of 2 of them. Here is the latest conversation with one of the 2 of them on the way home from school…..
“Guess what?”
“What son?”
“I have a kid in my Spanish class…who name is Mexican….he was born in Mexico…and he can’t speak Spanish….I speak more than he does….he’s dumber than I am.”
“Why? Because he was born in Mexico and doesn’t speak Spanish?..you know my sister was born in Mexico and doesn’t speak Spanish…does that make her dumb?”
“……no because she doesn’t have a Mexican name.”
“That’s because my parents adopted her and….nevermind. You know what…I bet you might even have some black kids in your class that don’t play basketball.”
“Yeah…I think there is…so?”
“So. You are judging people based on stereotypes. The belief that all people with Mexican names speak Spanish is just as absurd as thinking that all blacks play basketball. It’s a type of racism, son.”
“That’s not racist. I was part of a racist comment today.”
“Really…..? Please, tell me all about it.”
“Me, my black friend, and my Mexican friend were sitting in our seats in class…which are all in a row behind each other…and someone said look its a rainbow….now that’s racist…”
“I don’t even know how to respond to that…. But I will try. Being called a rainbow is not…..Ughh…did the person who said it follow up by smacking y’all in the back of the head with a bag of skittles?”
“No….we can’t have skittles in class.”
“My point is…..a rainbow has the spectrum of many colors. Although they are different, when seen together after a rainstorm, they are viewed as 1 form and not as a collection of different ones. Much like the citizens of our country, we all look different, but should be viewed as a single form, human. Therefore being called a rainbow…in the context that you are referring…is a good thing and therefore not racist.”
“So….are you gonna buy me some skittles or what? My mind wandered after you said my point is….”
“They will be at end of the next rainbow you see, son.”
“We’ll that sucks. There’s not even any clouds in the sky.”
“Yes it does, son. Yes it does.”
Good2begone 
Love it and LOVE your explanation! I work with students, some of whom jump to the ‘that racist’ comment anytime they don’t get their way. Love your quick wit!
Thank you. I try to explain things to them in a way they might understand better. I don’t like them throwing that word around casually without any idea of what it means.