# Is this image racist? (pic in thread) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 12, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092 "2013-02-12T17:14:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/1 "2013-02-12T17:14:28Z")
[http://www.virbo.be/upload/images/SIESTA.jpg](http://www.virbo.be/upload/images/SIESTA.jpg) It’s a drawing of a man in a sombrero napping against a cactus. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/2 "2013-02-12T17:16:15Z")
[QUOTE=cainxinth;15997780It’s a drawing of a man in a sombrero napping against a cactus.[/QUOTE] It’s a drawing of a man in a sombrero napping against a cactus. Where is the racism there? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/3 "2013-02-12T17:25:36Z")
If it was used to illustrate a report entitled “Latino Demographics: 1997-2007”, I’d probably think it was in poor taste. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/4 "2013-02-12T17:36:31Z")
Without context, no. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/5 "2013-02-12T17:42:39Z")
It doesn’t have to be, I guess, but I think pictures like that are frequently used in a racist way. Personally, I’d avoid it. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/6 "2013-02-12T17:45:13Z")
I think it’s pretty awesome he can fall asleep against a cactus. ---
**Author:** ![Shiloh2013](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@Shiloh2013](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiloh2013)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/7 "2013-02-12T17:46:28Z")
I hear race doesn’t really exist, and therefore racism doesn’t either. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/8 "2013-02-12T17:52:08Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > If it was used to illustrate a report entitled “Latino Demographics: 1997-2007”, I’d probably think it was in poor taste. I was going to use it to illustrate “siesta.” ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/9 "2013-02-12T17:57:51Z")
There is a stereotype of Mexicans being lazy, and this could be (and hence is likely to be) interpreted by some as racist. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/10 "2013-02-12T18:36:18Z")
How can you be sure he’s even Mexican? With the sombrero in the way, you can’t see his big droopy Pancho Villa moustache. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/11 "2013-02-12T18:39:26Z")
It’s a picture of a passed out American college student on spring break. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/12 "2013-02-12T19:04:44Z")
> [@cainxinth](#): > > I was going to use it to illustrate “siesta.” In what context? Guaranteed, someone will find it racist. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/13 "2013-02-12T19:47:32Z")
I guess the answer is, “It depends.” Where was this picture being shown? Who put it there? For what purpose? In and of itself, I don’t think it’s necessarily racist, but I KNOW that many Mexican-Americans would find it offensive, which means I probably wouldn’t put it on display unless I was sure either that no Hispanics would see it, or that it would be seen only by a chosen few Hispanics I knew wouldn’t be hurt. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/14 "2013-02-12T19:52:02Z")
> [@cainxinth](#): > > I was going to use it to illustrate “siesta.” In the interest of not offending anyone, I would select a different image to illustrate sieasta. I would go for a neutral image of a person napping, or a sleeping cat (everyone loves cat pics). ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/15 "2013-02-12T19:59:29Z")
I’d say it’s stereotypical rather than racist. Of course, stereotypes are often used in racist portrayals, so it’s a fair question. I don’t see it as inherently offensive, but then again I’m not Mexican. I think **miss elizabeth** and **tdn** make a salient point in that it could certainly be perceived as racist. I’m not aware of the stereotype of lazy Mexicans that **Revtim** mentioned – I usually hear about Mexicans in the U.S. being quite hardworking – but if there is indeed such a stereotype then this flirts dangerously close to it. Some feedback from Mexicans or Mexican-Americans in the intended audience will probably be the most helpful gauge. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/16 "2013-02-12T20:30:19Z")
What if you had a man in a bowler hat and an umbrella asleep under a cactus? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/17 "2013-02-12T20:32:52Z")
> [@Shiloh2013](#): > > I hear race doesn’t really exist, and therefore racism doesn’t either. Let’s keep that topic in that thread and not bring in here. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/18 "2013-02-12T21:06:11Z")
And the guy in the OP’s picture is pregnant too! ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/19 "2013-02-12T21:07:58Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > In the interest of not offending anyone, I would select a different image to illustrate sieasta. I would go for a neutral image of a person napping, or a sleeping cat (everyone loves cat pics). But make sure the cat is wearing a sombrero. If it also has a big black mustache, all the better. [Oh, here you go.](http://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2009/04/10/1239387631-sombrerocat.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092/20 "2013-02-12T21:09:10Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > What if you had a man in a bowler hat and an umbrella asleep under a cactus? What’s he doing with an umbrella in the desert? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-image-racist-pic-in-thread/650092.md?page=2)