Is it okay to use a racial slur when quoting someone in my secondary application?

[cactusses]

Basically, the question asks about a time I witnessed harassment or discrimination. I witnessed a customer call my manager a racial slur at a store I worked at. Would it be okay to include this derogatory term in my story? Or should I try to paraphrase the word?

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[catnip12]

Do you have any other story you can tell?

 

[cactusses]

Do you have any other story you can tell?

I would like to tell this one as it was the first to come to mind and it is fairly recent.

 

[IAmTheBest35]

There obviously isn't anything wrong with it. But they would no doubt trash your app if you did this for being "tone deaf." Don't do it.

 

[cactusses]

There obviously isn't anything wrong with it. But they would no doubt trash your app if you did this for being "tone deaf." Don't do it.

Cool, thanks. So should I paraphrase? And can you be more specific about being "tone deaf". Do you mean using a racial slur in a medical school application would be tone deaf?

 

[IAmTheBest35]

Cool, thanks. So should I paraphrase? And can you be more specific about being "tone deaf". Do you mean using a racial slur in a medical school application would be tone deaf?

I'm just guessing here, but they would probably think to themselves, "doesn't this person understand the impact the mere utterance of this word can have? Did he not consider that maybe the person reading this would be severely impacted by having to read this word he just wrote?"
Something like that.
I don't agree with it, but that's the way a lot of these people think. When it comes to race or anything like that I would stray far away from those topics unless you plan on telling them exactly what they want to hear. But even that is dangerous because you are leaving yourself open to slip up and say the wrong thing. It's just a very dangerous topic, especially if you're white. If you're white I probably just wouldn't bring up anything like this at all. It's a minefield. That's just my advice though.

 

[Mikiras]

I wouldn't quote it. Just recount the story saying whoever used a racial slur. Don't have to say the slur to understand one was used and that it was bad/impacted your perception in some way.

Also, if you are white, sometimes using someone else's experience of being discriminated against comes off as like..."I understand how bad it is. I saw my black friend go through it." And witnessing it vs living through it yourself are very different. So just be very careful on how you come off in the retelling. Tread lightly and good luck.

 

[chilly_md]

You can answer this secondary without using dialogue and the actual slur in your essay. Like you had phrased it in your initial post here. I assume the purpose of the secondary is also to see what action you took, so that would be important as well.

 

[ccool]

Basically, the question asks about a time I witnessed harassment or discrimination. I witnessed a customer call my manager a racial slur at a store I worked at. Would it be okay to include this derogatory term in my story? Or should I try to paraphrase the word?

It’s not clear to me why you want to use the slur itself. The bolded part you already wrote communicates the same message without reiterating the original violence of using the slur itself.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

no

 

[cactusses]

I wouldn't quote it. Just recount the story saying whoever used a racial slur. Don't have to say the slur to understand one was used and that it was bad/impacted your perception in some way.

Also, if you are white, sometimes using someone else's experience of being discriminated against comes off as like..."I understand how bad it is. I saw my black friend go through it." And witnessing it vs living through it yourself are very different. So just be very careful on how you come off in the retelling. Tread lightly and good luck.

Yes you are right. I am not white so I go into the racism I have also experienced. Both my manager and me are of the same race, so I was able to relate to her. I talk about this in the essay. Thank you for your help!

 

[OchemOficionado]

Good question. Don't do it.

 

[cincincyreds]

Basically, the question asks about a time I witnessed harassment or discrimination. I witnessed a customer call my manager a racial slur at a store I worked at. Would it be okay to include this derogatory term in my story? Or should I try to paraphrase the word?

take everyone's advice and don't do it. You might want to find a different story.

 

[PhD_to_DO]

Basically, the question asks about a time I witnessed harassment or discrimination. I witnessed a customer call my manager a racial slur at a store I worked at. Would it be okay to include this derogatory term in my story? Or should I try to paraphrase the word?

There is no need to tell the story while using the slur. Just tell it and say you heard the person use a racial slur. Simple.