No Trigger Warning For The N-Word Doppelgänger Weapon

I have an African-American friend who lived in China for over three years volunteering as an English teacher. When she first arrived in country, her colleagues thought it would be humorous not to warn her about a certain Mandarin Chinese linguistic pause. It was the equivalent of the word “um.” As she sat in the audience of the conference, she was stunned to hear a word that sounded remarkably similar to the N-word over and over again. The word “nèi ge” was peppered throughout the course of the lecture. Her colleagues knew this phrase would not go unnoticed by an African-American in attendance. Thinking back on it now, I bristle at the amusement experienced by her white teammates. I wince at the perceived harmless fun they believed they were having at her expense. Deciding that the N-word doppelgänger had comedic value. Somehow believing that this orientation and on boarding experience was acceptable. In retrospect, it seems more like involuntary hazing. <a href="https://deborahmasten.medium.com/no-trigger-warning-for-the-n-word-doppelg%C3%A4nger-weapon-7a2f5d9f1de7">Click Here</a>