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Ask Code Switch: The racial politics of washing dishes?

Luke Medina

Perspective

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Ask Code Switch: The racial politics of washing dishes?

September 16, 2024 • This week on Ask Code Switch, we're getting into the politics and power dynamics of race and dishes in the workplace (which is more fraught than you might think). When no one is "technically" the "dishwasher" at work...who's washing the dishes and should you feel some type of way about it?

Ask Code Switch: The racial politics of washing dishes?

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Ask Code Switch: Is this a racist question?

Luke Medina

Perspective

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Ask Code Switch: Is this a racist question?

September 9, 2024 • Ask Code Switch is back! Lori Lizarraga and the Code Switch team tackle all new listener questions this fall. From the tacky and tricky to the cringe and candid – we're bringing our race advice to the questions you're scared to ask.

Ask Code Switch: Is this a racist question?

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Humor, poetry and romance on Code Switch Live

Clockwise from top left: Paul Tran, Ayesha Roscoe, Hari Kondabolu and Denice Frohman. NPR hide caption

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Humor, poetry and romance on Code Switch Live

February 9, 2022 • Live from your computer screens, it's Code Switch! Guest hosts Ayesha Rascoe and Denice Frohman joined us to talk poetry and humor with special guests Paul Tran and Hari Kondabolu. Then, Ayesha and Denice answered your questions about race and love.

Humor, poetry and romance on Code Switch Live

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Ask Code Switch: What does race have to do with beauty?

LA Johnson/NPR

Analysis

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Ask Code Switch: What does race have to do with beauty?

December 29, 2021 • This time of year, folks are being inundated with messages about how to become more beautiful. But beauty is an ever-changing goalpost that has everything do with race, class and power.

Ask Code Switch: What does race have to do with beauty?

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Ask Code Switch: Thought For Food

LA Johnson

Analysis

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Ask Code Switch: Thought For Food

November 24, 2021 • It's Thanksgiving week, so we're bringing you a second helping of one of our favorite episodes, where we answer your questions about race and food. We're getting into the perceived whiteness of vegetarianism, what it means when H-Mart becomes a little too mainstream, and the etiquette around bringing pungent-smelling food to the (proverbial) office.

Ask Code Switch: Thought For Food

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Ask Code Switch: Parents Just Don't Understand

Jasjyot Singh Hans for NPR

Analysis

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Ask Code Switch: Parents Just Don't Understand

October 27, 2021 • Or do they? This week, we're answering some of your toughest questions about race and your parents. How do you create boundaries with immigrant parents? What dynamics might interracial couples bring to families? And why do so many Black parents want to prevent their kids from looking "too grown"?

Ask Code Switch: Parents Just Don't Understand

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Ask Code Switch: The Coronavirus Edition

Dion MBD for NPR

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Ask Code Switch: The Coronavirus Edition

May 13, 2020 • We take on some of your questions about race, the coronavirus and social distancing. The questions are tricky, and as usual on Code Switch, the reality is even trickier.

Ask Code Switch: The Coronavirus Edition

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Yifan Wu for NPR

Analysis

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Should Your Avatar's Skin Match Yours?

August 31, 2019 • In a video game, you can try on different identities. But the rules of the real world don't always translate to the fantasy world.

Is Beauty In The Eyes Of The Colonizer?

LA Johnson/NPR

Analysis

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Is Beauty In The Eyes Of The Colonizer?

February 6, 2019 • This week on "Ask Code Switch," we're talking about who gets to define beauty norms — and what it means to push back on them.

Is Beauty In The Eyes Of The Colonizer?

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This Halloween: Be Careful How You 'Hang' Your Decorations

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This Halloween: Be Careful How You 'Hang' Your Decorations

October 27, 2018 • Sure, you want your house to look as scary as possible. But certain haunting images are better left in the past.

Will Your Melanin Protect You From The Sun?

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Analysis

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Will Your Melanin Protect You From The Sun?

July 5, 2018 • There are lots of misconceptions about dark skin and sunshine. One of the most common? That black people can't get skin cancer.

Will Your Melanin Protect You From The Sun?

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Why Painting A Black Boy's Nails Isn't 'Going Against His Culture'

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Why Painting A Black Boy's Nails Isn't 'Going Against His Culture'

May 15, 2018 • Being a kid who defies gender norms is tough. It can be even tougher when you're also contending with pressures — and stereotypes — tied to your race.

Why Painting A Black Boy's Nails Isn't 'Going Against His Culture'

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White Skin, Black Emojis?

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Opinion

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White Skin, Black Emojis?

March 21, 2018 • This week on Ask Code Switch: Is it OK for a white teenager to use emojis that don't match her skin color? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In Search Of Black-On-Black Love

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Nicole Xu for NPR

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In Search Of Black-On-Black Love

February 14, 2018 • Searching for black love in all the wrong places? This week on Ask Code Switch, we bust the myths and unpack the stereotypes about black relationships.

In Search Of Black-On-Black Love

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Protesting Is Uncomfortable. Should It Be Easier?

Hundreds of people demonstrate against racism in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bay Ridge on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15, 2018 in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Opinion

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Protesting Is Uncomfortable. Should It Be Easier?

January 17, 2018 • This week on Ask Code Switch, a question from a Florida high school student who wants to know how to fight against injustice without antagonizing his teachers.

How To Enjoy Thanksgiving Without Swallowing The Stereotypes

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Opinion

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How To Enjoy Thanksgiving Without Swallowing The Stereotypes

November 22, 2017 • In this special holiday edition of Ask Code Switch, we explore ways of moving beyond the simple schoolbook story to celebrate with friends and family.

On The Hunt For 'Authentic Ethnic Food'? Be Careful Who You Ask

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Opinion

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On The Hunt For 'Authentic Ethnic Food'? Be Careful Who You Ask

November 21, 2017 • So, you're in the mood for some good Indian food. Should you just text the first South Asian person on your contact list?

Can East Asians Call Themselves 'Brown'?

Chelsea Beck/NPR

Opinion

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Can East Asians Call Themselves 'Brown'?

November 16, 2017 • To many, being "brown" is about a set of shared experiences that include things like being subjected to discrimination and stereotyping. But there's some history here.

This Halloween: What Does It Mean To Call Something 'Spooky'?

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Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images

Analysis

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This Halloween: What Does It Mean To Call Something 'Spooky'?

October 24, 2017 • Scared, fine. Frightened, sure. But spooked? This week, we dive into the racial history behind one of Halloween's most fraught descriptors.

On Halloween, Insensitivity Goes Beyond Kimonos And Black Face

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Opinion

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On Halloween, Insensitivity Goes Beyond Kimonos And Black Face

October 13, 2017 • Halloween is nigh. Does your costume pass the racial sensitivity test? That's our topic this week on Ask Code Switch.

When The Parents Are White, The Child Is Black, And The Churches Are Segregated

Chelsea Beck/NPR

Opinion

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When The Parents Are White, The Child Is Black, And The Churches Are Segregated

September 28, 2017 • Its a familiar American trope: The most segregated time for Christians is 11 a.m. on Sunday. This week, on Ask Code Switch, where does an interracial family find a pew?

When The Parents Are White, The Child Is Black, And The Churches Are Segregated

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What's In A (Hispanic-Sounding) Surname? We Gave Our Advice. Here's Yours

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What's In A (Hispanic-Sounding) Surname? We Gave Our Advice. Here's Yours

September 17, 2017 • Last week, Ask Code Switch heard from a woman who was considering trading her white-sounding last name for her boyfriend's Latino one. Here's a roundup of the best advice we got from our readers.

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