Comedian Teja Arboleda Uses Humor to Break Down Racial Barriers

When is the n-word or b-word an insult, and why do famous comedians like Richard Pryor and Margaret Cho use such slurs to get a laugh?

Teja Arboleda (right) uses his one-man performance, “Crossing the Line: Comedians, Politicians, and Shock Jocks,” to explore how popular entertainment has historically reinforced stereotypes. “I’m able to get the audience to realize that it’s not necessary to make a connection with someone by degrading them,” he says.

Arboleda’s own heritage crosses many racial lines—African-American/Native-American, Filipino-Chinese, and German-Danish. His documentary film, Crossing the Line: Multiracial Comedians, profiles a new generation of mixed-race comedians who are using humor to break down racial barriers. 

Ashlee Green wrote this piece for America: The Remix, the Spring 2010 issue of YES! Magazine. Ashlee is an editorial intern at YES!

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Choosing Integration		The Hapa Project		Jen Chau, Swirl, Inc.		Teja Arboleda

YES! Magazine encourages you to make free use of this article by taking these easy steps. Green, A. (2010, February 26). Comedian Teja Arboleda Uses Humor to Break Down Racial Barriers. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from YES! Magazine Web site: http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/america-the-remix/comedian-teja-arboleda-uses-humor-to-break-down-racial-barriers. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License