RACISM + PSYCHOLOGY

Calling a Black Boy Changuito, Little Monkey is More Than Racist

L.A. City Council President Martinez referring to a Black boy as a monkey is also dehumanizing.

The saying “what’s done in the dark will come to light,” comes to mind whenever racist, sexist, or bigoted ideas bubble up to the surface, revealing the dark underbelly of American society. We regularly see stories about law enforcement officials using racial slurs in plain sight, but politicians are just as likely to get caught saying the quiet part out loud. Take Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez, for instance. In a flurry of racist comments, Martinez referred to Councilman Mike Bonin’s son as “Parece changuito,” or “like a monkey.”

“They’re raising him like a little white kid,” Martinez said about Bonin’s son: “I was like, this kid needs a beatdown. Let me take him around the corner, and then I’ll bring him back.” Her statements suggest Black children deserve to be violently punished more than other children. Martinez claimed the 2-year-old Black boy was an accessory “Su negrito, like on the side,” and went on to mock Oaxacans, saying, “F — that guy … He’s with the Blacks” while speaking about Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.”