Ask Code Switch: Is this a racist question?

Hey Code Switch fam!

Lori Lizarraga here – your resident Texan and Latina Code Switch co-host with some exciting news...Ask Code Switch is back!

Every Monday this fall, I'm calling in special guests to help me tackle some of your stickiest, trickiest, most cringe, and candid questions about race and identity. And I am so excited for y'all to hear what we've been cooking up.

It's been a minute since we brought one of our race advice episodes to the feed...but your Ask Code Switch questions haven't stopped coming! Before I jump into the race advice shoes of my teammates before me, I had a few questions of my own.

This week on Ask Code Switch, I reach out to two seasoned pros for advice on giving advice!

First, I sit down with Gustavo Arellano, the controversial columnist behind the 2000s race column ¡Ask a Mexican! Arellano spent years answering questions like, "Are Mexicans 'Latino' or 'Hispanic'?," "What's a 'Cholo'?," and "Why do Mexicans swim with their clothes on?".

Then, I turn to our podcast play cousins at Slate's Dear Prudence. I sit down with Jenée Desmond-Harris, the fifth Prudie to take on the role, to talk about what makes good advice and which race questions to avoid.

Listen to the first episode of Ask Code Switch every Monday and subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Do you have a question for Lori and the Code Switch massive? Send us your questions on Instagram @nprcodeswitch. Or, email us at [email protected] – subject line, Ask Code Switch.

This episode was written and hosted by Lori Lizarraga. It was produced by Schuyler Swenson, edited by Courtney Stein, engineered by James Willetts, and fact checked by Will Chase. Our project manager was Lauren Gonzalez. And a special thanks to the content development team for making this series a reality!