College.
You know, a place where you choose which career
you want to abandon in your 30s.
It's also the place where people of diverse backgrounds
come together to learn new things.
And although the new school year is only just beginning,
it might have already ended for one professor at USC.
The University of Southern California
placing a professor on leave
after he used a Chinese word that sounds like a racial slur.
Greg Patton was giving a virtual class
on how different cultures use filler words
to take pauses while talking.
He then used a Chinese expression
that sounds like a racial slur.
Some students complained, saying they were offended.
The university apologized.
Patton insists there was "no ill intent."
Okay, no.
Hell, no.
Unless you are the lead in a Quentin Tarantino movie,
you have no excuse to be saying that word so many times.
But yes. USC has removed this professor
from his communications course
for saying that word in Chinese.
The question is was that the right move?
Well, here to help me answer it
is our very own communications expert
and actual Chinese person, Ronny Chieng.
Ronny, help me out here, man.
When-when you speak Chinese, does this word
that sounds exactly like the N-word ever pop up?
'Cause I've never heard you use it.
Well, I don't know, because I don't speak Chinese.
Oh. Well, I... well, I thought you did.
Oh, yeah? Why would you think that?
-Why? Why would you think that? -No, I mean, be...
-No, because, I mean... Because, like... -No.
No, no, what? What about me
makes you think I can speak Chinese?
I... No, I-I didn't mean to offend you, Ronny.
I'm-I'm just... I'm-I'm sorry. I just thought maybe...
No, no, no, no, no, I'm just (bleep) with you.
(laughs): Yeah, of course I speak Chinese.
Of course I speak Chinese, man. I'm Chinese.
-Oh, geez. Okay. -Ah, you should have seen your face, though.
Anyway, Trevor, this whole thing has gotten out of hand, okay?
There's no reason to be offended.
As someone who speaks Chinese,
I can tell you that word is a Chinese word.
Wait, hold up.
The Chinese invented the N-word?
No, you idiot.
Racists invented the N-word.
The Chinese word, uh, "nèi ge," it-it's our word for "that."
Uh, but when we're using it in a sentence,
sometimes we use it when we're trying to think
of what we're saying, so it's like a filler word,
like "um" or "uh."
Uh, like if I'm trying to remember,
"Hey, what's the name of that restaurant,
too many breadsticks?"
Uh, in Chinese, I'd say, uh...
(speaking Chinese)
"...with too many breadsticks?"
Okay, I'm-I'm not gonna lie.
I'm trying to think of the breadsticks,
but all I heard was you saying, "nèi ge, nèi ge"
in the middle of a sentence,
and I'm a little worked up right now.
But-but actually, here's my...
here's my question for you, then, Ronny.
If "nèi ge" is, like, just a thinking word,
then isn't that confusing for you
when you listen to rap music?
Uh, yeah. To be honest, Trevor, uh, sometimes, most rappers
just sound like they're really unsure of themselves.
Like, uh, to me, Jay-Z and Kanye
didn't know if they were in Paris.
"Um, in Paris,
um, in Paris, uh, we're going gorillas."
-Nothing makes sense. -Well, you know what, dude,
I guess this is why people need to talk to each other, you know?
'Cause now we got to the bottom of it as human beings,
and, I mean, now the solution is clear, you know?
If-if that word "nèi ge" is a word in Chinese,
then, well, Chinese people just have to find another word.
What? No.
No, (bleep) that, Trevor.
We're not changing shit, okay?
We had that word for 5,000 years before racists stole it.
Racists steal their shit from everybody.
Like Hitler took the swastika from Buddhism,
the KKK stole hoods from Spanish Catholics
and skinheads stole their look from Vin Diesel.
And now they're stealing Chinese words?
How about racists change their word?
Yeah, well, you know what, Ronny? I-I mean,
it's not like racists have a suggestion box.
What do you want me to do, ask them?
Okay, okay. Well, then, here's another idea, okay?
If we want to teach languages and culture
without anyone getting offended, okay,
let's just have a class for white kids,
a class for Black kids,
and a class for Asian kids, okay?
And all the classes can be separate but equal, obviously,
and that way, no one will get offended.
Uh, Ronny, I think you just invented segregation.
Oh, shit, you're right. My bad.
Uh, but, look, okay, you know what?
I'm just trying to solve problems here, okay?
Because this thing is dividing the Black and Asian communities,
and it shouldn't,
because we should be working together, okay?
Look at what Black people and Asian people can do
when we're united, right?
Uh, Tiger Woods.
Uh, Wu-Tang Clan.
Uh, Rush Hour.
Uh, Rush Hour 2.
Uh, Rush Hour 3.
Um...
I think they're making Rush Hour 4.
And if you are, please call me. I would love to be in it.
Um... (mumbles)
Uh, the point is Black people and Asian people
have more in common than we think, okay?
Yeah. You know what, Ronny?
I'm not gonna lie. Before we spoke,
I might have been a little touchy,
but I think I hear what you're saying, man.
It's that, like, as people,
we got to remember there are so many things
that are actually designed to offend us,
they're intended to offend us,
that we've got to try to make sure
that we don't get offended by the things
that aren't made to offend us.
Thank you. Exactly.
Because otherwise, there's no limit to what can upset you.
-Yeah. -(laughs): I mean, you'd be shocked to hear
what your name actually means in Chinese, Trevor.
(chuckles)
Wait. What do you mean, my name...
What does my name mean in Chinese?
Oh, yeah.
I-I don't think we want to say that word publicly.
It's, uh... It's kind of, you know, uh...
Let's just say I-I tell my mom
I work at The Daily Show with Don Lemon, okay?
Uh, it's just safer that way.
Anyway, uh, look, I-I got to go, okay?
So nice talking to you. Thanks a bunch.
Wait. R-Ronny. Ronny.
Ronny, wait. What does my name mean? Ronny!