An Asian, an American and a Latino walk into a bar: The perceived funniness and rudeness of ethnic jokes by college students

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the humor and offensiveness of ethnic jokes. College students from introductory and intermediate communication courses at a large southwestern university were solicited to respond to a questionnaire containing three different sections.; The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) was employed to assess the degree of ethnic identity. The Humor Orientation Scale in the second portion measured sense of humor and the third section required the participants to rate ethnic jokes on funniness and rudeness targeted at Americans, Asians and Latinos.; A MANOVA was used to discover any significant differences between the ethnic groups. Results indicated that people with high senses of humor reported the jokes to be less offensive and more humorous toward ethnic jokes. No significant findings were discovered regarding how ethnic groups perceived jokes directed toward their own cultures. Limitations and suggestions for future research are presented in the discussion section.