--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Racial prejudice is a terrible thing…" description: "\"“Racial prejudice is a terrible thing, Yossarian. It really is. It’s a terrible thing to treat a decent, loyal Indian like a nigger, kike, wop or spic...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/joseph-heller-601_nigger_racial-prejudice-is-a-terrible-thing-yos_2751167.png" --- # Racial prejudice is a terrible thing, Yossarian. It really… ![“Racial prejudice is a terrible thing, Yossarian. It really is. It’s a terrible thing to treat a decent, loyal Indian like a nigger, kike, wop or spic.” quote by Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/joseph-heller-601_nigger_racial-prejudice-is-a-terrible-thing-yos_2751167.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/joseph-heller-601_nigger_racial-prejudice-is-a-terrible-thing-yos_2751167.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/joseph-heller-601_nigger_racial-prejudice-is-a-terrible-thing-yos_2751167.png) > ““Racial prejudice is a terrible thing, Yossarian. It really is. It’s a terrible thing to treat a decent, loyal Indian like a nigger, kike, wop or spic.”” [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Racial prejudice is abhorrent, equating a loyal Indian with slurs, highlighting deep injustice. **In simple terms:** Racial prejudice is terrible and unjust. Key Takeaway Reject all forms of prejudice. Themes racism justice human rights Mood outraged serious Type political ethical When to use this quote - education - policy reform - community dialogue Key Concepts social injustice language power Questions to Reflect On - How can we combat everyday racism? - What role does language play in bias? A Different Perspective Prejudice persists despite awareness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Like Nigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-nigger-911673/) [Nigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nigger/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Prejudice Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice-terrible-2401493/) [Racial prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial-prejudice/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [ “\[Chief White Halfoat:\] Racial prejudice is a terrible thing, Yossarian. It really is. 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That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/he-never-denied-it-he-never-did-anything-he-never-acted-like-either-a/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Fear and prejudice put up a terrible fight when they sense change coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-dorothea-white/fear-and-prejudice-put-up-a-terrible-fight-when-they-sense-change/) [Susan Dorothea White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-dorothea-white/) > [In the fullness of time, I suspect that bigotry against homosexuals will seem as repugnant as racial prejudice does today. Or so one hopes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/in-the-fullness-of-time-i-suspect-that-bigotry-against-homosexuals/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“I tried to decide just how I should respond to them. 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There is no place for it...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/racial-prejudice-is-of-ignorance-there-is-no-place-for-it/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [Over and above the political, economic, sociological, and international implications of racial prejudices, their major significance is that they place unnecessary burdens upon human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/over-and-above-the-political-economic-sociological-and-international/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) > [“Sometimes racial prejudice is like a hair across your cheek. You can't see it, you can't find it with your fingers, but you keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-anderson/sometimes-racial-prejudice-is-like-a-hair-across-your-cheek-you-can-t/) [Marian Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-anderson/) > [if some folks have buried their racial prejudices, the chances are that they've got the graves marked and will have no trouble disinterring their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-lawrence/if-some-folks-have-buried-their-racial-prejudices-the-chances-are/) [Josephine Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-lawrence/) > [Racial prejudices are indication of a disturbed and potentially unstable society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/racial-prejudices-are-indication-of-a-disturbed-and-potentially/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) > [“Since neither black animosity nor the Left’s falsehood of “racial tensions” is based on the actual behavior of the vast majority of white Americans,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/since-neither-black-animosity-nor-the-left-s-falsehood-of-racial/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) ## More by Joseph Heller > [“Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. 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And you don't like bigots, bullies, snobs or hypocrites. Subconsciously there are many people you hate." "Consciously, sir, consciously,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/you-have-deep-seated-survival-anxieties-and-you-don-t-like-bigots/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“His specialty was alfalfa, and he made a good thing out of not growing any. The government paid him well for every bushel of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/his-specialty-was-alfalfa-and-he-made-a-good-thing-out-of-not-growing/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [Every writer I know has trouble writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/every-writer-i-know-has-trouble-writing/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“No such private nights of ecstasy or hushed-up drinking and sex orgies ever occurred. 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