My father was very anti-categorization, and actively challenged anyone with such mindsets. He’d stare people down on the subway that glanced at him. He’d call out anyone that made a remark about him regarding anything and labelling him or anyone else as “you people”. He went into great detail in his explanation to me that people, even when homogeneous ethnicity, will categorize others automatically based on traits, often putting individuals into catch-all boxes mentally. And how it can or could be overcome.
At the same time, he loved a good ethnic joke. Even self-deprecating ones. One of his favourites was:
The Scotsman takes his son to the market fair. They buy a watermelon and consume it with gusto.
A year later they go to the market fair again. The son asks if he can have a drink. To which the Scotsman replies: