It also depends on who is telling the joke, the joke itself, and the intent. For example:
A woman goes to a gynecologist for her yearly. He looks up and asks if she has a Gypsy boyfriend. “Why yes, how did you know?” she asks. “The green from his earrings rubbed off on your thighs” he replies.
That can just be a stupid “hyuk hyuk” joke, an in-joke amongst us making fun of people stereotyping us, or meant meanly.
“How many people can you fit in a VW Bug? 400. 2 Nazis in the front seat, 2 Nazis in the back seat, 396 Gypsies in the ashtray.” (Jews get this one too)
That one can be told unknowing of history and the teller just be guilty of being an unwitting ass. Usually it is told cruelly with the intent to harm. It is not ever used as an in-joke.
Those are two examples of racial jokes that are very different. Both are based on racial humor. One originated and is usually used cruelly. The other is just a stupid joke.