Just my take on racial terms being born and bred in Jamaica but spend most of my life in the US. While Jamaica has color issues racial words and people getting upset is really an American thing, back in my days.
Growing up in Jamaica, forms of the *N* was use all the time to describe a behavior more than a person. A popular one after every meal was N-rities - meaning feeling full after a meal. Now I refer to it as ethic fatigue since the *N* word is politically incorrect. I was never taught or knew about reference of monkey having anything to go with race until I moved to the States, a connection I still don't get.
Based on what was taught, will depend on how it's used, and how you react. Growing up in Jamaica without American influence or TV, I was in my teens before learning the *N* word was a racial term.
We are not Americans and don't use words or expressions the same way, no monkey business here:-)