Tom Hanks' Son Chet Haze -- It's My Right to Say the N-Word!

Tom Hanks' son sees himself as a young African-American man, and therefore -- he's gonna say, "n**ga" anywhere and anytime he wants.

Rapper Chet Haze -- nee Chester Hanks -- is on a crusade to be able to say the n-word, and not just in his music. He posted a video explaining his cause celebre ... saying, "Hip-hop isn't about race. It's about the culture you identify with."

Chet's dead serious about this. His mission statement is a response to the backlash he's getting for an Instagram post where he refers to his homie, Chill ... as "my n**ga" -- and their song "Juice."

Interestingly, Chet is censored when he says the n-word on the record ... but Chill is not.

So, we gotta ask ...