Diet Racism Diaries

College Humor came up with a hilariously pertinent video about subtle statements  people make that are totally racist, directly or indirectly. Racism is my favourite topic, and some people hate me for it because they think I find everything racist, well in my defence' at least, most of them really are! Just like in the video I aim at collecting things I often hear that are totally racist and people must totally stop saying them. To give it a serious look I call each incident a case story (yes…I work in the nonprofit sector).

Case Story 1 

Background – I land in Melbourne, Australia from Germany where I am living and studying and the conversation happened few moments after I get in a taxi. 

Taxi Driver (white Australian):  Where are you coming from?

Me:  Bonn in Germany

Taxi driver:  No, where are you from?

Me:  Germany (just for you mofo)

Taxi Driver:  (insisting further) Are you really from Germany?

Me:  (only for you jack***) Yes, I am!

Taxi Driver: ( refusing to give up) Where are your parents from?

Me:  (Ok I give up!) India

Taxi Driver: (in total relief) yeah I guessed so! 

Moral of the story - you from Germany, why you no White! 

I am not German but I refused to tell where I am REALLY from because he refused to accept that I can be brown and still be German!

Case Story 2 

Background - Working in Amman, Jordan and living with a white American (highly insensitive woman) who was jubilant to learn a new slur in Arabic which meant refugee.

Me: (Happy and relieved) Hey Kate! I just finished writing my thesis, would you like to go out and have an ice cream with me. Just a small celebration. 

Kate: Yeah why not! It is late for Jordan time but why not. 

We go to a fancy ice cream parlour, which is all empty (as it was late in the night) and all the people working there totally stare at us as we walked in. 

Me: Kate, why they all are looking at us like this? Weird! 

Kate: Oh, they are wondering why this white woman has brought her maid* for an ice cream with her at this hour. Hahahahah! Just kidding!

Me: (Yeah bitch go on stereotype my people) wow! how typical, white and generous! 

*South Asians, as I observed, in Jordan were largely stereotyped as domestic helpers

Moral of the Story - I am white and I can pass off with my insensitive comments because I refuse to understand race, class, issues migration and similar other dynamics.

Here are two of my experiences, though there are many many more which I will be sharing as this is an ongoing blog. If you have your experiences please share them with me in the comment section. I would like to document them as well.