HAve you ever had an experience of intolerance or bigotry? Explain.?

Question

I just wanted to hear other people's experiences with this one. I've had several:
*Cop pulled me over while I was walking and asked me if I escaped from a mental institution.
*This guy asked me if my mom was his nanny/maid from when he was little. (My mom's name is Lupe, so was his nanny's.)
*A girl assumed I didn't speak Spanish, big mistake, and called me an idiot white girl.

These are just a few of my many life experiences!

Answer 1

Well, I used to work in a restuarant and our owner was extremely racist. He used to call our cooks, from Mexico "Monkeys" and anytime a customer complained or wanted their money back, his first question was: "Are they black?"

He made me sick so I got another job.

Also, I worked at a certain fast food rest. for a while. I was getting paid 8 an hour and the Mexicans were getting 5.50 for doing the same job.... until I gave them my paystub. Our owner there was a real jerk and I know he did it because he thought the Mexicans were stupid. (They were the NICEST people there!)

In addition, I once had a Mexican man decide to hate me because I repeated what he said in Spanish back to him in English. I guess he didn't think I could understand him!

Answer 2

Yes, I am white and in Hawaii, I had trouble finding work because of my skin color and not being a "local". There are many stories of discriminating, nasty remarks and put down, etc. I experienced when I was there , one time in a meeting, someone said out loud "why do all white people have, bla bla bla" --making fun of our facial features. It was very interesting, I could only imagine if the shoe was on the other foot what kind of uproar it would be.
You see because it is ok to hate on the white devil, that is not racist I guess!!!
Oh, and isn't it interesting, or haven't you noticed that most of the responses are from white people here.

Answer 3

Yea, I am treated as if I was raised with a lot of money like other people stereotype white people as, and my family has been nearly homeless more than once. I am treated as a second class citizen by schools and financial institutions because I am NOT black, hispanic, or some other race and cannot qualify for any financial aid.

Answer 4

yes. i was walking to the store and a car drove by. someone in the car shouted "f***in white b**ch". i had no idea why. i didn't even know who these people in the car were!

i have no idea why someone would shout something like that at a total stranger who is just minding their own business. i mean, i try to be as nice as possible to everyone i meet, so it totally blows me away when someone shouts that at me with absolutly no provocation.

but later on in the day, i got to thinking that this incident kind of let me realize what other people must go through. like other people have said on this question, racism really does go both ways.

also, i have had the experience of people assuming i'm racist. that assumption is even MORE HURTFUL than the above mentioned incident.

*please be nice to everyone and reject stereotypes*

Answer 5

I am a caucasian American and lived on the island of Guam for a couple of years in the early 1980's. We were horribly discriminated against by the natives (known as Chamorros). When I would shop in the local grocery stores they would make rude gestures and comments in their native language clearly directed at me. Never mind that we Americans saved them from the Japanese occupation and the work camps of WWII. All they know is we have military bases on "their" island and they hated us. It was not a nice 2 years there.

Answer 6

yes while living in escondido ca single mom of 3 I applied for welfare me and a black girl were the 1st in line every morning for a week and the last to leave each day for one week everyone else was spanish left with assistance and no problem at the end of the week we were the last to go and we did get assistance but they had questioned our motives like we were lying about everything and they did not do this to 100's of spanish people seeking assistance.
oh yeah....
and while living in Illinois my son was waiting at a bus stop when 11 black kids decided to whoop his #@!! for being a white kid at a bus stop...all the black kids that he knew and that came to our house to play video games with him did not help him at all and the black principle did not tell me or bring him home he kept him at the office all day and I was told by a white neighbor the police in the town after we filed a report did NOTHING

Answer 7

Bigotry goes both ways. I am tired of people assuming that I am racist just because I am a member of the majority of America - white, upper/middle class, heterosexual, Christian. You have know idea how many people assume I am racist and don't talk to me because of MY looks. Just remember - assuming that someone else is racist is also an act of racism.

Answer 8

I was the only white girl in a business institute near NYC. The black muslims sought me out just to tell me how much they hate white people.

Answer 9

My dad is from Afghanistan, but my mom is American and people always make jokes about terrorism and bombs about me. :(