Anonymous
Des Moines, IA
Drake University
Asians get offended when you cannot tell exactly which ethnicity they are, and yet it is fine/appropriate to call us “white”? “White” is not a definition, and it is definitely not a race. If I am racist for calling every Asian I see Chinese, then everyone else is racist for calling me “white” or American. I am a mutt. I am German, Icelandic, Bohemian, and Irish. I am proud of my heritage, and I wish more people would ask what ethnicity I actually am. Continuing on with the word “white,” it truly bothers me how we cannot say the word “black” without getting disapproving glares. I do not think of African Americans any differently. Am I color blind to skin color? Obviously not, but I don’t let it affect my judgements towards people. Two of my housemates are African American, and coming from a town with only one African American family I had many questions for them about their lives. My questions were not about how they must have been treated differently their whole lives because of their skin color, but I asked them how their lives were growing up because we are from such different colors. It honestly bothers me how you cannot make a remark on someone’s skin color without being considered racist. Are people embarrassed by their ethnicity? One thing I like about race is how you get to physically show your heritage and culture. I am proud of my ancestors, aren’t you?
