Marie-Elena Reyes
Portland, OR
I have been speechless when told this (often by white women). The first time, I was angry and hurt to hear my life and racialized experience in America wiped away by someone trying to make me feel accepted. The most recent time this happened I knew what I wanted to say (actually scream at the speaker) but I couldn’t get past my surprise that source of the comment was a career coach who I had been working with for months. I am continually amazed at how little has changed in terms of understanding culture and race for white Americans.
