Kaleb Wombacher,
Irvine, CA
Being of mostly Western European descent I really don’t experience a lot of hate or judgment so I try my best to be a good ally for those who do. But the most appalling thing I’ve been asked regarding my own race came from my overtly German/Austrian Lastname, Wombacher-Trolinger. It was a really jarring question for a lot of reasons. But most importantly I think it was the first time anyone had ever assumed anything about me because of my race. My family came to America in the 1800s but even if they didn’t the question would still make me feel as awful as it did. My race and genetics give me no personal cultural connections to such an atrocity and the question suggests a lack of understanding that I am my own person.
