Why Minorities Seem "Over-sensitive" about stereotypes and slights

Her personal story - daughter of Vietnamese refugees who worked their asses off so she could go to college - may have prompted another response from you. She grew up lower-middle class at best. So there's race and socioeconomics at play. And apparently she got some shit for her size. (Which, c'mon.)

The essay is powerful. I just wish it had been a little bit more of her story, and their story. Because I think it gives some context. I imagine every Asian-American feels, to some degree, what Tran does, but her story is also not necessarily that of every other Asian-American, either.

 

Yes, lots of people get bullied. Enduring Asian stereotypes is a singular experience for Asians.

 

I have wanted to ask my hot Asian accountant this many times, and always stopped well short because of what you describe.
The only comparison I can make is being asked where my southern accent is from, even while I am touring the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
I understand the indelicacy of it. But it is natural to want to ask people where they come from in the course of small talk.

 

I agree that it's often a component of small talk but you'd be surprised how SOON in a conversation my Asian friends get asked this question.

 

HC-
When I was in grad school white privilege was explained to me by a woman that a 'flesh-colored' Band-Aid always seems to come in white,
and that emergency 'nude' pantyhose bought at the store at the last minute always seem suited for white legs.
I never forgot that.

 

Code:

Race     1910     1920     1930     1940     1950     1960     1970     1980     1990     2000     2010
White     88.9%     89.7%     89.8%     89.8%     89.5%     88.6%     87.7%     83.1%     80.3%     75.1%     72.4%
Black     10.7%     9.9%     9.7%     9.8%     10.0%     10.5%     11.1%     11.7%     12.1%     12.3%     12.6%
American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut     0.3%     0.2%     0.3%     0.3%     0.2%     0.3%     0.4%     0.6%     0.8%     0.9%     0.9%
Asian and Pacific Islander     0.2%     0.2%     0.2%     0.2%     0.2%     0.5%     0.8%     1.5%     2.9%     3.8%     4.9%

When one race is a dominant percentage of your sales audience, you might just tend to provide products aimed at that demographic.

 

Brown people, of whatever origin, are often discriminated against to one degree or other. I think that largely depends on their appearance and where they are. Accents are contributory but not necessary for that to happen. Asians with epicanthal folds around their eyes have an additional physical marker of being "other".

During WWII, Japanese-Americans were locked up in detention camps. German-Americans were not. German-Americans didn't "look different", and if they did not speak with a German accent were able to pass as "ordinary Americans".

People can be tribal as hell.

 

The question has a pretty simple answer. If you are a minority - you already tend to feel minimized/othered etc. It isn't like you don't already know you are black, or a woman, or Asian or disabled - having people bring it up in conversation or only view you as a representative of a particular group only serves to reinforce the notion that whatever "group" you are in is the sole definition of who you are.
All white people should make an effort to put themselves in a situation/setting where they are one of, if not the only white person in the room. The situation was played for laughs in the bar scene from Animal House, imagine that being your situation 24/7.

 

Yeah, but the Spitz breed of dog was renamed "American Eskimo'' because nobody wanted a Nazi pooch.

 

It would make me want to SHOUT. (But a little bit softer now.)

 

You're an American expat living in Japan. The feeling is not all that unusual.

 

Man, if I were you, I'd be...