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Vent: It gets quite frustrating traveling as a nonwhite american. (alien.top)

submitted 1 year ago by CanalBloody@alien.top to c/digitalnomad@expats.zone

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Tired of constantly having conversations like this:

"Where are you from?"

"USA"

"But where are you really from?/But whats your nationality?/Are you actually american?... like.. full american?"

American isnt a race! American =/= white. Yes im "full american" even though im ethnically latino! If you want to know my ethnicity/race then just ask me that instead of implying im not a "real" american.

I know most people asking this arent doing so from a place of malice, but damn does it get tiring after the 100th time.

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[–] JETinVI@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

As a white American I used to do this too!

I had an experience one time in the military that helped me to learn. Thankfully it was pretty painless.

There was an Asian service member who was helping me do something administrative for some kind of training school.

I asked them "Hey Lee, where are you from?" Without skipping a beat or looking up, Lee: Georgia

Why did I expect him to say Guangzhou, China? Because I had a, previously unknown to me, bias against Asian Americans that they weren't "really" American.

In my conscious mind I never felt that way. But there are times where this does happen. Sadly because of supremacy culture POC not only have to be patient but incredibly intelligent to convince people not only that it is real but that they might be contributing to it.

I'm sorry that you had this experience. But please continue to share. It is because I heard stories like yours over and over before I was able to self-correct.

[–] SalusPopuliSupremaLe@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thank you for admitting that and growing.

[–] JETinVI@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Fortunately, I had been exposed to progressive ideas for a long enough time to see that I was unintentionally adhering to racist ideas.

If you asked me in my day to day life I would have said that of course I accept everyone. I wasn't even aware that I had learned these attitudes about people.

I can only guess that it was something taught to me at an age that was before I knew that those ideas were wrong.

[–] zeno@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is a great attitude, and this is the reason why I try to be patient those who ask me these questions.

[–] JETinVI@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

It was not a pleasant experience.

I was already a Bernie supporter so obviously sooooo progressive! /S

It took years of priming me to be able to see it in myself. I had read the Autobiography of Malcolm X years before this happened and it almost seemed as if I reached enlightenment because I was forced to read one banned book one time. /S

It is difficult to explain supremacy culture and engrained racism when even the song that is played by the ice cream man is about committing hate crimes against blacks.

It can feel like every part of your culture is under attack. And it might be. But like, come on man, we should at least be willing to try to do better.

[–] vogue_lychee@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Love to see this and appreciate you sharing. Hope more people can take a page out of your book