"The thing is that it's been happening to People of Color for decades--and this video.
shows how ridiculous it is ONLY when it is reversed. It goes to show how normalized it is to treat People of Color this way, yet when it is turned on White folks, the point is quickly taken," writes a colleague of mine.
And here is the resulting discussion that took place in the Diet Dew Junto Society, a forum in which all opinions are welcome as long as they are thoughtful and respectful to other group members. Go to the page and "Request to Join" if you would like to be involved.
My colleague
This is reminiscent of the discussion we had about being asked where you are from. It's a humorous way to look at how ridiculous the attempt to make a connection by using stereotypical knowledge is. The thing is that it's been happening to People of Color for decades--and this video shows how ridiculous it is ONLY when it is reversed. It goes to show how normalized it is to treat People of Color this way, yet when it is turned on White folks, the point is quickly taken.
The Book Bear
"Then there’s the problem of alienation. The research says that socially, predominantly white schools are structured to meet white student needs. Solorzano et al. (2000), in a study of microaggressions on campus documented that even on elite campuses where racial biases might not be obvious on the surface, students of color face considerable discrimination in a much more subtle manner. This discrimination leads to alienation and a feeling of being emotionally drained. From fraternities to polka dancing, minority students find themselves outside the mainstream of college life." http://www.diversitybenefitseveryone.com/...
Martin Severiano Johncox
The grotesque stereotypical behavior of the actors is kind of an updated blackface. Believe it or not, people of all races ask each other where they are from, sometimes with racialistic overtones, and sometimes just to get to know someone. As a biracial person, I notice all kinds of people asking each other this. Only when people of a certain race do it, however, is it necessarily a kind of racism, and never anything else (the obviously over-the-top racist conduct in the linked video notwithstanding). It would be interesting to assess viewer responses if other races and genders were inserted into the same script.
Amy Nelson
From my perspective, I get asked what my nationality is because people assume I was raised by an Asian family. I was adopted and raised by White parents. Society has forced me to categorize myself into a race, but I just feel like I'm human.
Come join us at the Diet Dew Junto Society.