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Comment by analogmemory | Hacker News Reader

Discrimination isn't always blatant. Sometimes it's more ignorant. As a minority here's some ways I've encountered forms discrimination and racism.

* People ask "What are you" (As my ethnicity isn't super obvious).

* If they don't believe me I'll next get, "No really, where are you from" .

* Been asked if I speak Korean and Spanish (two separate occasions) because they needed a translator (not Korean or Hispanic at all) .

* Been on a few dates where they've said "Normally I'm not attracted to Hispanic men" (Not hispanic!) .

* Went to a bar (that served normal bar food). After sitting down, overheard from a group nearby "Does it smell like rice in here?"

View on HN

Unfortunately I primarily see failings on your side _to be tolerant_:

Isn't it fair that others may mistake your origins and are interested in them ?

Is it good or bad that you "clearly" look like someone from place X from earth or that people put you origins in the wrong place? Should they surpress their curiosity? Moving somewhere on earth is so easy today, getting rid of your dna totally not

The last one isn't nice though and I'd wish I was so carismatic that others always reacted in a positive way towards me, but they don't. We are all subject to the judgment of others, may it be positive or negative

> Unfortunately I primarily see failings on your side _to be tolerant_:

Well fuck you too. I used to tolerant to all these micro aggressions (that I listed above) for at least 20 years. But now they just piss me off.

The color of my skin is not a conversation starter.

I'm not a sideshow freak here to satisfy your ignorant curiosity.

You want to talk about my origins? Ask permission.

How do you do that?

Talk to me like a human. Ask me about my childhood. Ask me what my favorite authors are. What's a good pizza topping. Get to know me first. I'll share my origins to anyone who actually shows some love.

I don't get it, I'm an immigrant, and I enjoy people asking about questions about where I'm from and my culture, it feels flattering, it feels they want to get to know me. I don't understand why people take offence to this. I'm fairly certain the natives ask each other similar questions if they are from different regions.

I used to feel the same as you. But now we have Google to learn about other cultures. I'm tired of strangers trying to have a conversation with me solely because of the color of my skin. That's why I take offense.

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