My teacher asked me my race and I stormed out (person, reunion)

[Mr_Geek]

Deep breaths. Not everything has to be so complicated.

[brownbagg]

why you storm out, just tell them your native american, what they going do call you a liar, that what everybody else does.

or if you are dark complexeted tell them your jewish

be like those other two people, if your white, blemish red hair blue eye freckle white, tell her your black.

[crd08]

Since you won't answer basic questions: I am going with you overreacted by storming out.


People are gonna say crap in life we might not like. We have all said ignorant things without meaning harm. Unless she was being malicious and bullying, which it doesn't sound like she was based on LIMITED CONTEXT, just let it go. Life is too short.

[IWLC]

Originally Posted by Einhander

I was offended.

I just stormed out and have never been so humiliated. Any advice on how to feel better?

How to feel better? Quit being so "offended" and "storming" out. Everyone doesn't have an agenda to hurt your feelings. All we hear about anymore is race - it's non-stop, around the clock, yet you take it as a slight when someone mentions it?

[Ralph_Kirk]

Originally Posted by Mikala43

Don't come to Hawaii! That's a commonly asked question.

I was just about to say exactly that.

Was it appropriate for the teacher? Really can't tell because the OP does not want to share the details.

Given the teacher's remark about relating to the lesson, apparently she thought it was "race-related."

I can think of lots of conversations where it would be germane to the conversation. If someone asked me if I was mixed race, it wouldn't bother me in the least.

Or it could be totally a matter of the teacher actually trying to help everyone fit it.

We're in a time where there are some people who expect you to ask them what gender they want to be referred as--they get upset if you make an "appearance-based gender assumption."

We're in a time where people get in a huff if you don't recognize that they're not just Asian, but Hmong, or not just South Asian but also should have into account their Jain dietary habits...and you should have known all that the moment they walked into the room.

So it should not be a surprise if in a course that touches on race, the instructor would want to figure out where all the racial land mines were in the class.

[Ralph_Kirk]

Originally Posted by Mikala43

We are so mixed we all look alike.

Grab at least three and mix well: Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Polynesian, Portuguese, and add a dash of some random Caucasian flavoring; and, voila!

I am Mexican, Swedish and English, so I blend in.

From my experience in Hawaii, the mo' the mo' betta.

[Mikala43]

Originally Posted by Ralph_Kirk

From my experience in Hawaii, the mo' the mo' betta.

Boy you got a lot right. I know someone who is essentially Thai, or Vietnamese (it's early and I'm not caffeinated), but if you say that they will snap back they are NOT, they are Tai Dom.... or something like that. I never remember, so I don't say anything.

Or, "I'm NOT Japanese, I'm Okinawan."

Anytime I hear someone saying the races shouldn't mix I laugh. I think Hawaii is proof you should, adorable kids that grow into good looking adults, and everyone is variation of some form of brown.

[ocnjgirl]

Originally Posted by Einhander

I was offended. She talks about race a lot. She is insecure about her own race. And she asked me if I was mixed because she said she wants to know if I'm going to relate to the material if I'm partially something. I said, ''maybe I'll partially relate.'' And she answered back with this sarcastic ''okay.''

I just stormed out and have never been so humiliated. Any advice on how to feel better?

Why humiliated? That doesn't make sense to me. Why not just say "I don't feel it's your place to ask me that" or whatever. Why storm out? I don't really like answering the question myself, but many patients ask me my heritage, or see my last name on my name tag and ask if I'm Jewish. I answer honestly but I always feel a bit uncomfortable especially as I often work in Catholic facilities. But I am never embarrassed or humiliated and I can't imagine storming out over it. It was inappropriate of her to ask, but It does seem like maybe you have some shame around it as to me the reaction was quite an over-reaction, and especially the feeling of humiliation that went along with it.

[Sassybluesy]

Originally Posted by Mikala43

Obviously I don't understand what the big deal is, but as adults, we are perfectly capable of saying "I'm not comfortable answering that question" without upping the drama by running out of the room.

I have some doubts as to whether the teacher truly did respond with sarcasm and an eye roll.

I'm having doubts because Einhander is purposely being vague. Clarification is needed to make sense of all this, but Einhander acts like we're pulling his teeth out.

[buildings_and_bridges]

Originally Posted by karen_in_nh_2012

Again, it depends on the class, the topic, the readings, the assignments, etc. As I said, we need more context to understand whether the teacher WAS being completely inappropriate or if the OP is creating unnecessary drama. The OP doesn't answer very basic questions that would GIVE us such context ... and of course all we have is his side.

I know that other posters have established that this is not uncommon in certain regions, but I would consider complaining to the dean if a professor did this in a class I was enrolled in, because that is inappropriate in a classroom setting to me and I don't think any context is going to make it appropriate. Maybe we just don't do things like this in Louisiana. I've taught as an instructor and managed to discuss issues of race, class, etc. without involving students' lives and identities. I was once in a poetry workshop wherein other students asked if I was a lesbian because of a poem I wrote, and the professor shut that down immediately. As it should be.

I would still be interested to know the context to know why the teacher thought it would be helpful for her lesson to ask this, though, OP.