My teacher asked me my race and I stormed out (talks, statistics)
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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?
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?
Given the context, I don't understand why this is a problem. I also don't understand your reaction.
How does race impact your ability to relate to the material? What class is this? Was that the reason you were offended or does some one simply asking you what your race was offend you? Do you konw what your race is? I can imagine that would be humiliating if someone asked and you didn't really know much about it.. Not throwing stones here, but i can't relate to this.. of course no one has ever asked me my race, (white) its fairly obvious.
I think the one thing i would say is to take pride in your race, as it appears you do....learn as much as you can about not just your race but your heritage and when some one asks you what your race is in a condescending tone.. you can reply with more info than they want.. make sure they understand how much pride you have in your race and how much knowledge you have about your heritage and i think they will take you more seriously? maybe.. its hard to say but i do know that knowledge is power and the more you have the better you will feel in these situations...
Within the limited context of your post I’d say the teacher was inappropriate. Problem is You reacted without thinking because it took you off guard. It would have been better to ask why she feels that is relevant. To be honest your reaction to walk out doesn’t come across as someone who is mature, confident and comfortable with who they are.
By the way I thought your SnapBack was spot on. Then she said okay and you could have left it at that and let her stew or try to explain why she thought it relevant.
As for the sense of humiliation it is something you need to accept is brought about by your own insecurities.
What is the course and what is the context of the discussion?
Can you explain why you felt humiliated?
I agree that we need more information from the OP. It sounds like it was an awkward conversation, but if the teacher was trying to include someone that she thought might have first-hand experience with a topic, it was unlikely to have been malicious. That said, I don't understand why it would be humiliating to be identified as mixed race or non-white.
I know a woman who went to a large state university in the 60s. First in her family to go to college. Polish last name at a time when mostly WASPs went to college. She had a statistics professor who would get the whole class mocking her for her last name, the implication being that she was a dumb Po-lak. It stuck with her for decades.
That's humiliating.
I had a college class - the teacher was asking us where we were from. When I mentioned my small city, she wrinkled her nose and, in front of the class, said "I've only ever seen that city from the train, but it always seems so dingy and dirty. So poor. Is that the case?" (meanwhile she's nodding her head as if expecting me to agree. Newsflash - you can't judge a city by the view around the train station).
That was not humiliating, but bothersome.
Was what happened to you actually humiliating? Well, obviously it was to you. I'm not going to invalidate your feelings there. But, in the scheme of things, that's hardly going to be the "most humiliating" thing that happens to you in school. I would look at why it got to you so much. Only you can control your emotional reaction to such things. If you're proud of who you are and what your heritages are, it really shouldn't bother you so much to be asked if you can identify with a certain race. You don't have to ever answer that question, if you feel it's inappropriate, but a lot of time it's going to be asked with no malicious intent. Decide how you're going to react next time.
Last edited by Mimidae; 11-15-2018 at 09:52 AM..
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