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I was just yesterday in supermarket and saleslady talk to me in English! Maybe because I am caucasian, but English is not even my second language! Did she made a racist comment?
I would expected better from Wholefoods, maybe next time they could speak Swedish at least without assuming anything?
Should I start a GoFundMe or just report to police?
Say what?! Here's a concept that you may want to look up before your commendable (laughable?) attempt at a put down: "Context"
(And it has nothing to do with the 1.4 billion people in China)
I didn't bother reading all the comments but no doubt there were some voicing opinions like yours.
Here's the problem:
White people in the USA (or Canada, Australia or New Zealand) never get asked their ethnicity or language or country of origin unless they have strong accents. People just assume they are American (or Canadian etc).
The USA, Canada, Australia and NZ are New World nations built on immigration. Unlike Germany, Kenya, Japan, India or other Old World nations, they do not have a racial identity, or a link between race and culture. Their cultures are tied to nationality, and nationality alone.
You do not assume a person's nationality by their race in these countries, unless they volunteer such information to you or they are clearly foreign (foreign country passports in their possession, etc.). Race is NOT an indicator of where a person is from, whether white or not.
If you or other "good-intentioned" people want to start asking questions about race/ethnicity, then please do it to white people too. Do it to everyone. There is nothing that bugs me more than a hypocrite. Treat everyone the same way. If you want to be inquisitive in a "well-intentioned" way, do it to everyone, period.
Yup, because otherwise, it sends the message, "You don't belong here", to put it more starkly, for thos4e who don't get it. Or even more to the point, "You don't belong here, but WE do." And that's a can of worms no one should open.
I have to agree with OP. If I landed in Japan, I would be incredibly insulted if someone assumed I spoke English and actually (gasp!) tried to speak to me in that language.
I think you were trying to be funny or ironic, but somehow there is no meaning to it
Yup, because otherwise, it sends the message, "You don't belong here", to put it more starkly, for thos4e who don't get it. Or even more to the point, "You don't belong here, but WE do." And that's a can of worms no one should open.
well,
Maybe you like to assume the worst of others, I don't. <shrug> The stranger probably don't even know Op gets worked up over his behavior. lol It is amazing that you guys come up with all these assumptions about a total stranger whom you never met, but some of you (general term) refused to acknowledge the possibility that maybe, just maybe the stranger just wanted to start a conversation or simply being nice.
Let's get real, who the hell doesn't understand a simple "thank you" in English. Maybe the stranger wanted to be extra nice and assumed OP was bilingual. Oh, the horror.
I was just yesterday in supermarket and saleslady talk to me in English! Maybe because I am caucasian, but English is not even my second language! Did she made a racist comment?
I would expected better from Wholefoods, maybe next time they could speak Swedish at least without assuming anything?
Should I start a GoFundMe or just report to police?
In March 2011, in Washington DC, a white dude asked me to click his picture, and then said a word that I did not comprehend.
I later came to know the word was "Gracias", implying that the white dude thought I was Hispanic despite the fact that I am an Asian Indian.
Does anyone have a time machine? I want to go back in time and create a thread on CD whining about this incident.
In March 2011, in Washington DC, a white dude asked me to click his picture, and then said a word that I did not comprehend.
I later came to know the word was "Gracias", implying that the white dude thought I was Hispanic despite the fact that I am an Asian Indian.
Does anyone have a time machine? I want to go back in time and create a thread on CD whining about this incident.
Say what?! Here's a concept that you may want to look up before your commendable (laughable?) attempt at a put down: "Context"
(And it has nothing to do with the 1.4 billion people in China)
You assumed that this man was not Chinese even though he said thank to you in Chinese. Sounds that you are assuming that he is not Chinese just because he did not look like one to you. Maybe better to check you privilege and stop assuming people just based on their looks.
Yesterday I held the door for this white man and he said "Xie Xie" (Chinese for thank you) and then when I had no response and no reaction, he said "Arigato" (Japanese)
THEN, when I had no reaction again, he said "Are you Filipino"?!
I said "No I am not and you have been wrong!"
He sounds like one of these people who is so proud of the fact he's traveled to other countries and studied other languages, and he has to rub it in everyone's face that he speaks other languages. Men in particular seem to love traveling to Asian countries and some white males seem almost obsessed with Asian countries and Asians. Asking a total stranger what their race is, is rude, especially when he had not been introduced to you.
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I can care less.
