Reply #21: Oh, but she doesn't think she is racist. [View All]

[Scout1071]

She can't "see the forest for the trees" I guess.

You know the type...they think they are all enlightened and wordly, but still refer to people with such names as "Orientals."

She was looking a picture of my family and pointed at my brother-in-law and said "what's he?" I said "my brother-in-law." To which she said, "no, what nationality?" And I replied "American." She insisted, "no, where is he from?" I said "Kansas City." Then she said "Is he Arab or Mexican?" I said, "well, he's all American, but his mother is from Puerto Rico." She seemed relieved to finally get it out of me. But, you know, he's "brown", so he couldn't possibly be born and raised here just like her. He's still a "foreigner" in her eyes.

We have a small office (5-6 people) and one of my co-workers is black. He has pulled me aside a few times to tell me about comments that she's made to him. Now we just kind of roll our eyes or go out to lunch and laugh about it. I know it's not funny, but we have to make light of it. We do try to call her on it.

But, again, she doesn't think for one second that she is a racist.