Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack
I don't think this stuff is nearly as mean-spirited or exclusionary as it's often made out to be.
It's very common for people to make assumptions based on actual or assumed demographics.
I mean, if you think of someone from Detroit, what would they look like?
If you randomly think of someone from Sweden, what would they look like in your mind?
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It might not be necessarily mean-spirited but you don’t realize what that does to the other person’s sense of identity. A first generation white Swedish immigrant, if they lose their accent will probably get their Canadian identity rarely questioned in casual conversation. A 4th or 5th generation Japanese Canadian however will have to explain sooner or later. On the #11 bus when Inuit come aboard speaking Inuktitut, some people were treat them like foreigners. Sometimes they even get innocently “ni-hao”ed. Totally cringe-worthy thinking this is their capital.
When a non-white person recounts these situations, they are not blaming you personally for it, they’re saying how they experience things so you might see their point of view. If I tell you about the pain I’m suffering from an injury, I’m not blaming you for the injury, I just need your understanding, and if there is something we can do about the cause of the injury you might be able to help out too. I think this is how reconciliation starts.