As a white person, I have not had the experiences the individuals in the videos talked about - with the exception of having lived in Japan for several years and visiting Korea a few times. At least one of or two of those experiences were very unsettling - like I was being treated by a couple of older Japanese women for having brought WWII to their country. And yes, I recall a Japanese colleague mistaking me for the other American teacher or calling one of us by a former American teacher's name, because "all Americans look alike." But in the US - no. It saddens me to hear the young Black men talk about "The Talk" their parents had to have with them. Both Black men and women describing police or others pulling them aside because they did not belong (at the hotel or the school) when in fact they did belong. The blood quantum rules for who is Native. The experiences of Asians - where are you from? And it is only getting worse with Trump in office. Native elected officials told to go back to Mexico.
Yes! As a white person in this country, we have that white privilege, whether we acknowledge it or not. I worked for a church community center in an inner-city area in the Deep South where I was the only white person--all other staff and children were black. The children all called me Miss White, even after I told them my name. I knew that even though I was IN the minority there, I had the white privilege of being able to go where I wanted, live where I wanted. Whenever I suggested a new restaurant to my coworker and friend, she'd always ask if they let black people in there, because she was afraid of being discriminated against. I feel awful that she and any other BIPOC would feel that way, that she has had to have that "Talk" with her sons, that she is made to feel less than in anyway. All the videos have taught me something, but I think the Native video was most new to me. While I have grown up with people who are Black or Asian, and have taught students who are Black, Asian, and Hispanic, I have not had much (if any) contact with any Native people. I am interested in learning more about the cultures of more people.