[ACC25127]

I constantly got people telling me, ‘You’re the first Indian (meaning American Indian) I ever saw except at the movies’ when I was in parts of the country where there were fewer native people, like the Midwest or Northeast. Usually I’d answer back that they probably had met natives before, but they probably mistook them for Latino. That would help them see to not go by the media images of us and also to not be worried about asking curious questions. Sometimes I’d kid them about that, too: ‘Gee, so are you what white people are really like, too?’

I was never offended by such comments like your coworker’s. Usually I was able to tell that they were feeling at a loss for how to respond to me, anyway. When I run into people who have never met someone of my background, I am usually wary, hoping for the best but prepared for the worst. And I’ve had to learn how to deal with both outcomes. Admitting your lack of prior contact before can help relax us both. Just be prepared to get kidded about it, though.

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Name : ACC25127, Gender : M, Race : Mexican and American Indian, City : Phoenix, State : AZ, Country : United States, 

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