by Coffee Shop Girl

Created on: January 26, 2007   Last Updated: April 30, 2007

Racism is hard to define unless you've been on the receiving side of it. As a first generation Asian American, I've lived with racism. My first winter in Minnesota, the window in our house was smashed through three times because we had the misfortune to arrive here soon after the Vietnam War. There was a lot of ignorant and hatred still prevalent eventhough it's 1981. As a teenager I had a crush on the captain of the football team. Interracial dating was unheard of and very much frown upon. I thought I was the exception to the rule when it came to interracial dating because I was with a white guy but it turned out he was ashamed to have me as his girlfriend. I would have to hide in his room when his friends came around. We couldn't go out and do things with his friends. I thought he was being romantic by not wanting to share me with his friends. I did mentioned that I was young, right?

Racism would hit me in the face and I wouldn't know how to deflect it. I've been called the "hired help" because I happened to be wearing a black skirt and white shirt over to a friend's house. I've been known as the token Asian friend. You know the phrase.."I'm not racist. I know an Asian girl at work." So when did it stop for me? Well, I'm still waiting for that day also. I opened a coffee shop bistro not so long ago. People would take one look at me and asked if I served Chinese food or Thai. They were reluctant to believe me when I replied that I serve soup, salad, sandwiches and specialty coffee. They look but they don't see beyond the black hair, brown eyes and the darker complexion.

Defining racism is harder than looking it up in Webster.

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