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Honestly, there is a line between being "ethnically aware" and being a racist. The fact of the matter is that I'm Asian, and as an Asian, you learn from your parents not to trust anyone, especially other Asian people. The fact pattern behind my parent's reasoning is very racist, and I'll admit it. Do I follow it, no. Then there's the issue of ethnic awareness. Most of the time, people are just being stereotypical of other races and in doing so, make their own misconceptions. I've been around a lot of yelling black men. It was all done in jest, but the stares that we received said otherwise. The same can be said when you see an interracial couple. People stop and stare, which would be normal to see something that they are not used to, but when people continue to stare, or make comments under their breath, that's racism. Being ethnically aware is trying to understand and not just making judgments based on what you know about a race. For example, one day a friend of mine made the comment, "You speak English very well for someone like you." First thought, "Who does this girl think I am?" I did not just fall off a boat and land in America. I was born and raised here, and I do believe that I speak better English than you. Of course the girl thought she was paying me a compliment, but the fact is she was being a racist. It wasn't that she was trying to understand anything, just that she assumed because I am Asian, that I must not be from America, nor am I familiar with American traditions and customs. If you ask an Asian person, they can look at me and tell that I am Americanized and don't speak my native tongue, which is true to a certain extent. The truth is, you can be ethnically aware, but crossing that boundary into racism is very close. Judgment is that little thing that makes people cross that line and makes life a little harder for other people. I'm not saying that there are not people who fit stereotypes, but when you assume things like that and say you are just being ethnically aware, you are just trying to make yourself feel better about being a racist. And to be honest, everyone is a little racist and it just comes with the territory of being around different people.

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