Q: To help understand race-relations in America today, it's important to look back on our past/history. We've been doing that with our reading of To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee's story of the South of the 30's, along with our viewing the PBS documentary, Freedom Riders, that dealt with the 60's. But this all took place decades ago. How would you sum up race-relations in America today, and more specifically, what is your own personal experience with it? What do you see are some of the more important issues, ideas, controversies at the heart of race-relations in America today?




I think I would describe race relationships as.... scattered. Everyone in our country has different views and ideas of what race relationships should be. There are so many people that still view people of a different race as inferior, and there are others that are perfectly happy with everyone. I personally have experienced race relationships through my job. I work at Dunkin Donuts so typically there is the "oh only Indian's work there" it's surprising the racial slang that is thrown around right in front of them. Such as "dot heads" and telling them " You can barely speak English please find someone else" and the same goes for me. People see me working there and go "Oh you poor girl you'll be okay" or "Oh surprising your not Indian so how are you working here?" People see it as such a problem that I'm working with them and that I'm going to be hurt by them.

Some of the more important issues that I still see today, is that people are beyond stereotypical. They just assume and don't really take the time to think about what they are going to say or what is actually being viewed. They don't actually stop to think that the person that the comment is being made CAN be heard. Multiple times as the person is coming to get their food, or whatever they ordered will make a comment right in front of another employee. Overall I find that people are totally insensitive to the fact that whatever is said affects a person even if they don't immediately show a reaction.Working at a place like Dunkin Donuts has really opened my eyes to how insensitive people can be towards people of a different race.