There were two episodes of my life here in the US that I experienced discrimination because of the color of my skin and the way I look. I am reposting this today after reading an article recently that one out of five Asian-American born in the US hide their ancestry to Non-Asians because of fear of rejection and not able to "fit in".
The David B Katague Family at the Hamilton Heights Swim Club, Gladstone. Mo. 1965
"Our Life in Missouri will not be complete if I do not write this incident about a subtle racial discrimination my family experienced from our local swim club.
In 1965, my wife and three children experienced their first discrimination experience in Gladstone, Missouri. Gladstone is a northern suburb of Kansas City, Missouri with about 99.5% Caucasian population at that time.
The discrimination was not blatant but very subtle. After relocating in Missouri for my first job after my Ph.D graduation from the University of Illinois, my family and I joined a Country Swim Club just a couple of blocks and a walking distance from our rented residence.
My wife, Macrine, and the kids would swim at the country club twice or three times a week. The first day, they were there, she overheard the conversation from two middle-aged ladies. She heard a comment of the first lady to her friend, "look we are getting invaded by blacks already". Macrine look around, but there were no black families around; she and the kids were the only colored ( brown) relaxing and swimming in the pool area. Macrine was bothered by what she heard but did not get upset. She continued watching the kids swimming in the pool and relayed her experience later to me.
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This is the second episode of discrimination and stereotyping I experienced in 1982 because of the way I look.
Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego, Caliornia |
The cost of the trip was not my concern, since it was my Silver Wedding Anniversary gift to both Macrine and myself. An incident at the resort is why I am mentioning this trip. As soon as we check in, Macrine stayed at the front office to smoke, while I carried our luggage to our room. On my way to our room, an elderly white couple approached me and requested that I also helped them with their luggage as soon as I finished what I was doing. I gave them a surprise stare and blurted out, "I am just checking in myself, and I do not worked here". They apologized profusely.
Later on, I realized why I had been mistaken for a porter. About 95% of the resort porters, janitors and maintenance workers were either Filipinos or Mexicans. This incident is an example of how people judged you with the color of your skin and not what you had accomplished or what is in your head".
The above tennis vacation package, a post 25th wedding anniversary gift to my wife and myself, we will never forget, because it reminds us of our younger days. Moreover, the above incident also reminds us that most people first impression of you is your external appearance and not what is inside your heart and head.
If you are a Filipino-American, have you experience a similar incident in your life? I will be glad to hear from you.
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