Have you seen it? Here are a few examples I've come accross:

A friend of mine who is Vietnamese was drivng his Mercedes SUV, which is brand new, home from shopping in Phoenix. He got stopped for speeding, he was ten miles over the speed limit. This man owns four buinesses and has a lot of money.
The officer gave him his ticket and asked what he did for a living. My friend, Justin, told him "I work!"

the afternoon I saw Justin, my husband's computer had gotten an evil virus which I mentioned to Justin. He recommended an Vietnamese (sp) friend of his to help us and come to the house to do it. His friend, Tim, was less expensive by far than other places and people so we asked him.
He was a very pleasant young man. Impressive, really. He told me that he had a girlfriend but before her, his girlfriend was "white." He said he got pulled over on on of our main drags and the officer went to his girlfriend's side and asked her "Are you alright?" His girlfriend was so angry with the officer that she took his name and badge number.
When touring Canada, trying to cross the border, I was with my son, his nanny, and two band members. The band members were "all Stars," meaning they had won Grammies. One was quite famous. One happened to be black, the other, Chinese.
At the border, we were stopped and told to pull to the side.
The border patrol officer asked me if my toddler son was mine. I had dark hair and eyes and my son was light haired and light skinned, he had his fathers Nordic coloring. I lost my temper with them and, at first, tried to stay calm but they did not believe me until my son called me "Mama," finally. We were then taken into a room where my two band members were asked for I.D. ( I was not asked for mine,) and they ran their ID's for more than three hours! We already had a work permit to enter the country and a contract with the University of Victoria to play there, it was a tour of Canada's universities.
They cleared us when I grabbed the paper that advertised our concert which we had from the country and showed them the press on the musicains! (these were guys who played on famous albums, had grammys for their playing their instruments. Their photos were in the papers, their press was strong. We got in because of that!

when with BB King, the hotel where the agent had put him treated him with disdain. I watched as he checked in and was astounded.

I had to tell them his name and where he was playing. After this, they were falling all over themselves, even asking me for tickets.

Have you ever seen racism in action?

It is one pet peeve of mine but it's huge.
I can't deal with it.

It seems it's alright to be of color if you are an entertainer or athlete, but if you are just you, forget about it!

It makes me furious, thank you for reading.

Dancer

I agree dancer and have seen this type of color descrimination before, I believe anyone in show business especially has...The double edged sword as it was called in my day. One afternoon while sitting poolside at the Desert Inn Hotel and casino on the Vegas strip, there was a commotion inside the back lobby. Three young black women dressed in jeans and sporting hair curlers wanted to come in for lunch, they were not staying at the hotel and neither were we, it was open to the public. Anyway they were asked to leave when a man stood up and shouted its the SUPREMES, and it was. They were appearing at Ceasars and were out relaxing and seeing the town incognito so to speak. Of course the management wanted to make ammends and 'lunch on the house' but dianna said no thank you and they left. Other than being women of color there was NO reason to have bothered them, all they wanted was lunch near the pool.

I will say on the side of fairness, we Americans aren't treated so hot in other countries either. Racism crosses many borders and goes both ways...And it stinks whichever way it it aimed.

You know the first highest ranking police officer in Canada of Asian descent, is the recently selected police chief for the city of Vancouver: http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/police/chief/profiles/CCJimChu.htm

He is the pioneer...right now. it's the 21st century.

Dancer I have refrained from recounting racist incidents, simply because I am afraid that this would give a one-sided impression of me.

But the reality is, such experiences do shape a person and in some cases, it can make a person try even harder, even outright competitive..in career, academically,etc. . And over and over I wonder why this forum is so predominantly white. Whereas over in the cycling women forum it is not so much. Perhaps someone can explain. But I think I know why..

When I went across the border a few years ago, the U.S. immigration authorities peeked into the car and looked hard: it was me, my sister and my brother-in-law who is white with blue eyes. Their young daughter and son were there. the authorities looked long...I've crossed the border before by car..but never subjected to long staring and examination.

A few years ago, my real estate agent who sold my condo, did confirm for me that she did occasionally have clients (white/ European) who would browse through the directory of residents in condos, to check for non-European sounding last names.. I guess if you married someone with an Asian or East Indian last name...watch it.

I think I've recounted my childhood experiences here before, of name-calling etc. I tell people I've never been to Asia yet. It makes some folks stop for an extra few seconds.

I think things are abit better, but the crap and lies, about Obama and linkage to Muslim, shrieks very loudly of stupidity and racism, in this case interwined with blacks, Middle Easterners, etc. (I'm sorry --racism is stupidity and ignorance).

Sure, I've recounted an incident where I was threatened on a bus by some (white) factory labourers, who wanted the fu**king Asians to go back home. ..after I tried to defend the Sikh turbaned bus driver for politely asking them to pay bus fare. These labourers didn't. They laughed their heads off and stayed on bus.

And why is it when I go to restaurant I am at least 75% of time given a lousy table by the pile of dishes for server staff to work with..when the restaurant is only 50% occupied or less occupied? I eat in restaurants with table cloths, at least 40 times annually.

I wrote an article which in the last few paragraphs I do recount how racism can affect a person's career development and how important it is in the workplace and career-wise to diversify your networking and hiring selections:

http://www.aallnet.org/caucus/aallc/Newsletter/news020.html#networking

I am the author who did work for Pricewaterhousecoopers.

Orchid,
I read your article and I want to say that I am so SORRY for the life-parts that have had you in one situation or the other because of race.
I am aware of the real estate tricks, and also, the tricks to get by them, like having a "white," agent do most of the earlly work, then spring the race on them in the end! It is disgusting.

You and I, Orchid, wear our race on our face and no one can tell us that they know what it is like unless they, too, carry theirs.

I cannot add to what you wrote except to say that I'm sorry and you are correct on all points.

You have ideas as to why this forum is mostly white? Maybe you could PM me them, or post if you like. Email me if you'd like as well.

My asian friends are the very best people I know or they would not be my friends. My roomate at University was Chinese and we were also tennis doubles partners. We were inseparatableo and we practically lived at eachothers homes!

She is very successful now and has good money. She bough the home NEXT to her parents to avoid racism!! Dana, (her name,) is one of the largest real estate brokers in our city but she get's problems when she tries to buy in some neighborhoods! She actually used the "trick," to buy another home for investment. She asked a while friend to do all the work representing her until it came down to having to give her last name, which was decidely Chinese. She got the house, but I dare say they would not have given it to her if they had not known she would rent it out!

I have not asked Dana to check out this forum, although you might really like her since she bikes and hikes, because I don't know if she can relate. I'm sure you understand.

Asians have a glass ceiling and since Justin, my friend with the money who was questioned as to why he could drive that 85.000 car, (his second, by the way,)often they have to work for themselves, I feel.
They own businesses as Justin does and sometimes he has a "white person," run it while he has a live camera to keep an eye on it!

Gawd, Orchid, I could go on. I hired the young Tim to do work on my laptop and I am planning on trying to get him to let me pay him a bit more than he is charging to help him with school. He resists charging much and resists tips.

It's frustrating, and thanks for opening up.
I do agree with you about Obama too.
Now they are trying to say he was born out of the country and changed his birth certificate. It never ends.

Dancer

pardon my typo's Orchid.
I wanted to mention that Dana was dating a white man when she bought that second home. She has told me that made a difference.

Dancer

Chatty, I'm glad that Dianne gave them the what for!
I'm glad you are against such things!
I was working with Aretha Franklin's drummer when we got stuck at that border! He was Jamaican and he got the up and down.
We had only one truly White person, and he was the only one with a record! (legal record, that is, he had a drug bust.)

Yes, performers get it all over again.

Also, there is the assumption that dancers, singers, etc... are stupid. They don't write a lot in their careers so they are not so articulate as many. This holds them back in some places.

Dancer, who is an example

orchid, I got a giggle by the person who asked about your English language skills. You know my oldest son is Asian, from Korea. He and Ross were recently at the Y playing tennis and another Asian man, also playing tennis, asked him if he spoke English. I think my son was shocked. Obviously he speaks English. He's been here since he was 3 months old.

Another funny story was from the time we were vacationing in the Dominican Republic and all the waiters spoke Spanish. This same son was our interpreter. The waiters were totally confused. Here's this high school, Asian kid traveling with two Caucasian families (the only other Asian with us was my daughter) and he spoke the best Spanish.

You can't judge a book by it's cover.

We have a TV programme where people in the public eye trace their ancestors.
"Who do you think you are?"
many people have found out facts thanks to the researchers that have surprised them.We the viewers share their tears and laughter.

Last week a well known chef..Ainsley Harriot went to Jamacia to look up archives.
A well set handsome black man... he was devestated to find out he had a white overseer as a great great great Grandfather.How those men fathered children with young slaves to build up the "stock"..I use that word sadly.The men were given money by their higher ups.Ainsley's demeanor when he saw this mans statue was tear wrenching.Enough to say he was disgusted.
Indeed the child herself...was a slave until she was two..he wiped tears from his eyes when he saw how much she was worth.
The dignity he and his relations shoed..as he does in his TV cookery programmes is simply worth mentioning.

The offspring of mixed race marriages were catagorised by depth of colour..
Austalia also have an abysmal history with their indiginous people.Children removed from Aborigal parents forcably right up into the 1970's in order to keep them in intitutions to prevent them from being reared as their parents were.
An act od parliament in 1967 raised the native people to being seen as "Human" by the powers that be.Until then they were "NOBODIES" without status.The same as "The flowers and the fauna"
Injustice and a blot on humanity...

Children from the UK from childrens homes were taken to populate the "Colonies" Parents would want their children back when times got better for them.Never to find them again.This happened in my lifetime.Canada...Australia.Catholic homes using the young to build..and make roads and cathedrals.Abuse...cruelty all are recorded.
We will continue to find out more...sometimes I weep at mans inhumanity..to man.
Mountain ash

Just saw this quote in another forum I visit; thought it was appropriate for this thread:

"A primordial instinct going back to humanity's tribal past makes us see difference as a threat...we need to work on that."

I think that's what a lot of the problem is - difference. When people aren't the same (looks, attitude, culture) many people are afraid. Seems like immersion into other cultures at a young age would be helpful. I was raised with all colors here in California and I feel comfortable around just about anyone. Those that are raised in isolated areas with no exposure, and therefore no opportunity to get to know others, have a lot to learn.

As someone who understands this, I realize I have to be very patient with others that don't, and as much as I can, I try to enlighten them. But some people don't want to be enlightened -they are stuck in their ways and nothing you can say or do will change that.