I absolutely agree about not making automatic assumptions like that. I think what I was trying to say, although it didn't sound as clear as I'd hoped, was that it may just be generally-friendly yet clueless people who are doing the best they can. It doesn't make them right. It's just sad that the one thing they can pick out is the race thing, because that makes them racist - instead of just well-meaning.
Since the same thing happened to you with sports, would that be sexism? If someone, looking at me and noting I was in the neighborhood of 30-something, asked me about 80's music, is that ageism? Again, I don't think so - it's just people looking for something to talk about, and starting with something that previous experience (or presumption) has led them to believe is true, instead of saying, "Hi, what do you like, so we can talk about it?"
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2008-06-23 12:40 am (UTC)Since the same thing happened to you with sports, would that be sexism? If someone, looking at me and noting I was in the neighborhood of 30-something, asked me about 80's music, is that ageism? Again, I don't think so - it's just people looking for something to talk about, and starting with something that previous experience (or presumption) has led them to believe is true, instead of saying, "Hi, what do you like, so we can talk about it?"