Ingrained Prejudices

That was my first job interview in London, England.

Being new in that country, I was naïve about its racial and ethnic underpinnings.

Owner of the architectural firm, where I was interviewing, asked me,

"Do you have any objection to working for a Jew?"

What prompted him to ask that question?

-Past experiences?, Inferiority complex?, latent prejudices he faced?

Different time, different scenario, but another example of similar bias.

My friend Ahmed and I were traveling from Fort Lauderdale, Fl. to Washington, D.C.

I checked in for the flight the previous day while my friend was not allowed.

When asked, my friend answered with resignation that, since 9/11, Muslim last names are automatically denied computer check ins . If you think religious profiling does not exist, think again.

Most of us are outwardly altruistic. Our biases remain latent.

Once my friend Stuart (white American) and I wanted to pick a mutually convenient place to play tennis.

I lived in Maryland and he was in Virginia. I suggested a convenient middle ground in Washington, D.C. Stuart declined saying that he does not feel comfortable playing in that (predominantly black) area.

In the 1960's, during my student days in Atlanta, Georgia, whenever we were denied access to an establishment, some of us Asian Indians would show our Indian Passports and get admitted without fail.

Is the prejudice, in this case, based just on race and not color?

Once an Indonesian student came up to me and asked whether I am a Hindu?

When I answered in the affirmative, he asked about my caste.

When I replied that I am a "Brahmin", he stated proudly that he was a "Sudra" (supposedly a lower caste).

To him all castes were the same.

Why can't Hindus everywhere take the same attitude?

When we are criticizing racism everywhere we are actually in a glass house.

There are many acts of discrimination within our own community that gets overlooked.

Once, these Hindu friends of ours were looking for domestic help.

But when we suggested a Muslim lady they were horrified and admonished us for

the recommendation.

We come across many sophisticated and outwardly liberal Asian Indians in high places.

They are all openly liberal supporting integration and racial equality.

However, when it comes to their own family, they find it difficult to reconcile

with their children marrying persons of other races.

God Forbid if they happen to be black!

Recently, news media is reporting alarming increases in crime against Asian Americans during the Pandemic. Some of these are committed by other minorities.

We must realize that discrimination of any race hurts all races.

The race issue is not just black and white.

As Rich DeVos, Co-Founder of Amway Corporation, asked a group of young achievers,

"Before you go out to rebuild the world, have you learned to clean up your bedroom?".