DOES RACISM EXIST?

Of course, the answer is obviously, 'YES."  But being in LA for the past couple of days has got me thinking.

Living in Hong Kong for the past 9 months has made me forget about racism a little.  I'm sure there is a more eloquent or poetic way to say it, but damn it, I'm just not that eloquent or poetic.  

Recently, my friend KOJI wrote a post about a recent racism experience. 

He is a writer and he was talking to an agent who was really interested in representing his work.  The conversation was going great, until the guy starting going racist with his share of ching chongs and stuff.  Kojii didn't know what to do and just played along, feeling like a coward afterwards for not giving the dude a tongue lashing right then and there.  He ends with the question, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?  (You can read the entire blog here).

What would we have done, indeed.   I, too, would have most likely played it off and laughed with him...

"HAHA, those stupid Chinese.  HAHA.  Yeah.  Ching Chong Ching Chong....yeah."

I said this in another recent post, but we are just bred not to make trouble, even though it is wrong, and then we hold it in and let it bother us, while the other guy's thinking that he's done nothing wrong.  It just makes me sick that  Asian Americans have to deal with all this bullshit.  What REALLY pisses me off is that people can be so blatant about it to our faces.  I rather you be a bigot and a racist in your own time and do it behind my back, seriously.  But the fact that you can do it in my face, in front of me, and think that there will be no repercussions, now that is just some bullshit. 

(sidenote:  I grew up with that "anger" and when push came to shove, it definitely ended up with me doing some pushing and shoving....but one time, it ended me getting beat down by 6 other guys...that's a post for another time though)

But here's another situation for you guys to ponder.  A group of us are at a house party.  White folks.  Black folks.  Yellow folks.  My friends (all Asian) and I are all talking in the corner when a white dude (my friends "friend") looks over and shouts, "Hey, what is that, the Asian corner?"

Everyone laughs.

My initial instinct was, that's racism and someone is going to get a pounding.  But then my buddy's perspective was this: 

"those white guys make that statement because they don't perceive us Asian Americans from being any different from them, so they make jokes out loud and in our faces...because they see us as one of them.  If THEY don't perceive the difference then why should we?" I know what I think, but my question to you is, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?