To MinFaluMuhammad

[BONILLAK]

I feel for you because of the racism you experienced. Nothing I can sy can repair what you experienced but I can tell you that there is good and bad in all races, religions, etc. I'm a white Christian married to a Boricua. We have been married for 13 yrs and have 2 children together. I can tell you that we have both experienced racism from many different types of people. Some people are just plain stupid and have no common sense. It doesn't mean that one whole race, etc. is bad and shouldn't exist. I grew up in a black/hispanic neighborhood in NJ my whole life. I had many white people no accept me because of the life I led and who and what my friends were. I experienced a period of time where I didn' care fo many white people myself because of their racist views but as I became an adult(I'm now 30) I realized that the peple who teased me etc. were closed minded people...thy just didn't understand me. I was always accepted better by the hispanics than the whites in my area but that hasn't made me hate whites. It has made me a better and stonger person. I can't change the world but we are all humans and need to ove each other. I lived in PR for 5 yrs when my husband and I first married. We experienced not much racism there but I think its because I fit in because of who I grew up with. If I wasn't familiar with the culture and the people I probably would of experienced much more racism than I did. People need to educate themselves on different races and cultures in orer to understand and get a long that is the only way racism will end. I think racism is mostly caused by a lack of understanding and fear more than hate itself. We all need to learn to live together in peace. This world belongs to persons of all colors, religions, creed, etc. and we all deserve to live our lives to the fullest. Whether you like me or not because of my race, etc. I ike you because our my human brother. God Bless and Happy New Year!

[MinFaluMuhammad]

The founder of the Nation Of Islam looks like a white man when you look at him, Master Fard Muhammad. I have cousins who have blond hair and blue eyes in Puerto Rico. So I cannot hate because of the mere color of the skin. It is the actions that I despise. I am pleased that you have some understanding. For most Caucasians that I converse with, they do not see the extent of racism until they are married with or have relationships with people of other races. It can be a very painful experience, but with pain there is growth. I see that you have grown in your understanding about race. It is a very complex issue. More complex than the mere name-calling and bigoted beliefs that are associated with it. I thank you for your manner of addressing this to me. I do not hate you because you are white. I do not hate any person because of the color of their skin. However, Allah (God) judges us based on our actions. The actions of white people are the root causes of the degenerate state of living that Blacks and Latinos live in due to racist based policy and practices. But, in the Holy Qur'an it states that Allah (God) will not change the condition of a people unless they wish to change it themselves. We as a people, through knowledge, wisdom, and understanding can change our condition over night. It was the will of Black people during the 50's and 60's that overturned nearly 100 years of Jim Crow legislation in the South with the signing of the Civil Rights Act. This same will can and will change the degenerate standard of living that exists amongst us today. Unlike back then where segregation had just a negative impact on the Black community. Today, the Drug Policy, Police Brutality, unemployment, and welfare no longer just effect the Black and Latino communities. They now are being impacted in the white communities. So you have children. I would suggest that you teach them the reality of racism. Especially with the fact that they are of mixed parentage. You don't want them to begin to hate white people if they experience racism from them in their growing up. You have to teach them that racism is a systematic form of oppression that was put in place at the beginning of this country's history. You should teach them that they must fight it, not by ignoring it, but by addressing it in any form directly. They may not be popular by doing this. But, they will be more at peace with themselves. They will not resort to self-destructive behavior because of the frustration of not being able to deal with racism. You are doing the right thing. This thing is bigger than all of us.But one by one we can conquer this dilemna and with its conquering we will begin to see the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

[Lorelei]

"For most Caucasians that I converse with, they do not see the extent of racism until they are married with or have relationships with people of other races."

I am finding this so disappointingly true, Hector. But it seems to me the relationship has to be almost intimate before they see it. I am fighting a private battle of racism right now with someone I have to work with. I knew this woman didn't like me from the beginning. She avoided eye contact and then after I moved to her "space" in the work place, she made things as uninviting as possible for me. What could I assume but racism?

It's been about four months now, and I think she is beginning to melt a little. But I still don't trust her. I worry about what she does and says behind my back. But I don't have any hard proof. The things I mention here are so subtle they might be explained in other ways.

But once you've been the object of someone's prejudice, you can always spot it, almost smell it when it comes around you again. And each time, it breaks your heart and disillusions you to think that even now after years of education about the evils of racism, people still let it form their decisions about how to treat others.

What's even worse is when you talk with white friends and try to explain what is going on, even they refuse to believe that it is possible. They think you are maybe imagining things, jumping to conclusions. And these are people that should know you better than that. It is a lonely fight where I live in Wonderbread Town, America.

[MinFaluMuhammad]

What complexion are you? Are you Black? Copper toned Puerto Rican?

[Lorelei]

I live in Colorado. And my skin color I always say I'm brown--hard to describe, brown can be many shades. I guess it's golden in the winter and copper in the summer. I surprised you didn't I, Hector? You thought I was white.

[torr59]

I have olive skin, and resemble Harvard educated actor Puertorican actor Esai Morales. I have had problems at work almost everywhere I have ever worked woth at least one or two peers. It is almost always for no reason I can ever put my finger on. I try to avoid the fact that there are very few people of our culture in many of the white collar positions in my area (Northeast region) and I can only assume that when people have problems with me for no reason that it must be discriminatory. I always like to assume otherwise, but what else could it be. I had a co-worker say to me that our company, because it just went public, needed to have a "certain amount of minorities" on board to fill the quota so special interest groups will look more favorably on the company as investors. Hpow insulting is that? Like if I wasn't good enough to be there on my own merits. I also get embarrassed when I see and hear the Puertorican night cleaning people come into our company at the end of the night to clean the offices because of some of the derogatory comments I have heard some of the anglos say about them, especially if things sometimes turn out to be missing from time to time. I don't even no why I am embarrassed. Is it because these people didn't have the same opportunities I had, so I feel guilty? Or is it resentment because I seem to have to make excuses for these people because they seem to be a segment of our culture who thinks that cleaning up after the gringos is "making it" on the mainland US? I sense resentment from the cleaners towards me sometimes as well. Why should I feel guilty because we have different positions in the company? Does anyone else run into these situations?

[BONILLAK]

I kno exactly where your coming from. My husband works for the State we live in as a custodian at the state university. I feel many of times that he doesn't get promotions if there is a white prson who wants it,etc even though he has worked his butt off faithfully for 13yrs. My husband makes decent money and has great benefits but at times myself and he are embarrassed to say he is a custodian because you think people will feel he fits the stereotype of a cleaner. I have learned to look past what people think. I know my husband works hard to support all of us and I'm luckier than most of my "white" friends because I get to be a stay at home mother because I have a man who will work a full time job and a pt time so I can be home with the kids.