Some or most of it may not be due to race, but enough of the behavior is truly different from what you and I experience (police harassment, store owner suspicion, people avoiding you on the street, as well as stuff the author didn't mention: explicit discrimination from landlords, banks, restaurant hosts, and more), that even the little things can add up more than they do for those of us who are closer to the "norm".
I experience both of these things when I was younger. Not so much anymore.
people avoiding you on the street
As I related above, I've had moms keep their little girls away from me. Is the perceived potential danger from a middle-aged guy much different from that of a black guy?
explicit discrimination from landlords
Funny you should mention that. As it happens, my wife is Asian. I know for a fact that in at least two rental situations, we were given preferential treatment because of that. It cuts both ways.
Again, as long as people keep pointing fingers at me and telling me I'm a racist, I will grow increasingly inured, and even angry. I think that in the end, you start to have the opposite of the effect you'd like.
> I know for a fact that in at least two rental situations, we were given preferential treatment because of that. It cuts both ways
Black people getting the short-end of the stick while Asians (allegedly) getting preferential isn't "cutting it both ways".
> Again, as long as people keep pointing fingers at me and telling me I'm a racist, I will grow increasingly inured, and even angry. I think that in the end, you start to have the opposite of the effect you'd like.
It's your prerogative. Not specifically directed to you, but it is important to note that racism is not a state of mind - it's the way you act. A lot of prejudiced people do not feel like racists even after their obviously racist tirade has been recorded. Being a racist is a terrible thing and they obviously aren't terrible people, so how can they possibly be racist?
> Black people getting the short-end of the stick while Asians (allegedly) getting preferential isn't "cutting it both ways".
In both of the cases mentioned, my wife's race was really just acting as a proxy for "immigrant", and the people on the other side weren't fellow asians showing solidarity. In these cases, it was landlords who were themselves (non-Asian) immigrants, feeling empathy for someone else going through the difficulties of being an outsider.
