With this being a sensitive topic I wasn’t sure whether to post this here. Apologies if it’s not the right place.
I am white European, English is not my first language and I come from a country where we don’t greet each other on the street. I think I know a thing or two about American society (from people’s accounts, history, books), and that there’s still white Americans whose reactions to black people are racially prejudiced. And I also know that’s not everyone.
I feel sad that when an American speaks to me or greets me on the street I don’t know how to respond or whether they spoke to me or not. I know it’s rude and I wish I could react instantaneously in those moments and respond or at least apologize and ask whether they spoke to me or not.
I want to apologize to the Black person today who I think spoke to me but I was rude and didn’t respond even as I looked back at him and continued walking.
I don’t live in Okinawa but visit sometimes and this has happened before as well. And I always want to go find the person and apologize to them after I realized what happened.
Anyway I wrote a somewhat long post here. It’s in good faith. I also wanted to note that although I can’t speak about all Europeans but where I come from we sometimes have prejudices about people different than us and those probably come out sometimes, even unconsciously. That’s not something I want to justify or ask forgiveness for. It’s something I want to educate myself about and try as much as I can to eradicate in myself. And learn how to be more uplifting and friendly to people I pass by on the street.
EDIT: Fixed grammar.
by Garothdyn