This was their last day on this beach, as they were moving on to another part of the island, to meet up with some of Robert’s family that was coming out to vacation in Maui. They flew back and forth between their respective cities about once a month, and since both were in education, they could take extended vacations together during the summer and winter breaks. They had been dating for over two years long distance, and yet it seemed to be working for them. Robert was from Los Angeles and his boyfriend Jorge was from Mexico City. A tranquil beach that even neo-nazis can appreciate.ĪJ and I spent the rest of the day hanging out with friends we had met on the beach. But with all us being interconnected, doesn’t it seem weird for this sort of thing to still exist in contemporary society? Aren’t we suppose to celebrate different cultures, exploring them and learning from each other? To encounter it in Hawaii, was even more startling, a tropical island, part of the United States, but also rich in it’s own, decidedly non-white, Polynesian culture. Xenophobia is defined as fear of foreigners, other cultures or strangers.
But this upclose encounter with an actual racist had me thinking, what sort of path of life leads you think that you must permanently ink your body to let the world know you dislike anyone that is not your skin color? I usually replied back “Probably better than you” with insouciant roll of the eyes. I remember being asked on more than one occasion if I spoke English. Sure, growing up in the Midwest as an Asian-American, I’ve had my fair share of ignorant incidents. I’m lucky that I never had a personal encounter with a self-professed racist (at least as far as I am aware of). Clothing optional, full of hippies, gays and the occasional white supremacist.