Dear friend,
You may think you’re a great person, which you are. You are full of light, and we’ve had great times together. However, you sometimes say things that are completely out of line and inappropriate.
At first, I thought maybe you’re just weren’t informed. Ignorance is bliss, right? But lately, I’ve noticed that you genuinely do not care whatsoever. Your lack of empathy for people that aren’t of “your kind” is alarming. The fact that you don’t care about anyone’s human rights but yourself is selfish and surprising since I genuinely thought you were a caring person.
Photo courtesy Unsplash.
Little did I know you only care for people who are just like you. But what about me? Are we friends because I’m not the “typical minority?” Are we friends because I don’t have an accent? Is it because we look similar? Regardless, I’ve come to the conclusion that you’re a tad bit racist. And, honestly, I’m not loving it.
Maybe it’s my fault for letting you get away with it, for shutting my mouth and not standing up for myself or my people. Maybe I thought that laughing it off was a way of hiding how offended I was by your daily comments and jokes.
This will go on no more, I’m simply tired of it. It’s the moment of truth. No longer will I stand by while you downgrade and belittle my people. I hate that you think that because I do not look the part, that your words do not affect me.
But they do, they really do.
I’m tired of hearing you tell me that things shouldn’t affect me because you think I’m not really from that country or that you’re just joking. Maybe your privilege has blinded you from the hurt that your words have had on me, even if you are just playing around because at the end of the day you are belittling my culture.
It’s a slap in the face when you say things that directly attack my culture, ethnicity and race. Just because you and I are close, doesn’t mean you can bash on my people like that. I respect you and your people. I expect the same respect in return.