Race

English professor: Outer space is occupied by evil orientals.

Marymount University
Arlington, Virginia

Overheard by: Sarah Yvonne

50‐something female to Native American presenter in elementary school: Is it true that the arrival of whites changed your way of life?

Denver, Colorado

Black woman to child: You just mama’s little white boy, aren’t you? Yes you are!
Passing Hispanic woman: Is he really white?

Wal‐Mart Parking Lot
Austin, Texas

Overheard by: Walk By Faster

Crazy old white lady trying on wedding veil: So I always wondered why I didn’t look good in these things…until 2004.
Disinterested customer: Oh?
Crazy old white lady: Yeah, then I found out I was part Native American. At least 5%.
Disinterested customer (confused): Oh…?
Crazy, old white lady: Yeah. That’s why I don’t look good in veils. Cause we Native Americans don’t wear them.
Disinterested customer: I got married in a courthouse.
Crazy old white lady: I hate to say it since I am part white, but damn those white people!

Goodwill
Altoona, Pennsylvania

Literature teacher: So what the Europeans did was take the description of Jesus from the texts and made their images of him Caucasian so as to be more relatable to those they were teaching to.
Girl of questionable literacy: European Jesus was hot.

Delta Secondary School
Ladner, British Columbia
Canadia

Teen #1: So he’s running around with his dick like slapping his abs and he goes “what time you wanna come over?“
Teen #2: His Puerto Rican dick?
Teen #1: Yeah!
Teen #2, sighing dreamily: Oh yeahhhhh.

Flinder’s Street Station
Melbourne
Australia

Black guy: You keep hearing about how racist Britain’s getting, it’s pretty scary.
White girlfriend: Oh, totally. I think that before anyone in that country over 40 is allowed to make a public statement they should take a test that’s like “is this quaint, or just racist?” and if they fail they shouldn’t be allowed to say anything.
Black guy: That would be an awesome game show.

Calgary
Alberta
Canadia

DJ: And we’ll be giving away a free DVD of diary of a mad black woman!
Drunk shirtless redneck, sincerely: Wooooooo! That’s my movie! That’s my movie!

Screen on the Green, Centennial Park
Atlanta, Georgia

Overheard by: Becca

Black lady on cell: I said, ‘Yeah, I’m black, but dat don’ mean I be makin’ counterfeit money!’

Food Lion
Sanford, North Carolina

Overheard by: Elizabeth

Little girl to mother: I always get weirded out when we come to Asian markets.
Mom: Why is that?
Little girl: Because there are so many Asian people in one place!
Mom: Why is that weird?

Uwajimaya
Seattle, Washington

Overheard by: Koley