Race

Secretary #1: Here, I’ll trade you dark chocolate for my chocolate.
Secretary #2: No, I like dark chocolate.
Secretary #1: Why does the white man have to take all the dark chocolate? That’s the last piece of dark chocolate, and I’m dark so I should eat it! You ate all the white chocolate last week because you’re white, and now you’re going to have all the dark chocolate, too, just like the white man does to everything!
Secretary #2, eating dark chocolate: It’s all mine now. Look at this! [Opens mouth.]Secretary #1, muttering to herself and walking away: Just like the white man…

11330 Pierce Street
Riverside, California

Overheard by: Kevin

Defense attorney at deposition: … And before the accident, about how many times per month were you intimate with your wife?
Plaintiff: Um, probably upper 20s.
Defense attorney, incredulous: Upper 20s?!
Plaintiff: Yeah. My wife is Latin.

9th Street
Sacramento, California

Newbie: Are you Chinese or Japanese?
Korean working the register: What?! Japanese are rich, ignorant fools, and Chinese are murderous barbarians. I am Korean!
Newbie: Oh. I never knew that…

Korean deli, 1700 Research Boulevard
Rockville, Maryland

Overheard by: Septimus

Staffer: I just left Publix and my cashier’s name was Kartoon.
HR manager: Oh, yeah! My wife was telling me about her. Do you think her parents meant to name her ‘Khartoum,’ after the country in Africa?
Staffer: I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a popular name from her parents’ native country.
HR manager: Oh, you mean she’s not black?
Staffer: What? No, she’s Asian.
HR manager: Oh. Was I stereotyping just now?
Staffer: Ummm, yeah, a little bit… You are so in the right profession.

Office
Hilton Head, South Carolina

White coworker: We should go on the walking trail after work sometime.
Asian coworker: Yeah, that sounds like fun!
White coworker: I would feel safer with you because no one would attack us because they would think you know kung-fu.
Asian coworker: [Silence.]

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Chick: Who was that?
Guy: He works for one of our other brands. Isn’t he hot?
Chick: Very handsome. Is he Indian or black?
Guy: Black.
Chick: Dark meat’s the best.
Guy: I haven’t done that yet.
Chick: Really? You haven’t lived!

575 5th Avenue
New York, New York

Overheard by: Thompson

Hispanic lady: My husband just called to let me know that he’s cooking dinner for me tonight — it’ll be ready when I get home.
Black guy: That’s bullshit. He’s just full of Budweiser, wantin’ you to come home and all.
Hispanic lady: My husband don’t drink no more!
Black guy: Bullshit!
Hispanic lady: No, really! He stopped drinking and smoking 10 years ago!
Black guy: Well, if he don’t drink then he ain’t no Mexican. That’s all they do!

Houston, Texas

Teacher #1: I really need a video to show my kids after they finish their final. Do you have one I could borrow?
Teacher #2: Oh? Well, let’s see… What were you thinking about?
Teacher #1: Have anything with angsty kids? Oooh, especially angsty black kids? They love those.

Alabama

Overheard by: Saving the drama for my momma

Engineer: Is your boss in? We have a problem — we have a little Aryan friend up on the second floor.
QA tech: No, he’s on vacation… Wait — we have what?
Engineer: A little Aryan friend flying around on the second floor.
QA tech: … Ohhh — ‘avian.’
Engineer: Yeah, what did I say?

Modesto, California

Overheard by: That’s not my job.

White customer pointing at Filipino bag boy: Is he black, or is he white?! I just can’t tell…
Cashier: Um, he’s Filipino.
White customer: I don’t care what religion he is, I just wanna know his race.
Cashier: He’s Filipino.
White customer: No wonder you’re just a cashier.

Piggly Wiggly
Farmville, North Carolina