People have been sending in anecdotes of their "minority moments." They've also been sending in racist attempts at "humour" because, you know, this is the internet. Below are some of the stories we've received (sometimes edited for length). Check back for more as they come in. And please for the love of god stop writing me messages saying that the NBA is racist against white people.
Black = you play sports
What qualifies you as a minority?: I am the alpha and omega of minorities in America. Descendent of slaves, still choose collards over kale, DNA came back 10% Finnish (wtf?!? no Native American!), hip-hop/jazz/soul grooving, code writing, digital ad slanging, not very good at basketball, working for a sports apparel company, oxford comma using, Black man.
Share a "minority moment": Once, during a recruitment call, we began discussing my confidence in my ability to deliver results. The Google rep assured me that they've had many star athlete types find the environment challenging. I was never a star athlete. I never mentioned playing sports...It was college recruitment all over again.
Asian = you work in a nail salon
What qualifies you as a minority?: I am a 34 year old female, first generation Korean American, born with big round eyes unlike the Asian stereotype (slanted eyes). Growing up in suburban white Virginia in the early 90s, my family was the only minorities living in our neighborhood and my sisters and I were the only Asians in elementary school. When I got to high school, I realized, I was a minority and that I wasn't white.
Share a "minority moment": I was getting a manicure done in a nail salon and while I was waiting for my nails to dry, a woman walked into the salon and asked me, "can I make an appointment to get my eyebrows waxed?" I started to laugh and told her I didn't work at the salon.
Muslim = ISIS
What qualifies you as a minority?: I'm black, Muslim, AND female.
Share a "minority moment": I cut off this white dude at the highway and when we pulled up at the same red light he called me an "ISIS Cunt"
You're probably best qualified to be the diversity officer....
What qualifies you as a minority?: I'm Indian, female, short sighted, and will kiss women if I have to.
Share a "minority moment": When I was informed that I was to be "diversity officer" instead of the coveted role I'd been voted in for (membership officer) for a business membership organisation. When I asked what they thought diversity meant, they didn't have an answer. I quit the board shortly afterwards!
On being mistaken for the other ethnic
What qualifies you as a minority?: I'm an Asian American, first generation.
Share a "minority moment": I had provided coverage for another manager and they were going to be out again and asked for my help again because the people loved me so much and thought I was so smart. At least, the manager was pretty sure they were talking about me, all they could remember was that I had an Asian name and there's only two East Asian women with Asian names. I don't know why they didn't search their emails for my name, but hey, at least they liked me. -Earnest Asian Woman
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What qualifies you as a minority?: I am Asian
Share a "minority moment": I was at a PD session on diversity with about 60 other people. We were discussing a racially insensitive post that an Asian-American made on social media. The facilitator stopped for questions and called on the one other Asian woman in the room but called her by my name.
On your disability inspiring others, even when you're just buying groceries
What qualifies you as a minority?: I'm an amputee. Though not one of those smiling people in wheelchairs, I find that my disability makes me an object that inspires others for all the presumed adversity I've faced, even though I'm a middle-class straight white cis person with good health insurance who hasn't really faced much adversity. Just being places inspires people -- I'm not clear what I'm inspiring them to do.
Share a "minority moment": Once I was picking out corn at the grocery store, and someone stopped to tell me what an inspiration I was. Puzzled, I said I was only picking out corn, but then I was congratulated for being out in public.
On being told condescendingly that you could almost pass for white
What qualifies you as a minority?: I'm brown and have kinky hair. Most people think I'm hispanic. Depending on where I am I get Puerto Rican (NYC...every time), Dominican, and Mexican. And I'm none of those...My Grandmother was a descendent of a slave who was impregnated by her owner. That's true and just screams "marketable". Also, my great grandfather was a redheaded Irishman who married a very dark complexioned black woman. (We were still "black" back then...among other things.) Wait, didn't the Irish have a hard time too? I'm a freakin' jackpot for this site.
Share a "minority moment": One time while waiting for my car to be inspected, I had a conversation with a white motorcyclist. We talked about motorcycles, a conversation I initiated, and he asked what I did for a living. When we were done he told me ... "If I hadn't seen you I wouldn't have known if you were black or white." So nice of him.
On stupid, stupid questions
What qualifies you as a minority?: I am "exotic" looking -- don't fit into a category really, but white guys dig it. I would be the ambiguous one that will surprise you.
Share a "minority moment": "Why do you use your women and children as human shields?
On being cast as the fabulous gay best friend
What qualifies you as a minority?: Openly gay
Share a "minority moment": Frequently referred to as the "gay best friend"; jokes involving penises are always made around me; jokes involving me having sex with women are always made around me; frequent questions about anything and everything LGBT always come my way; a number of straight women insist on coming to me for fashion advice (I do not advertise my fashion advice, nor do I even enjoy giving it. Also, I'm not really good at fashion advice anyway)
On being wheeled out as the token
What qualifies you as a minority?: I'm a woman in construction. I'm a white woman, so you can fill your quota without stepping too far outside your comfort zone.
Share a "minority moment": Only being allowed to weld when there was a client job walk. I got trotted out to show the shop promoted diversity. As soon as the client was gone, I'd be sent in back, and only allowed to do housekeeping.
So wait, what exactly are you?
What qualifies you as a minority?: My mother is Indonesian and my dad is mixed-European, so technically I'm a colored person according to my social studies textbook. The question I get most frequently is, "Are you Mexican?" followed by, "Where is Indonesia?" I look ethnically ambiguous; nobody knows what I am!
Share a "minority moment": Once, when I was is middle school, we were doing a standardized test and my teacher decided to fill out our information card herself. They asked for our names, age, and race. When she got to me, she squinted at my face real hard and asked, "So what exactly are you?" I was the only kid in class whose race she couldn't figure out.
On it being 2016, but mixed-race couples are apparently still surprising
What qualifies you as a minority?: I'm Mexican. I think that says enough, lol.
Share a "minority moment": I have a black boyfriend and people look at us weird when we're together. #minoritycouples
On being 'exotic'
What qualifies you as a minority?: I am a Filipino-American woman.
I've always been aware of when I'm the only person of color in a room, and it seems to happen surprisingly more often here than when I was on the west coast. It's that feeling of being looked at or watched closely because you don't look like the rest of the people in the room.
Being hit on or called beautiful not necessarily because the person thinks I'm attractive, but because I'm exotic to them.
People assuming I know how to explain every Asian tradition, or being surprised that I have a BA in English Lit.
Anytime someone asks me "Where are you from?" And I say, "California," and they just ask again, "No, but where are you from?"
On the hilarious attempts at humour re: your ethnicity
What qualifies you as a minority?: I am the ethnically ambiguous woman. Being born equal parts Mexican, people's descriptions of my appearance range from definitely First Nations, Happa, Russian, Arabic, to "OMG you look exactly like Lady Mary." One white man summed me up as "Lady Pocahontas Grantham."
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What qualifies you as a minority?: I'm an asian female
Share a "minority moment": My friends tested is a yellow highlighter would blend into my skin.