Stereotypes

Last Friday, Febuary 21, 2009, I was at the traffic court in Bryant st to pay for my speeding ticket. It took me an hour to get it because there was a lot of people in there. It happened that there was so many Asian in it and that was very unusual to me. The first time I witnessed that many Asians getting a traffic citations. I talked to the people infront and behind me. Both of them were pulled over for talking on their cellphones while driving. Then I told them that I was pulled over for over speeding in a residential area. Im full Filipino but most people think I am something else. When I told them that, they did not react (which most people will if they find out that some Asians are actually overspeeding). In the middle of our conversations, the guy infront me (caucasian) was mad because the line was super long. He said "Damn Asians, the only reason why this dumb drivers get pull over is because they drive way below the speed limit." In my mind, I want tell this guy that what he said is not true, but I want him to tell more about what he thinks Asians are. After that, I realize that this guy is racist a** f**k. He starts telling racist jokes about Asians, including Filipinos. Even though we may feel that people are not talking crap about our race, behind our backs, I feel that they have a lot of negative stuff to say about Asians or people who are outside their race. This falls in to racism because some people are still applying racism on their daily life. They still think that they are better than any other race even though they themselves are "dumb" to for disobeying the traffic rules. How I feel is that whoever is on that line are "dumb" because obviously, all of us was pulled over for something. It may be different case, but overspeeding, talking on the phone while driving, beating the red lights, not stopping on the stop signs, are all signs that we all make the same mistakes. The guy infront of me has no right to criticize us (Asians) for getting pulled over. 

-Rovie Flores