So, I was at Bell Square mall y'day with a caucasian friend. She's a new mom, harried like all new parents are, and looves to shop for herself and give me advice on "what not to wear"- like I, of all people, need it, but bcoz I see her having 3.25 hrs of sleep each night ever since her baby arrived 8 months ago, I see her coo-coo-kachoo state of mind, and give into her. I pretend I am "so totally" listening to her (often ludicrous) advice, and generally enjoy her sweet, slightly bossy, but well meaning craziness.

So, on we went from one store to another, Express first, where she picked out a lovely necklace and a blouse for me, and where the sales clerk forget to remove the hard tag on it, making me beep like ^%$R# upon entering every single store after that! Can you imagine what that might do to you mental/emotional strength, your sense of security, your sense of "belonging" in town, being in a racial minority and all that? What saved me from total dissolution was that there were a lot of people entering and exiting the stores with me, so no one knew it was I who was beeping. So, trying to solve the beep mystery, we walked into J. Crew and Martin+Osa, and instantly, this racial divide was on display so evidently, it amazed even me and my pretty hardcore, no BS, Journalistic sensibility.

Every single sales person at both stores would only look at my friend and ask, "Can I help you find anything today?" Like I wasn't even there! This, while "I" was the one wearing their clothes, "looking expensive". My dear pal in her "mommy jeans", baby slung out in the snuggly, was surprised at this too.

I remember getting surprised, (deriding even) when I first moved to America 9 yrs ago, to see light skinned Indian women wearing blue contacts, and dyeing their hair light to fit in with the caucasian crowd. But after yday's experience feeling like I wasn't good enough for these sales people just bcoz my skin is darker than theirs, I can see why people would just want to fit in and not get labelled "Asian or Indian".

Dumb. I can't understand why America- the one country founded by immigrants, that everyone flocks to, the "innovation nation"- can be so primitive and tribal? This isn't Alabama or Texas- it's Bellevue! There are 50,000 Indians in town now, mostly on the Eastside, and this is how we get treated! Bravo! I wonder if diversity councils in town are even doing anything to build communication or are just on a vacation on tax payers' expense.

It just ties in soo well with my earlier post on What's Wrong With America's Heart. Lack of Dignity. That's what's wrong with it.