Are you surprised at the amount of racism in the U.S.?

I live in Los Angeles. I have been surrounded by many different people and cultures my whole life. I’ve dated all kinds of people. My niece and nephew are biracial and so is a lot of my family. My college education involved a lot of study into racism/sexism/classism, etc.

I have always known that racism exists and how institutionalized and implicit racism actually is, but I never really thought that people outside of certain areas of the U.S. and extremists were more than implicitly racist. Well, the last year has made me realize how wrong I really am.

I am half Mexican and my wife is white. We have been discussing the disturbing events and implications of the last year and she told me that you have to be white to know how racist white people really are. She tells me that even in Los Angeles white people tell her so many disturbing things because she is white and assume she shares their opinions. I am not privy to these revelations. These people act one way and believe something completely different.

Honestly, 2017 has left me baffled. My ideas about racism in America have been destroyed. I thought I was aware of societal issues of justice and equity, but I don’t know shit. A large part of my understanding of the ethos of America has been shattered.

Anyone else feeling this? Are you shocked by the amount of racism in the U.S.? I’ve been rocked to my core about this.

I would like this discussion to remain on topic and not a platform to tell me you how you disagree with my opinions, but it is fluther. Can you just let me know if and how your ideas about racism in America has changed or not changed in 2017?