I had to learn to reach out, to let out on the one hand, and to conform on the other, to fit in. When racism is this divisive, everyone loses. There is no chance to learn from the wisdom of various communities, or experience the richness or wealth of various cultures. We need to learn from the mistakes of the past, to build effective relationships. For many immigrants, the experience of discrimination is based not only on color, but on language, relationships, many things.
People have low paying jobs, little accessibility to health care, no choice in schools.
Taking the bus or subway can be very challenging. Many of us have been penalized because we did not understand the mainstream culture. A young immigrant man was arrested and jailed because he answered 'yes' to everything the police officer was asking him. Another person lost his job because his religion called for him to pray several times a day. As director or renewal house, I saw Asian women forced to face their batterers over and over again because no interpreters were available.