So today I was talking with a friend and her associate when the conversation turned to where I live when I'm not at NAU. Learning that it is a border town the associate expressed some measure of surprise at 'how white you are'. I'm definitely 'white', but it was a startling revelation that she would expect someone to be a certain 'color' based on where they live. I'm not sure if it constitutes racism, but it is definitely an idea I do not encounter often.

Would she expect someone from Hawaii to be white, Hawaiian, or asian? I remember (years ago) watching a documentary on 'illegal' immigration and how 60% of a small Alaskan town were Hispanic or Latino. Bottom line: race and ethnicity do not know borders.