Implicit Racism or ignorance?

So I read this RedEye article today. And yes, I occasionally read the RedEye because it's free and there's a lot of pissing away time in the lab. Anyways, the cover article discussed a phenomenon called "micro-racism", which is when individuals unintentionally do prejudiced things. For example, when a person. For example, asking a black person "so how was it like being raised by a single mom?" is a type of assumptive racism, according to this article. On the whole, I agreed with much of what the RedEye journalist had to say except I would argue that most of "micro-racism" isn't as much about racism, but about ignorance due to living in a bubble of an environment. A bubble being a location where not too many ideas or people migrate in or out, a place in stasis. A great example of a bubble would be the town my parents settled in about 8-9 years ago: Vincennes in Southern Indiana.

I think a lot of people got the wrong impression about me back then. Some (ok, a lot of) people thought I was this standoffish, somewhat intense kid. The truth is that, more often, it was because I felt out of place. Part of it was because of an immense cultural gap, just discounting race. Here's a rundown:

I was born and raised in England, then moved to Cleveland, where I spent my seminal moments as a kid. Cleveland, I still consider, my true home after all these years. I remember when we first moved from the industrial North to rural Indiana. I had never really seen a real farm other than through driving in Pennsylvania and upstate New York on the way to Canada. It was a shock to see tractors and John Deere stuff and stalks of corn as far as the eye can see. Another thing that I couldn't wrap my mind around were the accents of people. This was the very first time I had an encounter with Southern-ish accents. Drawling of syllables, etc. I thought it was the strangest thing in the world. I remember thinking "Where the hell am I?"

This doesn't mean that Hoosiers aren't nice people. On the whole, they are much more pleasant than Clevelanders and Chicagoans. Though it's not like people in Cleveland and CHicago are jackasses like in the East Coast, rather people in Indiana go out of their way to be friendly, which is a nice change.

However, the one thing I absolutely HATED about Southern Indiana hearkens back to that article I read about. Implicit racism manifested in ignorance. It wasn't intentional, but ANNOYING to have to deal with. It's these sorts of things that I have yet to encounter in Chicago, that are all so prevalent back home. So here are the stupidest comments/questions you'll get in Hoosierland:

1) "Where are you from?"

How I should answer this question, but I'm too nice to say it: "I'm from here, but more importantly where are you from? Germany? France? Italy?"

2) "Your English is very good!"

How I should answer this question, but I'm too nice to say it: "Thank you. Yours however could use some work. Perhaps you could increase your vocabulary and get rid of that annoying drawl and you'd be an acceptable orator like me."

3) Do you know English?

How I should answer this question, but I'm too nice to say it: "Well if I didn't know English I wouldn't be able to tell you right now that you, my friend, are a Dumbass with a capital D."

4) Are you related to (insert random Indian person)?

How I should answer this question, but I'm too nice to say it: "No, but I can see why you'd ask me that question. I just assume that all you people here are related to each other because I'm the only one coming from a fresh gene pool around here."

5) Go back to your own country/where you were born!

How I should answer this question, but I'm too nice to say it: "Well, England's pretty far away for me. Plus, if I did, then who the hell is going to be your future doctor/lawyer/high-roller earning buku bucks and contributing to this economy, while you're working at the local gas station?"

6) Stay with your own kind! (eg. - eyeing a white girl)

How I should answer this question, but I'm too nice to say it: "It isn't my fault that I'm better-looking than you. Here's some advice: Don't marry your second cousin and maybe your kids won't have buckteeth and a round, featureless face like yourself."

Other than the last few questions, most of these questions are innocuous. But that doesn't mean I get tired of answering them in an inoffensive way. Or that I don't want to slap somebody. So who knows what's the real culprit: actual racism or utter ignorance? I'd like to believe the latter. If people are fine with the bubble, why perturb it? That's the beauty of moving out of Vincennes, I suppose...