In the article on microaggression, the concept of racism is presented as being a new form of modern and covert racism as opposed to the outright racism of pass. This concept really struck me. Growing up in the Bay Area, a very diverse and tolerant part of the country, I would happily say that race was never an issue. I would never say I knew anyone racist or homophobic, because those views were extremely looked down upon. We were taught at a very young age that everyone was equal and that it was important not to judge others based on their outward appearance. However, a few days before I read the article, a girl at my high school tweeted a swastika without context. I obviously always get upset when I see a swastika, especially when I see no reason for it, and it doesn't make me feel good. Normally I would ignore it and it would leave my mind, but I read the microaggression article a few days later and one of the examples given of microaggression is "displaying a swastika” (Sue et al., 273). When I saw this tweet, my reaction was not to associate it with racism, because in my mind, racism has always been more direct, like someone saying, "I hate black people." But now, thanks to this course and readings like the article on microaggression, I'm starting to realize that racism is much more than blatant bigotry. I think I will start to see microaggressions more in my daily life and stop taking things literally. This is a good thing because I know it will only increase my own awareness and help me understand the world better. But at the same time, I know I'll probably see the world as a slightly worse place than before. I don't think I will be able to ignore and forget things as easily as before... middle of paper ...... the introduction and in the readings. It's really interesting for me to think about these different types of emotions, where they come from and what they can mean. I think being able to identify how you feel is the key to better understanding yourself and the world. I always had a vague idea that it was easy to be white, but until this class I didn't really think about all the privileges afforded to me. I never thought about how being white is considered the norm while everything else is considered the other. Thinking about it sometimes makes me feel guilty because it's easy for me and I don't have to deal with certain things. Sometimes I also feel guilty because I have an automatic reaction of thinking that I'm lucky to be privileged. I also feel guilty when I think about jokes I've made about race or stereotypes I've helped perpetuate..