Unless one is Indian (Indigenous peoples of the Americas), they are either an immigrant to US or a descendant.

So, if that happened to me I would say I am as American as anyone else here...phuc that. I don't care if I am black brown or white.

I have a very clear understanding of the definition of a racist comment under English/Welsh law. Under that law the comment was racist.

This isn't England or Wales thankfully.

The UK is obsessed with the subject of "racism", and the term is regularly mis-used. The UK's laws on the issue are daft, and far too many people make use of that when crying wolf in similar situations to yours.

My definition of racism is a someone who displays a real hatred of other races, it doesn't extend to some pillock who can't find something more intelligent to say during an altercation.

Still, your experience sounds unpleasant, and it is a shame it took place.

Yes, and that is because (as you pointed out in your original post) English/Welsh law takes the view that in this type of case "racism" is in the eye (or, possibly, ear) of the beholder and that if someone thinks that it is "racist" then there is at least a case to be made that it was racist.

I don't know what US law says, except that you can expect every state to be at least slightly different.

From a common sense perspective I don't think that a comment like this is necessarily "racist" (although it certainly may be), and I don't subscribe to the view that the definition of "racist" must include "national origin".

So, while I am sure that the remarks were offensive I don't tend to think (based on what you have said) that they were "racist".

According to California Penal Code Section 422.56 (f), "Race or ethnicity" is defined as including ancestry, color, and ethnic background. Section 422.56(e) refers to "Nationality" as including citizenship, country of origin, and national origin.

So, per California standards, the remarks were not racist, but rather nationalist(ic?) -- Is that a word?-- And, obviously spoken by a xenophobe.

Just an interesting note, while California does define it's Hate Crime standards, it should be noted that in addition to the listed protected categories, being perceived as such also falls under the Hate Crime definition. Ie. someone commits a transgression against you because they think you're gay. Even though you may not be gay, it is a Hate Crime because the transgression was committed because they perceived that you were gay.

Two differing opinions.

I don't understand where all this racist crap is coming from, particularly in an instance such as this. Perhaps now is the time that all peoples worldwide are not taught verbal skills from birth as it now appears that any remark, glance, facial expression can be construed as racist. The pendulum has swung far too much and needs to find its balance.

It is offensive but not raciest. However being in a political office in the US also opens you up to slander and liable and you can't do anything about it unlike in the UK where you can be jailed or sued for slander or liable against a politician.

How can it possibly be racist when they are both of the same race.

And here I have been slagging of the Septics for misusing the language all these years.

IMHO, at this point, whether it was a “racist” comment, or not, is moot – the offendee obviously handled it adeptly and honorably and dispatched the situation. The offender was, by all accounts, rude, intolerant, uncouth and socially challenged. I doubt I’d have dealt with it with such aplomb!

Considering that I am what my OH calls a “womble”, my personal definition of racism is quite different and not as broad-spectrum as the UN version. However, if that is the now accepted description of the word, then yes, the offender was racist in his comments. That he would be so coarse and crude, selfish and self-centered as to utter such a statement merely in the face of an “accent” is beyond me, unless he had an ulterior motive – such as declaring his “supremacy” with an intent to cause a ruckus.! :-/

I had absolutely no intention of doing anything about it, just wanted to see if my interpretation of the event was consistent with the general view of the BE crowd. Clearly it isn't.

+1

I am reminded of a couple of performances I've seen lately of stand-up comedians of African origin, where they have cracked jokes about their own race which if delivered by a white comedian would probably have caused uproar. As it was, there was a certain level of 'uncomfortable' laughter amongst the audience.

So, while it is only my opinion, I think it would be hard to classify any remark as racist if made by a member of the race at which the remark is aimed. In this case it was offensive, rude, etc. but not racist.

I agree with this -- I think the comment was xenophobic, rather than racist.

Have a real serious question for you... Now that you have seen the various comments with regard to the events you described do you feel betrayed, annoyed or has it left you feeling bewildered at the general outside reaction?

Technically, since you're both the same race, I don't know if it is "racist" at least as far as the word is commonly used in the US vernacular. But the remark is full of bigotry, prejudice and hate, which feels the same to the person on the receiving end.

On the point of both being the same race, how would it be seen by an average American if both parties were white, but one was Latino?