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How can we detect our own prejudice?

Just a few days ago I read about a bookstore closing its doors and selling new books for $1 each, regardless of original price. I went there and I bought a number of books on philosophy, history, sociology, and theology.

When I was satisfied I had enough new knowledge in my hands, I went to the cashier to pay for my books. The cashier, a young man, asked me for my photo ID, indicating he wanted to be sure he will receive his money for my purchase.

Obviously, the same cashier did not ask for photo IDs to the other persons (none of the Latinos) in line, either before or after me.  I believe that when the cashier saw a middle-age Latino man buying several “intellectual” books he got suspicious about my real intentions. Perhaps the experiential gap between his expectations and my purchase forced him to ask for my ID.

The paradox, the irony of the situation, is that the book the cashier put on top of my pile of newly acquired books was The Nature of Prejudice, the classical work by Gordon W. Allport, written in 1954.

It was up to a point really funny that buying a book about prejudice will lead to prejudice. Of course, there is nothing really funny about prejudice, discrimination, segregation, racism, and related issues. Unfortunately, all of them are present almost every day and almost everywhere.

For example, I recently went to visit a professor at the same university where I also teach. The professor was running a few minutes late, so I decided to wait outside his office. Just a few minutes later, a security guard came to me and asked who I was and what I was doing there. I told him I was a professor at that university and I have an appointment with another professor. Of course, he did not believe either statement.

I know the security guard was doing what he is supposed to do. I also know he is not used to see Latino professors at that particular university. Once again, as in the previous example with the cashier, the guard did not ask other persons (none of the Latino) who were also waiting in the same area about what they were doing there.

I have to confess I am not happy that buying a bunch of books or teaching at a college will make me a suspicious character. Why do I need to show my ID to but books or to talk with a college professor?
The real issue, however, is to detect and analyze what kind of prejudices I reveal when I write about the prejudices of others. Do I really think I am so important a cashier will trust my credit card is really mine? Do I have the right to complain about a security guard doing his job because, if not, he may even lose his job?

Perhaps, before writing about somebody else’s prejudices, I should detect and analyze my own prejudices.

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