For what it's worth, I have found that most every ethnic group describes a less-than-ideal situation--when in the company of their own ethnic group--with identifying statements about the color or race of the person in that situation.
I have found myself doing it as well, and I have actually had numerous conversations with my wife over the course of the last 20 years wondering why people do this in general and why I do it in particular. I feel it is a personal character flaw I must work hard to correct today and in the future.
I do wish we were all color blind and we could just tell a story and say "this guy" or "a lady" and leave it at that... and if asked whether the man or woman was white or black or Asian or whatever, we would all have the presence of mind to say, "What does that have to do with anything?"
Of course, then we'd be accused of being sexist by telling the story about a man or a woman when we should have described it as "a person".
This is actually a good thread. It has made me once again review my own hidden prejudices and has set the stage for personal growth and additional change in this area.
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