What kind of cake would you like?

My husband and I had gone to the doctor one day and we were filling out the dreaded paperwork. However, this day of filling out papers proved to be entertaining for the whole day! I got down to the section that wanted us to check the box as to what our race was. It had the typical options: Native American, African American, White, Other (?)…and Pacific Islander. Pacific Islander?! That was a new one! I pointed it out to my husband and said, “How cool would it be to be able to choose THAT option!”  I had never seen that as an option before and wasn’t even really sure what it covered. 

The option of White had my mother up in arms when I was telling her the story. She said that she returns her forms back to the front desk and they always hand it back and ask her to fill out the race. She tells them that she refuses to do it until they type the word Caucasian in the place of White and explained that she is considered offensive if she calls a Native American an Indian or an African American a Black so she wanted the same respect.  Now I know where my feistiness comes from. 

Later that day, my husband had taken me out for a cup of coffee.  He received a text from one of the women from our church asking what kind of cake I liked. My birthday was coming up and they were wanting to bless me.   So I was presented with the question, “What kind of cake do you want? Should I tell them German Chocolate?” German Chocolate, of course, is HIS favorite cake. I laughed and told him I would prefer white cake with white frosting.  Apparently, that answer was too simple and no fun. He sends a text message back stating, “She would like white cake with white frosting. She’s racist like that.” He giggles and shows me what he sent.

With a slap to his arm, I said, “Why did you do that? Now I feel like I have to choose something else!”  Pretending to be disgusted as I know he likes to get a rise out of me, I start gathering my things to leave.  Then I stopped and told him, “Text her back. I changed my mind.”  He pulls his phone out and asked what I wanted instead.  “Pacific Islander! I wonder what color that would be? Tell her that’s what I want.”  It didn’t work. I got the white with white.