[tropdrop]

My own experience: having had a good portion of my childhood (after immigration) in a Rocky Mountain West state, I moved to Chicago for school. The first time I came back to visit for Christmas, I was blown away by how white the area was, and that I had never noticed before! Suddenly all of the childhood struggles I had with people quietly judging me fell into place (little things: assuming promiscuity, passing me over for a leadership position for someone less qualified, etc). That Christmas, the only person of color I saw was the guy behind the grocery's store's sushi counter, who was - wait for it, Japanese. It left me deeply disturbed, excited to come back to Chicago and excited to leave that state permanently.