My mother is a principal of an inner city elementary school which is also a music conservatory magnet. Children from all over the city can attend if they are accepted.
Anyhow, this young caucasian boy who was a functional Autistic was being registered to attend my mother's school. Since my mom knew about this future student and his disabilities, she came out to meet him and his mother.
My mother is biracial, 1/2 caucasian, 1/2 black, but considers herself Black. However she looks beige--I say tannish-yellow--and more to the point, many latinos thinks she's latina, but she is not. So the boy asked my mother, as a matter of factly, "Are you caucasian?"
My mother, stuttered a bit and said, "Well, no, I consider myself African American."
Then the boy has this perplexed look on his face and can't quite figure out what that means. So, my mom asks, "What are you?"
He answers, "I'm caucasian, that is my T shirt..." (The color of his T shirt was white).
Embarassed, the boy's mother tries to explain that she was trying to teach the boy about the differences of color in people, but the boy could never understand that concept because of his Autism...
Maybe we can all become Autistic when it comes to race...
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