Race in the new year!

"Where did you travel to?"

"India."

"For how long?"

"Three weeks."

"To spend time with family?"

"Yes"

"All good with everybody there?"

I was stunned by that question from the immigration officer.

In all my years of returning to America after a trip to the old country, I had never ever been asked anything even remotely close to that question.  Not even once.

"Yes, thank you."

"Welcome home."

"Thank you."

As I picked up my passport and walked towards baggage claim, there was one aspect that interested me.  Was that immigration officer so awesome towards me because he was not white?

Perhaps the Chinese-American officer understands immigrants going back and forth between the new and old countries? A simpatico?

I re-checked my bag and then joined the serpentine queue for security check before the final flight segment.  The agent looked at my boarding pass. Then my ID.  She looked up.

I wondered what the problem might be.

She handed back the pass and the ID, and with a smile said, "early birthday greetings!"

I laughed and thanked.

Did she say what she said because she was not white, but was Hispanic (or maybe mixed)?

Have trump and his 63 million voters messed me up so much that I now see whiteness, and acutely feel my otherness, wherever I go and wherever I am?  Is it because of the trump effect that the non-white officers were also extra attentive to non-whites like me?  Have we all gotten messed up by hair fuhrer?

Thus began my new year in America!