School Tales: Black Like Me

(Also the title of a book I really like)

Round and round we go. Different students, same topics with which they are obsessed: 1) my marital status, and 2) my racial identity. One of my African-American students was ragging on white people today. So, of course, I feigned offense...just to get a reaction. OH, I got everything I hoped for and more:

Student 1: "I hate white people."

Ms. K: "ALL white people?"

Student 1: "Yeah, they're losers. All of them."

Ms. K: "That offends me."

Student 1: "Why? You're not white."

Ms. K: "What?"

Student 1: "You're not really white. I think you're a black person."

Ms. K: "Do I look black to you?"

Student 2: "YOU'RE A MIXED UP OREO!! Black on the inside!!" (Heard that one before)

Student 3: "Yeah! You're a black person trapped in a white person's body."

Student 2: "You can't deny your heritage, Ms. K"

Where do they get this?