Interview with an American Air Force vet.

ZZ: “How’s your day, Mr.Perrone?”

CP: “Okay.”

ZZ: “I’m just gonna ask you a few questions, okay?”

CP: “Okay.”

ZZ: “What do you see the role of race in society?”

CP: “I see the role of race acts as a barrier that keep the from working together better.”

ZZ: “What did race mean to you growing up?”

CP: “Growing up, I was taught, there was a lot of stereotypes, but as i grew older I’ve found out they were untrue and I believe no one should be racist.”

ZZ: “Oh..”

ZZ: “How did the concept of race differ between the countries you’ve “visited” while in the Air Force?”

CP: “Well. Being born in America you’re exposed to every race pretty much in the world, but when you travel to other countries it’s more populated by one race and there’s usually small pockets of people (foreigners) from other countries and they stood out more than in America.”

ZZ: (Muffled) “Interesting.”

ZZ: “What’s by far the most racist countries you’ve “visited”?”

CP: “I would say Turkey, and Egypt. I would say it was race and religion driven.”

ZZ: “Can you give me some details?”

CP: “I would say it was more or less not that you’re the race they were “against” when you were there they were more or less you’re anti their religion (You were against their religion), so they didn’t like you for mainly that reason.”

ZZ: (Muffled) “Huh…”

ZZ: “Did your concept of race change as you travel around the world as a military personnel?”

CP: Yes. My concept changed because I got to see all faces of the world and it shows better not to see race and live among everybody in harmony.

ZZ: (Muffled) Interesting.

ZZ: “Did you experience any civil rights movements during your lifetime?”

CP: “Yes, I lived through the “million-man march”, and I also.. um.. was growing up during the Rodney King incident.”

ZZ: “How old were you?”

CP: “I was in highschool during both events.”

ZZ: (Muffled) “Huh..”

ZZ: “Were you anyway affected by these movements?”

CP: “Yes, the race-riots affected a lot of commerce for about a week. And a lot of infrastructure -and houses were burned and businesses were broken into and looted.”

ZZ: (Muffled) “Huh..”

ZZ: “Did you have any experiences with the Ku Klux Klan?”

CP: “Yes. I was stationed down in South Carolina, and I happened to accidentally date a one of the members nieces, and from being from Italy my family, um , they do not see white people. They see, um, Caucasian in the only race so even if you’re white and Italian, or Spanish, you’re still, uh, not like by them.”

ZZ:(Muffled)(Sick): “Huh.. I never knew that..”

ZZ: “How did the Klansmen treat you?”

CP: “Since they knew I was not “white” and they consider Italian not white, they told me to turn around and do not come back here ever again.”

ZZ: (Muffled-Muffled): “Huh.”

ZZ: “Has your encounter with the Klan changed your concept of race?”

CP: “Yes, it makes me feel sorry for the people who has to deal with racism and I wish it would go away.”

ZZ: “Alright, thank you for your time Mr. Perrone.”

CP: “You’re welcome.”