A couple of weeks ago, I went to large event that included dinner. There were three busloads of people there from different social clubs, as well as some people who came on their own. I was invited by a couple of members of one of the clubs and was seated at the club's table. I didn't know the people who were seated across from me. After I was introduced to them, after I said, "Hello, please to meet you," and before I even sat down, the first thing one of the women said to me was "Are you Italian?" I was speechless for a moment. Then I said, "I am American." It was her turn to be speechless - then she recovered and said, "I am too."

A few years ago, I was interviewing a graduate student for an assistantship. The first thing she said to me was "Are you Italian?" I don't remember how I responded that time, but I do remember the answer in my head was "Duh."

Incredible how some people feel a need to categorize everyone, don't have any manners and always wind up speaking without thinking.
 

When the form says "race," I usually print something like "mile relay." Not that I'm going to run 440 yards any time soon, but it's the principle of the thing.
 

Oh man, I have too much of a filter between my head and my mouth to ever say that on an interview. I try not to ask personal questions of people at all--usually people end up volunteering the information anyway.
 

I had to fill in forms recently that asked for race. But these were government forms--so there was no option but to declare race, unless I wanted my hundreds of dollars in application fees to go to never never land.