Last vacation, I went to IVSA (International Veterinary Students’ Association) Austria Congress as one of the Korean delegates. Among 250 delegates from 34 different countries, there were a variety of languages, cultures and races, and the delegates experienced wheels within wheels.
  The most controversial issue among Asian delegates was racism. Koreans had been discriminated against several times by Western people, so we discussed our discontent with the Thai and Indonesian delegates. Most people from Eastern countries have experienced racism, so we naturally bunch together. I was exhausted to face people whose mother tongue is English, and it was more convenient to talk with people from similar backgrounds.
  However, when I heard the Western delegates’ opinions by chance, I had a thought that the insults I’ve felt might originate from my victim mentality. The Western delegates said that they had waited for a chance to talk with Koreans, but the bond of the Koreans’ group was too strong for them to join. Moreover, they had been really cautious not to make any slip of the tongue. Their opinions persuaded me and allowed me to put myself in their shoes. Afterwards, I concluded that it would be obvious for them to be vigilant of some delegates in hejabs, since IS recently has committed terrorist acts in Europe a lot.
  I now regret that I made a hasty judgment of unfriendly Western people due to my inferiority complex as an Asian. There were also our evident faults in the incidents we considered as racism. I have been caught in a trap of an inferiority complex and have overlooked the fact that the attitudes toward people may vary because we do not have the same culture.
  The thing we have to be furious with is not every unkindness from our opponents. Distinguishing between racism and victim mentality might be ambiguous. Think of the other people as your friends from the same race when there is a conflict. Then, you can decide how to behave more easily. The thing is, you have to stand against the obvious racism which sometimes happens. You should understand and respect other cultures, but you have to demand an apology confidently for unjust discrimination.