this was a while ago but its still funny. Im looking a a booth handing out some dessert. a kindly middle aged white women offered me a treat

“hi were are an italian womens club, we just get together and discuss honoring famous local italians and preserving Italian culture and food and bringing together well… Italian women!” she said

“oh cool! thank you!” i try to think of something normal to say instead of gabagool jokes. “im a little italin!” i chirp in between bites of food.

record scratch all three heads snap towards me with an expression I cant place.

" um my great great (maybe another great) grandma is italian".

“really?”

“yeah she was from sicily, she came to america as a kid, i never met her haha, but my mom says thats why i have hairy arms” at this point im rambling because the women look as though i offended them.

“how” the head Italian said “how?” i repeat?

“how … are you…” she trails off seeing my raised eyebrows

black… she was gonna ask me how im black

theres a long awkward silence, for context im not dark skined this could not be surprising. after what feels like an eternity she offers me another cookie despite the sign saying please take one. i take my second cookie and leave. i think about her often, did she forget Italians can have kids with non Italians? did i just meet some weird racist Italian club? when i tell you guy it looked like a GUN went off, the way they looked at me, when it was all smiles before. I thought we could laugh about it.