Mel, I’m just guessing and supposing here, but maybe something might ring a bell.

If your conversation with Anna had a lighthearted, even playful tone, Ken might have heard it as mockery: As though the two of you were mocking people who were trying to remove symbols of white supremacy all over the nation.

Thanks to the internet, historical knowledge now spreads at the speed of light. Beginning with millennials, googling is second nature. My kids have been fact checking me, constantly, for years.

If Ken is age 42 or younger, it seems likely that he heard you and Anna talking, googled Audubon and learned that: “the man, John James Audubon was also a deeply flawed individual who owned and sold slaves and desecrated Indigenous Peoples' burial sites by decapitating skeletons and selling the remains for personal profit.”

Inasmuch as Ken is a Chinese American, its also likely that he is familiar with birds. Bird keeping, especially songbirds, is a very old and highly cherished tradition in Chinese culture – and birds are highly symbolic in Chinese art.

Interestingly enough the Americas are the only two continents where hummingbirds are found. They are such tiny, delicate birds, with such unique habits, they die in captivity. For that reason, it’s very likely that the Chinese did not encounter hummingbirds until they came to the Americas where hummingbirds became frequent symbols in Chinese American porcelain, ceramics and art.

Here in the United States, it is illegal to hold a hummingbird, a hummingbird nest, a hummingbird baby, or any part of a hummingbird, nest, or egg, in any type of captivity.

Unfortunately, throughout American history, minorities have been erased from our history books and classrooms. As a result, most white Americans over 45 know very little about their own history and culture and very little, if anything at all, about minorities.

I think it fair to say, that those of us alive today, are the very first Americans to have access to the full extent of historical knowledge. That older folks are stumbling in the dark, making mistakes, hurting and insulting people and getting our educations thrown in our faces is no surprise.

As to whether you are a racist – or not. I think the answer is rooted in the willingness to learn. It is extremely hard to admit we are ignorant, especially when we are older. In the past, when people reached our age, they were afforded the requisite respect and honor that came with being the elders, the wise ones, and the keepers of knowledge. Today, the young are far more knowledgeable than the old. That older people might feel uncomfortable, insulted, even cheated is understandable.

That said, I see older people as pioneers – exploring new ways of growing old, forging new paths, and leading the way for young people who will someday, be our age.

Melcarrier, please keep us informed of any progress. 😊