In the 1940s, my Abuelito, Francisco Bayot Zaldarriaga, went to New York. He was  a journalist representing the Philippines.

My Abuelito was a very Spanish-looking dude who was about 6'2" with blue eyes and owned his own little paper.

In those days, racism was in full force.

One day, he was with his friends and they were getting into a bus. Since my Abuelito looked white he was told to sit in front and his Pinoy friends were waved to the back.

Indignant, he ignored the directive (and knowing him, my Abuelito must have had some sly remark, as he was known for them) and sat in the back with his Pinoy friends.