I’ve been treated unfairly and unlawfully within a work environment previously due to my race. This was a few years ago.

So I “played the race card” as you put it, and had the fucker fired. Turned out he had a history of harassing and stalking young women of a certain background in the workplace. He was quite high up in HR so it was extremely serious and nobody had questioned him because of his position. I had a very good HR lawyer put his and the company’s balls in a vice. Goodbye job. I had everything in writing and documented because i knew from the start it was bullshit and wasn’t going to let him get away with it.

Racism DOES exist and is insidious and covert.

It wasn’t the first time it happened either but getting him fired was one of the best things I’ve done, people like that should not be in HR. The entire board and senior management found out. One of his kids also worked in the company so they too found out.

To clarify, we were both of European background. Our neighbouring countries of origin have a long and ugly history. Regardless, I have many friends from his country and have visited multiple times. Something he won’t be able to do because no job + no money = no holiday

My advice is if you feel unfairly treated and can find proof, do it. These pricks need to be taught a lesson. Nobody should be treated unfairly, or punished, or not given opportunities because of their ethnic background/race. And it happens more often than you think.