Lol, I love how you both opened up.
I was never really severely targeted. Just, at rare times, by a few seniors. Also, by this guy in my elementary school [in Year 1!!!]. There were of course teasings about me being Chinese. Ignorance. Tsk tsk.
But, thank God, never big happened. That maybe because I had two elder sisters. One of whom had a 'gang'. So I guess in that way I was protected.
I remember this one incident though. Once these prefects were trying to make me pick up this garbage. I refused. Because I didn't make that mess. And I was stubborn [very stubborn]. I started crying of course because I was this poor lil kid at elementary and they were high school seniors. I was alone and they were a group. Does that even make sense? Lol, I was just this one tiny kid. And they were a group. At the end of story, I never picked that litter and the next day [or maybe that day, don't remember] my sister and her 'gang' fought with them. Also, there were tidbit incidents of slight teasings, pushing, bullying but, Thank God, nothing big.
In middle school, I used to hang out with these group of my friends who were known to be 'the-group-you-don't-mess-up-with', so again I was protected.
By the time I reached high school and my sisters graduated, I learned to stand up for myself. Always. In a way, my cousin inspired me who was both brave and strong.
I belong to an Afghan family. We are just huge, massive in number. I may have, God knows how much cousins, but I simply know we are in great numbers. This is also because they try having as many boys as they can. My dad thinks otherwise. When his first child, also, my first sister was born...he was so happy that everyone thought he had a son. Until they found out and they were like 'why?'. I am forever grateful to have my Papa. ♥ He has 4 daughters and one son. And, MashAllah, we are a happy family.