John Johnson, chief information officer for the popular P.F. Chang's China Bistro chain of restaurants, was in Uganda volunteering on a construction project benefiting low-income kids, and he needed to buy some handsaws. He and a fellow executive-turned-carpenter stopped by a nearby hardware store, where they expected to pay more than a local person would pay for the same tool.
"Ugandans use the word 'mazungu' as a common term for a white person. It's not derogatory, just an identification of foreigners, not from around here," Johnson explained. "And mazungus don't know the local markets or current prices for things, and the Ugandans know that and take advantage of them."
The store owner, a woman in her early 50's who spoke imperfect English, walked up to Johnson, looked directly in his face, then said, "I see with my eyes a mazungu, but in my heart, that's not what I see."
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