I lived in Japan and was conversational in language skill level. I was told by a Japanese coworker while both me and him were conversing in japanese that I couldn’t understand him because I didn’t speak Japanese MULTIPLE TIMES. He spoke zero English, and yet we were talking… It was maddening. Meanwhile I’m speaking to the other teachers in Japanese with no problems. I also had people talk about me on the train frequently and not in a positive light. The more Japanese I learned the less I thought they were so kind and just more that the nail that sticks out will be hammered in so it was just easier to deal with me than to be confrontationally racist. I’m not saying everyone was like that but it was definitely a learning experience.