Both the researcher and Wente assume that the answers people gave to the question they were asked meant they felt they hadn't been discriminated against. But the question was, “In your day to day life, how often do you feel you have been treated with less respect or courtesy than other people?” it's perfectly possible that, say, African Americans or other people of colour might have taken it for granted that all people like them would usually be treated with little respect or courtesy, so that there was nothing unusual in the disrespect or lack of courtesy they were themselves in fact experiencing and taking for granted. As usual, Wente jumps to a big conclusion based on a tiny bit of evidence that is itself suspect.