how to avoid offending minority coworkers

Diversity Inc. has this article listing 7 things never to say to Asian-American executives. NPR has a related segment on things you should never say to co-workers about race, religion and sex.

Personally, I've never had to deal with any of these phrases or questions in my career. More often, I'll notice an initial tip-toeing around minorities - a thoughtfully cautious approach to communication. Its a polite - and noticeably deliberate - recognition that we're all different.