[eonpi]

Have seen several similar situations, and regardless of the demographic, the behavior seems to stem from the instigator's perception of being superior to the person towards which the behavior is being directed.

Usually there is also a feeling from the instigator that the targeted individual doesn't deserve X or Y, and therefore deserves disdain, scorn, or whatever they consider appropriate.

The best thing you can do is demonstrate firmly that you are as good or better at whatever they are using to make you feel bad or discredit you. You also have to be firm that you don't welcome or tolerate such behavior, and so should be your coworkers, manager, or higher-ups. If they aren't being explicit about not tolerating such behavior, depending on the applicable jurisdiction, they might be putting the company in legal jeopardy.