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Everyone in Milan looks like me. I know this because my friend, who is from South America, travels a lot, and when he came back, he said, "There were Yzettes everywhere. You all look the same."
Location: The Chatterdome in La La Land, CaliFUNia
39,031 posts, read 23,023,210 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Violett
I think most people would agree that it's NOT ok to go around hurting people's feelings and when you are ignorant and therefore say ignorant things, that's what you end up doing. The intent does not matter.
In any event, I don't think "ignorance" has anything to do with it. I think it's common sense not to stereotype people TO THEIR FACE, esp. in the U.S. It's not due to ignorance, it's due to a lack of caring for other people's feelings.
I once during my immature college days asked an Asian classmate what his nationality was as I could not tell by his features. He did not get offended but rather laughed and told me Japanese.
Yes, I did confront my manager about 15 minutes after that remark. At that point, I did not care if I was going to get fired or not because I was that upset. He said well blame it on the comedy TV show, The Family Guy and not me. That was the comedy show he was talking about. The thing is that from my memory from watching that show with him, it was not like how he described it.
But what really upset me is that how he described Asian people when he was talking to the other manager. He, said, you know how Asians look all alike.
You are being way to sensitive about this. Let it go. If it happens again go to HR and file a complaint.
K
How would other employers, except in the same town in a small industry, know?
A number of ways. Once you file a suit in the court of law it becomes public information and part of your background information. Depending upon the place or controversy you run the risk of it being in the news. If you work for the government that willl be a given.
In an interview you will be asked about your employment history and questioned about why you left.
HR may not be able to tell someone about it - but employers have by-passed HR for years and ask who the person he/she worked for as a manager then call them. It happens more than you know and it's never revealed so most people don't know about it. You don't get a job you apply for -you never really know why. I interviewed for a job and what the interviewer did was common practice, but was real dumb in telling me he did it and said, "We have a call into so and so and so and so and waiting for them to call back." These were two people I did not work for and had some major issues with, one was sexual harassment, which was the reason I left that employment, but never made a case out of it. The interviewer dude actually tells me later, he can't give me the job even though he wants to because I'm a woman and his boss, the owner, didn't want to risk getting sued for sexual harassment. (It was a male dominated industry). Now, that I could have sued for discrimination right on the spot. I didn't, but the point is that type of activity goes on and is never known by you.
Vendors ask the some peon in the office, "So, what happened to so and so?" It comes out then. It gets repeated.
Industry associations and gab between people, employees, managers.
I could go on and on, but bottom line is it is niave to think this won't follow you for the rest of your life and best you'd walk out with is 3 to 6 months of pay minus what you have to pay an attorney.
Last edited by Thursday007; 04-11-2011 at 08:30 PM..
I know many of you are non Asians but I would like to know what you think. My two managers were talking and I was there. One manager mentioned Jackie Chan because one of the dogs in the neigborhood is named that. I do not have a problem with that. But the other manager said in a comedy TV show that he saw, this family went to China and all Asians look all alike. The family thought they were seeing Jackie Chan everywhere. I seen that TV show with him and from my memory, it was not like how he described it. One aspect of racism is a remark that a certain race look all the same. As an Asian person I found this insulting. He actually did it in front of me. Also, the manager who made the racist remark gave me a lot of criticsm about my job performance two weeks ago. I am planning to leave my job because of this. Will this be considered a hostile work environment? I know many of you who are reading this are racist themselves but would like to know your opinion. I have an open mind.
I think that you need to get over it. I do not see it as a racist remark at all.
Peter (In Asiatown): Oh my God it's Jackie Chan! (Asian guy walks away)
Peter (to next Asian guy): Oh my God it's Jackie Chan! (Asian guy again walks away)
Peter (to another Asian guy): Oh my God it's Jackie Chan!
Jackie Chan: Great to see I have a fan! Oh my God it's Ethan Hawk!
Peter: No I'm not.
Jackie Chan to Chris: Oh my God it's Ethan Hawk!
Chris: Nope.
Jackie Chan to Meg: Oh my God it's Malcom in Middle!
Meg: Im not a boy!
Jackie Chan: Yes you are.
Looks like the joke went both ways.
And if he hadn't seen the show, how would the conversation make sense to him?
If the OP got a very negative performance review, not even 2 weeks before this incident at work, I would think that could constitute a hostile work environment.
What is a hostile work environment ?
A hostile work environment is primarily a legal term used to describe a workplace situation where an employee cannot reasonably perform his work, due to certain behaviors by management or co-workers that are deemed hostile. Hostility in this form is not only a boss being rude, yelling, or annoying. It is very specific, especially in the legal setting when one is suing an employer for either wrongful termination or for creating an environment that causes severe stress to the employee.
There’s just a handful of ways in which you can define hostile work environment. Any act of sexual harassment on the part of bosses or co-workers can be viewed as hostile. Any act or remarks that are overtly discriminatory regarding age, race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability are also considered to create a hostile work environment.
The other way a hostile work environment may be defined is when a boss or manager begins to engage in a manner designed to make you quit in retaliation for your actions.
Suppose you report safety violations at work, get injured at work, attempt to join a union, complain to upper level management about a problem at work, or act as a whistleblower in any respect.
Then, the company’s response is to do all manner of things to make you quit, like writing you up for work rules you didn’t break, reducing your hours, scheduling you for hours that are in total conflict with what you can do, or reducing your salary.
The company’s reaction can be viewed as creating a hostile work environment, one that makes it impossible to work and is an attempt to make you quit so that the employer does not have to pay unemployment benefits.
I'm African American and I can't tell you how many times I get confused for the only other black guy in the office. We look nothing alike! He's skinny and has facial hair. I'm probably 40 lbs heavier than him with a clean shave. It makes me want to scream sometimes, but I never have gotten offended by it. More a pain in the a$$ type of deal but I certainly wouldn't leave my job over it.
Another case: I have a supervisor who I really respect, but lately she had been cracking jokes about how "white" I act. Mind yout this is a Anglo lady. Now I like to think I'm pretty professional but acting "white"? Um, okay. Maybe I should come in blaring rap music and talking street. Yes that would get me far in life lol. Especially in my industry (oil and gas). Its a weird situation, but sometimes you really can't get offended at that stuff. Race at work is complicated. Anything short of an ugly slur should just be shrugged off. And personally speaking, it is nice to know that people around me don't have to walk on eggshells with me regarding race. I do have some family and friends who are not as lucky and it makes for a very uncomfortable workplace.
Your post was Hilarious !
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Imho...
