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just a vent.. i've experienced more subtle and not so subtle racism in my year living in WA than the past 20 years in CA. today was my first day at my new job. i was being introduced around and one lady says to me:
RB (Racist BXXXX)-- so what's your first language?
ME: What do you mean? i only know one language, English
RB: Surely you must know another language. English can't be your first language
ME: Why would you think English is not my first language (with death glare)
RB: (stumbling around) I just thought... well, with your background... (slow fade)
ME: SMH ...
another day in WA, another unpleasant experience with an ignorant RB...
Would you care to explain what race or ethnicity you are that somebody is questioning you?
just a vent.. i've experienced more subtle and not so subtle racism in my year living in WA than the past 20 years in CA. today was my first day at my new job. i was being introduced around and one lady says to me:
RB (Racist BXXXX)-- so what's your first language?
ME: What do you mean? i only know one language, English
RB: Surely you must know another language. English can't be your first language
ME: Why would you think English is not my first language (with death glare)
RB: (stumbling around) I just thought... well, with your background... (slow fade)
ME: SMH ...
another day in WA, another unpleasant experience with an ignorant RB...
I was in SLC visiting about 4 years ago and overheard this conversation in McDonalds between a white clerk and a clerk of Mexican descent (I thought it was funny):
H: I can't stand it when Mexican customers come in here and start speaking Spanish to me!
W: What's the big deal?
H: (Very animated!) I was born here man, I'm an American, why would I speak Spanish? They **** me off.
So who's the racist? The American kid who is of Mexican descent being upset over the assumptions of Mexican immigrants, or the Mexican immigrants, assuming all hispanics "Hablo?"
My vote is there is no racism in that story, just confusion generated by assumptions and unmet expectations.
If you look to be offended, you will be, but not every slight you perceive is intended, and your go to position was to assume the woman is a racist and intentionally tried to insult you, but you give NO thought to your aggressively rude challenge/behavior.
Bigotry is a funny thing, but it is not the exclusive domaine of whites in America.
Then your definition of racism is not the type that is a problem.
I think it's up to the people who regularly have racism directed at them to determine what type "is a problem", not me.
Quote:
Racism when it leads to discrimination and prejudice is what causes a problem. Actions based on those assumptions are a problem.
Everyone makes assumptions. The problem comes when you judge people based on those and act against them.
Most black people I know would be offended if someone assumed that they liked fried chicken and watermelon, or couldn't swim, or liked gangster rap, simply because they were black. And rightly so. If you don't understand why, it's not their job (or mine) to explain it to you.
Quote:
Had the woman in the OP's post somehow used the assumption that the OP knew another language beyond the conversation, that would be racism in a way that probably would have gotten her fired. But the definition you use is perfectly acceptable behavior.
Let's see. I've been called a blue eyed ***** and a honky straight to my face but ya know what...so what. Stop being a pusscake and toughen up. Give the person another chance, things aren't always as they first seem, if that person is still a jerk after another try, push on and don't let it bring you down
Those were examples of indirect racism. I don't believe the woman's intentions were negative. Someone in their right mind wouldn't intentionally say something like that at work.
Are you talking about the children of immigrants part?
*I'm assuming that's what you're talking about because the other stuff wouldn't make sense. If you were talking about something else, then ignore the comment below.
I wasn't offended by what that poster said. She assumed what it's like to be a child of an immigrant and stated them as facts. Notice I said things like "tend to" and "personal experience". My intention was to share my experience because I highly doubt that she knows what it's like to be a child of immigrant parents.
Pinkmani, thanks for the follow up post clarifying what you were saying and apologies for misreading your post.
I agree with you that the comment was innocent. While this isn't the case with you, I do think that many people make connections between something as benign as what the woman asked, and things that are real acts of racism. Look at how the op jumped to automatically referring to her as a "racist b****".
I'm not surprised to discover that you're a linguist as well as a sociologist, but where I come from, making assumptions about someone based on their looks is pretty much the dictionary definition of racism.
I brought this up in a previous post but will mention it again. Isn't that exactly what the OP did? It is possible that the woman was probing because she has a specific ethnicity in her dna, or speaks a specific language, and was looking for common ground.
I brought this up in a previous post but will mention it again. Isn't that exactly what the OP did? It is possible that the woman was probing because she has a specific ethnicity in her dna, or speaks a specific language, and was looking for common ground.
Don't pull something trying to make that stretch...
It isn't that bad. I had to separate my Jewish employees from my Antisemitic staff at one point so they didn't clash.
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