I had a job once, that I gained by being able to type fast & write eloquently. There were 12 employees, and we all earned the job by qualifying in the same exact requirements. The only thing, was that I was the only non-White employee, which came into play the 3rd day I went to work. The director, a Caucasian woman, she said to me, as I walked in, Ive noticed that youre so well spoken, Ricardo. You just surprise me so much with your giant vocabulary. I paused a little, kinda thinking to myself, Every employee here speaks with a similar vocabulary, but ok. I just smiled, no harm done. Finally, the 4th day comes, and were all sitting at our desks, kinda like in school, listening to the directors new instructions. Afterwards, many of us employees asked questions, and then when I began to ask, and mention a few things, the director looked at the manager, smiled, and said to him, You see how well spoken he is! And then she looked at me, and said, Im very impressed with you, Ricardo, youre so well spoken! I felt a bit embarrassed, kinda looked around as the co-workers glanced at me. You told me that yesterday, maam. I said to the director. Yes, and early this morning I was telling Frank (the manager) about how impressed I am. She smiled. Impressed at my work ethic, or what impresses you about me? I said. At how well spoken you are! She said. But, everybody here was hired for being advanced in English language & literature, no? I said. Yes, but... but you... she stuttered. But, I, what? I chuckled. She seemed nervous suddenly, and hesitantly said, But youre... you know? I smiled, and then said: But Im not white, so I shouldnt be speaking well? Do I exceed your expectations of how a Mexican is supposed to speak? Everybody here speaks just as well, him, her, all of them, and I never once heard you compliment them about how well spoken they are, as if you expected them to by default, simply cause theyre White, but then, here you have a Mexican guy who speaks the same as all of these White guys & gals, and suddenly, wow, awe, what a sight to see, huh? If we all had acquired this job for a different reason, and I happened to speak how I do, meanwhile everyone else was illiterate, then maybe Id understand, but here, I speak & write equally from all these folks, but the sad thing is that, due to all of them being white, they SHOULD and are expected to be EDUCATED because thats how the media depicts Whites to be, and if a White person wasnt educated or well spoken here, then it would shock you! But since Im Mexican, and my features & complexion are on par with what Fox News depicts as a non-Educated, drug dealing criminal, then youre just shocked, as I exceeded your expectations of what someone who looks like me should be capable of, according to the medias stereotypes. We all earned this job for reading & writing English well, so, your comment isnt really a compliment, but an insult showing how surprised you are at a non-White person not being dumb, ignorant and/or stupid. Youre not amazed at your employees being well-spoken, because evidently you havent complimented the entire staff, but what youre amazed at, is me, a dark skinned Mexican who doesnt match the stereotypes of what youre so used to the media portraying as an uneducated, good for nothing immigrant. Imagine if I were the director, and said to the entire class, but excluded the Mexican, All of you folks, except the Mexican, just you White folks amaze me so much, at the fact that youre employed, and not at the welfare line, or trying to gain a disability check, unemployment check, at the corner as a hobo begging for spare change, or out there shooting up a school, a movie theater, or going on a raping spree, simply for being mad at your parents who didnt spoil you for Xmas., how do you think theyd react or feel? I doubt theyd take it as a compliment.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 18:06:47 +0000
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