One of the common themes that comes up several of the adoption forums I am on is this idea that we (adoptive parents with Asian children) somehow don't need to be racially aware or competent. There are some who believe that their children are "white enough" (although they won't phrase it that way) to never experience racism.
But then things like this happen....
(since apparently Asian lady is too hard to spell?)
If I was Papa Johns I wouldn't stop with firing the employee, I would fire the assistant manager and the manger as well because as inappropriate as this is- and as easy as it would be to write off the clerk as an ignorant teenager (which apparently it was) the story actually gets worse.
Don't get me wrong- it was bad- very, very bad already.
However- it turns out that wasn't the really racist part of the story.
Don't get me wrong- it was bad- very, very bad already.
However- it turns out that wasn't the really racist part of the story.
The real racist part were the reactions of both the manager and assistant manager who truly don't seem to understand not only what the actual issue is but also justify it as an acceptable way to identify a customer.
An assistant manager at the store told us that the teen meant no harm
with the slur she used to identify Cho: "We're all of different races
here in this store. So she didn't mean any harm, didn't mean to
stereotype against her, to discriminate against her, but that's how she
took it."
Really-go figure that she took it to be offensive. Might that be because it was offensive?
I just hate when people get offended after I use offensive terms to refer to them.
Then Jerome (the manager) somehow actually manages to make it worse- proving the adage sometimes you should keep your fool mouth shut.
Jerome agreed with her [the asst. manager] saying employees use slang to identify
customers: “It’s a busy place, and it was a way to identify her and her
order. You know, we do stuff like that sometimes. We’ll write ‘the lady
with the blue eyes’ or ‘the guy in the green shirt.’ ”
"We do stuff like that sometimes"
Makes you wonder what slang they are using to describe their Black customers...

6 comments:
I gasped when I read that. How anyone did that or somehow worse EXCUSED that is beyond me.
I had an experience dropping my daughter (from Ethiopia) off for Sunday School where the teacher welcomed us with a smile and said she was glad to see my daughter because they'd be talking about their sponsored child from Tanzania in class that day....
The ignorance in this country is frightening.
Holy CRAP.
GOOD LORD! I'm speechless.
A friend just linked to your blog on her FB page. I just wrote posted something on my blog very similar to this post: http://myminivanrocks.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/racism-exists-even-for-asians/
Great minds think alike, I guess!
You need to take this further up the proverbial chain of command. Horrible!
Alyzabeth's Mommy
Post a Comment