I'm perfectly aware it makes no difference.Follow

Today I was standing next to the entrance to my store, when a group of youngish (early 20s) hispanic boys walked by. I remember noticing them because they weren't into the baggy-pant look that so many kids nowadays affect, but were dressed in a European kind of style and looked very clean-cut, and I was wondering if they were from Spain or Colombia (natty dressers). As they walked by, they passed a group of office-folk, headed by this woman with a spiky two-tone 'do who looked at her companion, a young man, and whispered "INS!! INS!!", at which point they both laughed.

DISCLAIMER: Now, for those of you that can't understand why this is wrong, I won't explain it to you. You just won't get it. Good luck with anything that requires sensitivity. Move on to another thread.

I walked up to her, and let her know I had overheard her comment. She told me that she had in fact said it because she worked for the mall and that she had had problems with the population before, and "INS" is the solution the cops recommended for "those kinds of people". I asked her if she was referring to the kind of people that shop at malls. She said that "she knew what they were", and that she wouldn't get into it with me. I told her that was she was operating on was a stereotype, and while I didn't want to pick on her, she should watch what she said in the middle of a multicultual place that she's supposed to represent (she was part of the mall management). I asked her if she was aware that a great portion of mall tenants and patrons were of Hispanic origin, and that her comments were narrow and prejudiced. She said she didn't think they were, since she knew more than she could tell me and that it wasn't like she had hurled a racial slur. I informed her that it wasn't a racial slur, but it was the equivalent of just saying "welfare" when a black person passed her, and then laughing about it. She told me that "sadly, that would be more acceptable nowadays". It flabbergasted me that she, as the Marketing Manager, wouldn't get why her comment was narrow and prejudiced. Do people not understand what it is to be prejudiced?

I work hard, I try to be an upstanding citizen, and when I experience this kind of behavior from folks, it's disheartening. It's even more disheartening when people don't think it's still present, and pervasive. I called the management office to lodge a complaint, and I know in the end it'll do no good, but I couldn't just let her say it and hold my peace. If all I could do was make her uncomfortable and defensive, at least maybe she'll think twice before making this kind of comment again.

Edited, Fri Feb 3 16:48:17 2006 by Atomicflea

I think you should cut her. Cut her so bad that... she wishes you didn't cut her so bad.

So the local police recommend that when you see Hispanic youths walk by you should whisper "INS" behind your hand to your friend and then giggle madly?

Well, I suppose it beats suggesting random gunshots into a crowd

I am aware that the police probably recommended no such thing. I'm more suprised she'd offer it as a defense

I think she's trying to say that she suspected that the only way a Hispanic youth could be dressed nice was if he was a gangbanger, and that the police recommended she get gangbangers deported by the INS.

All this taking about gangbangs is making me hawt.

It means the same thing everywhere right?

Maybe that's my problem. Despite my life experience, I still have high expectations. I suppose I would rather keep them and face the occasional disappointment than lower them and be proved right.

This coming from someone who works at a mall...

She's just pissed she can't afford to dress in the trendy clothes those youths were wearing.

Not to mention that gang-bangers don't usually dress in Euro style clothing, but rather wear things 5 sizes too large.




Edited, Fri Feb 3 17:07:19 2006 by fenderputy

I might scatter, but it would take at least 5 seconds for it to sink into my stoned as[/b]s.


I haven't smoke bud in almost a month. /golfclap for me.

Edited, Fri Feb 3 18:51:13 2006 by fenderputy

Hmmmph. All this time I've been yelling "La Migra!" I'm gonna kick my cousin's *** next time I see him.

That's a great idea! They would cut that b[b][/b]itch for sure!

Sounds like you made a personal stand that most people chicken out of.

No need to take on the whole problem, but you made your point.
You should be proud of yourself.

I think it was supposed to be a brown pride joke, but you're right Flea, sorta abstract for my taste, too.