Quote:
Originally posted by Sistermadly
Maybe this should go under politics, but I wanted to put it where a lot of people would see it. It might be kinda long, so I apologize in advance.
I work in an office where I'm the only Black person. I'm also the only American, the only woman, and the only non-Christian, but those are different topics for different threads.
The CEO of the small start-up where I work is Chinese. He was educated in the US but he has limited experience with African Americans. Before he left on a business trip to Hawaii, I heard him talking to one of the partners on the phone. He said "When I come back you might not recognize me. I might be as dark as Sistermadly!" -- and I was sitting right there.
The other day, the subject of religion came up (I was dreading it). He asked me whether I'd found a church home in town, and I told him that while I had some ideas about God, that I don't like churches and church politics. He said "Oh, that's surprising. I would have assumed that a person from your group would be deeply religious. Isn't that usually the case?"
Now - I've learned to let a lot slide since moving up here from the US, mainly because there aren't that many of us (black folks) in this neck of the woods, so I really didn't think anything about it. However, when I told a few other people about it, they got really mad. What do you do when people make assumptions based on your race, religion, or gender in the workplace?
|
It seems like just a lack of experience/knowledge... so I say educate him... politely (as you can muster cause I know you must be irritated when statements like this are made) and tell him the truth... maybe once hears that you are not religious (or whatever other assumptions he makes that are not true) he will learn that just becuase you are black doesn't mean you grew up singing in the choir. It doesn't seem like he's deliberately being hurtful, so just find ways to let him know that although you happen to be African American, you are also an individual.
This kind of stuff happens to me all the time although usually they are wrong on both fronts because they make wrong assumptions in the first place AND base those assumptions thinking I'm a race which I'm not.
Hybrid Mode
