What would you do if you worked with racists?

Question

I work on a barge where many of the men are from Honduras and Mexico and only a few speak English. They work here to support their families back home and I'm becoming friends with them. I know there's a lot of questions about immigration, but these guys aren't immigrating, just working. I'm even trying to learn a little spanish on internet to speak with my new friends. But the minute they leave my work area, my co-workers start saying things like "Fu***ng ******* go home", or "Learn English ******". These are good guys with only a language barrier separating us. What would you tell your co-workers?

Answer 1

I'd tell them to look at the inside of a person, like you have with your new friends. Racism usually comes out of fear. Fear of the other--what the "Other" represents: taking your jobs, destroying your economy, an alien person coming to take your land. But all that stems out of misunderstanding of human culture and human brotherhood--and even out of misplaced human emotions. I can assure you that most--if not all--of your co-workers grew up in homes where either the father or mother didn't have an understanding of other cultures. As soon as they saw a person with different-colored skin, they'd say negative things about that person, right in front of their children. So these children learned from a young age to hate--or fear--the other because mommy and/or daddy didn't like those people. Those are "bad people come take daddy's job"...or "those people come here to steal or do other crimes and then just go back across the border." And they're not educated because they don't even speak our language, so they're all retarded. Things like that. That's why American kids from such families--especially lower-income families who perceive being more susceptible to having their breadwinner's jobs being taken over by immigrants--that's why they grow up hating the new immigrants. Rather than look at their own selves: "Why didn't I get a better education so I could get a better job, so I don't have to be competing with immigrants for low-paying jobs? Why don't I teach my children about loving their neighbors and not hating everyone?"...rather than do that, they automatically like to blame the other because that fear has been instilled in them from a young age, and the fear has turned to hatred of that Other and they are doing the same thing with their own kids now: their kids are having that fear and hatred ingrained in them as well. It is too bad that such negativity is being spread from generation to generation. If only love and understanding were preached and practiced at home, we wouldn't have so much racism in our land.

You know what you can tell your racist co-workers? This would probably hit them harder coming from you rather than from one of the Latinos they've been attacking. Ask them, "How far can you trace your family tree on this continent (North America)? Did you know that Europeans have only been here a little over 500 years--and even then, it was Spanish-speaking Europeans who came here first. The Mexicans and other Native Americans have been on this continent for thousands of years--some 25,000-30,000 years for the Native Americans, and 20,000 years for the Mexicans, to be exact. Those native peoples are the true Americans."

See what they say to that.

The Caucasians who came here were Europeans, not Americans. The native peoples of this continent are the true Americans. And this also brings up another issue: that of the notion of "America." Ask just about any Caucasian American to define the borders of America, and he/she will show you an outline of the United States--and only the United States. Ask any Latin American person the same question, and they'll draw an outline of all America, as it was named by Amerigo Vespucci: from the icy tundras of Greenland to the southernmost tip of Tierra del Fuego in South America. This constitutes North, Central, and South America. (And yes, though politically tied to Denmark, Greenland is on the North American continent). This is America to the Latin American--though in the US children are taught to say, "The Americas" to differentiate from the US "America." So why are the native peoples of the North and South American continents not allowed to say they're American? Why did the Europeans who came to what would later become the US, monopolize that name for themselves--they're not even true Americans. They've been here, if they're lucky to trace their family tree to even 386 years ago (when the Pilgrims came, 1620)--only .0193 percent of the time--let's round it off to .02 percent; and that's not two percent; it's point-02%--or 386 divided by 20,000)...the Caucasians have been here .02% of the time that the Mexicans have been here and .015% of the time that the Native Americans have been here (386/25,000). That's a drop in the bucket. And yet they're the Americans now and the Mexicans and other original American cultures are the intruders. And the Native Americans who were here to greet the immigrant Pilgrims? Need I ask what happened to those Americans?

(Phew!) That was a mouthful. Sorry for being so wordy.

Answer 2

If they are here legally, fine, if not your co-workers have a valid complaint, which is not necessarily racist. There is every reason to expect people who come here to work and live to learn English. You would have a very difficult time living in Honduras or most of Mexico if you refused to learn Spanish. That your co-workers are unhappy with them working on the barge, is normal. The same thing happened when the Irish, German, Italian, and Polish peoples immigrated to the USA. The decedents of those peoples are now often the ones loudest in complaining. How soon we forget.

Answer 3

America was built on the sweat of immigrants, actually the only true Americans are the Natives (Indians). So your co-workers should get the hell out of my country, I'm 1/8th Pawnee!! Should I say, "Go back to where ever you came from!! You destroyed my land and people!! My culture!!!" The Central and South Americans have deeper root in the North American land then 90% of the people that call themselves Americans. English, sounds and looks like England....Are you sure your home Cracker Jack? Maybe the white eye should leave us alone. When the land was Native, it belonged to nobody, only it's self, and all living things. I would tell them "Shut up and get back to work before someone fires your sorry a*s!! If you spent as much energy working as ya do bitchin' we'd be done by now!! Always pointing the finger at someone other than themselves, look in the mirrior sometime, American! HA! American indeed"

Answer 4

I would tell them to get a life! People are people...

Now, if those people are "illegals", then I would be turning them into the Government for illegals working... Simply because I dont believe in Breaking the Law.

But, if they are here, legally, then I would be friends with them, and learn thier language and culture even...(Its a blessing to be able to interact with all, to learn new things, ways and customs and to sample new foods).

Tell your "co workers" to get to know these people and you will be suprised, (if they actually took the time out to do so), what they could learn from them...

But, you wont stop bigotry from happening in this World... People are scared of those who they dont know, and fear that they may soon "infringe" upon thier lives...

I wish you well..

Jesse

Answer 5

In my view, you should simply lead by example. You don't know the backgrounds or life experiences of all of your co-workers and why they feel the way that they do, so it's not your place to tell them how they should feel. You obviously feel one way and they feel another. Ask yourself, why aren't you saying: "Fu***ng go home", or "Learn English ******"? There's something in your background/experiences and their backgrounds/experiences that is different and allows you to feel one way, and them another. If there is nothing in their backgrounds/experiences that is different than yours, then they are likely to follow your example eventually unless they are just evil people, in which case, there's absolutely nothing that you can do.

Answer 6

Tell them to shut the F***ck up. Period.

You are on a barge, away from the wife and kids, totally sexually frustrated and you don't want to hear their crap. They will understand, or they will get fired for being troublemakers.

Make them understand that there are plenty more South Americans to take their place should they decide to keep up a hostile environment. If they don't like it they can leave or take it up with whomever is in charge.

Answer 7

It has nothing to do with racism to want them out of the country. Your co-workers are ignorant but they have the right to want them out. I am sure that they are nice people but would you want them working if your brother or Father was at home with no work and struggling to keep food on the table. I think not.

Answer 8

I live with a racist. he constantly makes insulting comments about my black friends or my hispanic friends. I hate the fact that he does this and it pisses me off, but i have learned that everyone is entitled to an opinion even if you don't agree with them. as long as i still enjoy being around my friends than i just say **** anyone who has a problem with them. there will come a day when soomeone makes bad insults about your co-workers and then they will know how they made you and your friends feel.

Answer 9

I've been in the same situation. These guys are not taking anyone's job, they're doing jobs no one else will do. Unfortunately you will never change your co-workers minds. I created a mess when I spoke up. My man, keep being friends with these guys and don't let the other narrowminded opinions bother you. You go bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 10

I know a few people who are mildly racist, I just mock them about it at every opportunity. Surprisingly, they hate being called racist, even though they are.

Despite that fault, they're still generally good people and my friends, not the 'lets go out a beat up a ******' type, who I would never be able to stand.