WHITE PEOPLE:Have you ever experienced racism in an ethnic restaurant?

Question

Last week I went to a Chinese restaurant about 2 miles from my home.I ordered a dish that I've had many times, & the waitress returned with something that I couldn't eat.It was like bones.I told her to bring me back something that I could eat.She said "I'll take $2 off.I told her I need $2, like I need a hole in the head.I guess she thought all White people are stupid or sometinh like that.This is something that I've come to realize.The prevasive racism that Caucasians face in ethnic restaurants across the U.S.

Answer 1

Had the same thing happened to me, they assumed I didnt really know what I was ordering so I got a really badly made meal. When I complained they tried to tell me it was what I ordered...Till I pointed out the item in question was pictured on a board behind the counter and looked COMPLETELY different. Even down to the base ingredients.

Answer 2

I ama former chef and agree it is not so much racisum as prejudice, I have eaten in many a Chinese restaurant in Canada and been bombarded with the expresstion "Fai Lo" a chinese insult for "Fat man or boy", I learned a few chinese pharses and when it was once said to me in one place in Toronto, I decide to use a pharse about that persons mother, I was met with the the threat of being cut in half with a cleaver.

I also was not happy when I ordered certain dishes to see the Asian customers with portions 2X mine, I often go the Asian sections of Toronto, I do not feel that way now, I still get the "Fai Lo" every so often, but as I know what it means I stay away from making comments, I am older, slower and still a "Fai Lo", I have alway been big over 6' 4" tall and around 275.

I got it from everybody including employers even little kids in grocery store when I worked as a produce clerk.

Answer 3

Firstly, what you experienced is PREJUDICE...NOT RACISM. It is important to understand the difference FIRST.
Secondly, it's not ONLY Caucasians that experience prejudice in ethnic restaurants, all races do I beleive. For example, once I went into this Western Texas type of restaurant and all the people just turn and look at you like you don't belong there. Mind you, I'm from a very multicultural neighbourhood in Toronto, Canada. It was just so uncomfortable that try no to go to these type of Western restaurants.
I guess many people just think that everyone is ignorant and doesn't know about their culture, but by assuming that, they are being ignorant themselves.
This is all I have to say, but just remember...what you experienced was PREJUDICE, not racism, and it is not only Caucasians who experience this!!!

Answer 4

Not often (I am an Australian) - there have been a few occassions when in a Chinese restaurant, they prefer not to serve you - especially in some area with a large ethnic population (where I grew up in by the way) - so the service is shocking. They actually don't need the business as they have so many clientelle. There has been a couple of reports on it.

Probably the only one that worried me was I was at a business do, talking with someone for about 10 minutes, he then looked at my name tag and said - "Your German", he turned around and stormed off (my parents are German so i have a german name) - on enquiring I found out he was Jewish and hated Germans. But I have been to many jewish wedding myself anyway - and have some friends from the community.

So not really exposed in any way - just minor - and other races have had it many, many times worse - but i hate all forms of racism or people judging you. My group of friends are diverse.

Answer 5

Anglo,

That's your idea of racism?

It sounds to me like it was just a crappy restaurant...they tried to use up the very last bit of meat, before they started serving cardboard.

Can you please give some examples of "The pervasive racism that Caucasians face in ethnic restaurants across the U.S.?"

Racism in a restaurant is the waiter asking you (and only you) to pay in advance (Dead Presidents, Wilmington, DE, 2000).

Racism in a restaurant is not getting waited on AT ALL (The Ivy, Beverly Hills, 2005).

These were upscale restaurants, not chinese takeaways.

Get the picture?

Answer 6

Years ago, in Puerto Vallarta, my lady friend and I dined in a cliff-side restaurant. We got the best service, the best table and the best view. The next year, while on vacation, I took a young Mexican friend to the same restaurant. They actually seated us in an area under construction away from the "Gringo" clients. The service was really poor, with the plates slammed down on the table. Upon leaving, the hostess told me to never come with a Mexican guest, because he would not be welcome. This coming from a Mexican! Now, we eat taco's in the street..

Answer 7

I would need more than that to assume racism, it sounds to me like you just got a bad cook. As far as racial assumptions, I mostly get people surprised that I can pronounce it right or that I know that stuffed grape leaves are really called Dolmas or Dolmades depending on where your from. My boyfriend used to eat at this Jamaican place all the time & they actually got excited that a white guy would order the ox tail. The cook even came out & told his buddy that he needed a Jamaican woman to cook for him

Answer 8

I am not white but I think that they are generally nicer to ppl that aren't of their race. Every restaurant makes food different even if they are named the same thing. Maybe they just had a bad day with meat? There are many circumstances that surround the way you are treated in a restaurant that don't always amount to racism. There is also that language barrier that makes it harder to provide perfect customer service.

Answer 9

This is not racism...this is one bad experience. I have not encountered racism in a restaurant, but I have been treated differently because of the way I look. I was ignored by the hostess at a swanky restaurant in DC (which shall remain nameless), most likely because of my attire (I was wearing a plain black dress, and black ballet flats, it fit the "dress code" but by looking at me, you can obviously tell I am not one of this restaurant's normal upper class patrons). It was kind of funny though when she got "spoken to" by my friend about the treatment of a customer. My friend was the owner/head chef...

Answer 10

Well, I tried to get a table for myself and my wife at a Chinese restaurant. I'm White, and they refused to even seat me. When my wife showed up after parking the car (she's Chinese) they tried to seat her, once again ignoring me. Maybe it was because they couldn't speak English? Nevermind that I can speak Chinese well enough to get a table and tea...

We didn't eat at that restaurant.

Other times we've eaten at Chinese restaurants where they brought me a fork. Yeah, because OBVIOUSLY White people are incapable of using chopsticks...

I'd normally just chalk this up to simple ignorance but seeing as how this was near San Francisco...

Answer 11

If you are caught up in a dilemma about racism why would you subject yourself to these situations that usually end up with some perverted altercation. ((( prevasive is not a word and lends no meaning to your two dollar stab at the Chinese people or their restaurant )))) ... We have all had the wrong plate delivered to the table and I did not even allow the plate to be placed on the table but, I quickly asked that the correct dish be brought out of the kitchen .... one must simply pay attention to business and pleasure ....