Racism at it's finest.Rant Warning!!

Ok so my family is from Trinidad but we are of African American mixture. So I guess we are what you call Dougla.That means we are mixed with West Indian & African American. The other day I went into a Caribbean restaurant because they have the best Roti & curry Chicken around. It's owned by a white guy & his Guyanese wife. Now the Trinis & the Guyanese have been disputing for years over whether or not Guyana is a part of the Caribbean because it's on the mainland. I don't care because some of my closest friends are Guyanese. As I was talking to the guy I mentioned something about Trinidadians and he made a comment that trini people were a step down from Guyanese people. I'm thinking is this man crazy. I am standing here with my red, black & white trini flag keychain and I know he can see it and he just outright insulted my heritage. He said it with a smile like it was funny. I just looked and waved my keychain in his face. Then he had the nerve to offer me a job cleaning the floors! sigh...

 

Yikes! That's some nerve! :O

How much do you love their Roti and curry Chicken? I stopped going to a local jeweler, because I overheard him telling another customer that he'd just been "jewed" by someone. I'm not Jewish, but it still put my back up.

 

Jewed! Wow. I don't know why people have trouble figuring out what's ok to say out their mouths.

I do love roti and curry chicken but, I was taught when I was very young to make it myself. Mine is better I think but it's just a hassle to make. It's hard to find good Caribbean food around here, but I won't be going back in there.

 

Wow that is awful! So sorry you have to endure such pardon my language c**p. You would think in this day in age that people could just realize we are all just people.

 

Racism is an easy way to filter out the little people from the big people, if you know what I mean. You're Dougla....lol, havent heard that term in a loooong time!! I hope you can find another restaurant, just stop going to that one if you can.
Still, I'm thinking, the fact that he offered you a job cleaning floors, I think in his mind he was trying to be hilarious. I dont think he was being horribly insensitive on purpose. Also, since he himself is white, not from that background, I'm thinking it's more the guyanese wife to blame, indoctrinating him, if you will, on the superiority of Guyanese over Trinidadians....
You know, its funny, everything is relative, if there was a Surinamese couple in that restaurant, they would be looking down their noses at the Guyanese wife!

Take it in stride, I think...where brains are concerned, some of us were at the shallow end of the gene pool (line stolen from Lion King)!

 

Why? Why do people act like that? I am white, but I would have been offended too!

I am blessed because my kiddos have grown up around a lot of other cultures because many of my dh's brothers married women from them. It's good, because when they see their cousin, they don't see "color" they see their cousin...

Adults can mess stuff up SO bad...

 

Wonder how long his business will stay afloat when that kind of stuff coming out of his mouth to customers. :roll:

About the "Jewed" comment....sometimes I don't think people realize just how many phrases we have based on racism or discrimination in general.

 

To be honest, once I got over the initial shock of hearing "jewed", I realized I'd grown up saying, "gypped" and never once connected it to gypsies.

So thanks to that gentleman, I've stopped saying "gypped". Nothing wrong with just plain, "He cheated me!" (And I should've known better - if I thought back to the way I was brought up, I'm supposed to be using plain speech anyway.)

 

I just heard my MIL! LOL
She is a very racist woman.

What gets me is that this man thought is was funny. :?

 

WOW...that is crazy.

I don't think people think about what they are saying. I have said "gypped" many times and never gave it a second though. I have heard "jewed" and thought that sounded terrible. So...people just don't think. I think we need to allow grace in some situations. However, this guy at the restaurant was WAY out of line!

 

Glad you threw your Trini keychain at him, hope it hit him in the eye. Jerk.

BTW...we have a Trinidadian coach who comes up to my daughter's gym during the summer and teaches their summer camp. Our gym is very connected with Trinidad. We send girls down every year (we've never gone, too expensive!!) to compete in the Tots & Tumblers meet down there. Very exciting. I love the pictures of Trinidad. It looks like such an amazingly beautiful place. I hope we get to go one year!

Families who have gone come back with the most amazing stories of how wonderful, inviting and gracious the people are, and how they can't wait to go back again someday. So I can't imagine Guyanese being any better! LOL

 

I had a Bible professor once who had made many trips to the Holy Land for archaeological digs. He said that the national pastime there is haggling (bargaining) in the marketplace and shops. He said that the terminology of the slang is all wrong, because it's not the Jews but the Arabs who are the most dedicated hagglers! So not "Jewed me down" but "Arabed me down" to a lower price on whatever he was selling... Not that any phraseology based on race/ethnicity is acceptable, but just to show a different POV on a very common practice in that country!

 

I just learned something!! I had no idea that was a racial comment!!

 

Yes we still say Dougla. LOL! Although most of the time when people ask me where I'm from I just say Trinidad.

Yes he thought he was being comical. He said it just like he was talking to one of his buddies, and when he saw I wasn't amused it didn't even faze him. Then he said we need someone to clean the floors, are you interested? I was thinking uh...WHAT! The thing is up until now I would go in there all the time, so they know me well.
I am sure his wife put that in his head because he wouldn't know about the superiority argument unless it came from her. But anyone who is from the Caribbean knows the argument. Not all Guyanese and Trini's have issues getting along. I have several Guyanese friends and we get along fine & have never had any problems. The interesting thing is as an African American I've never really experienced bold racism. I mean once this old woman asked me did I know the song Mama's little baby like shortening bread. LOL. But I don't know if that was racism. I thought it was kind off funny that she asked me, but I knew she asked because I was African American. Or the time someone called me " a carmel like colored gal".LOL Still these things didn't bother me.

I guess I'll just cook my own from now on. Yep, Trinidad is very beautiful, but I don't get to go as often as I used to. I hope I go this summer or maybe I'll go to St.Lucia. I have family there too.

I didn't know that about the word " gypped" interesting. I say that all the time. "Man we got gypped" I guess I should stop saying that. But I would never say "Jewed" or "Jap" or "chink" those are just awful things to say.

 

Not trying to make light of your post, but I guess I'll be reading your future posts with an accent! LOL!! My dh is from Belize and when I get messages from my sil I always read them in her voice.

We have been very blessed as a mixed race couple that things haven't been too bad for us living in the south. My 20 yr old is in my profile pic with me and we get a kick out of the fact that people can't figure out what my kids are! I am sitting here itching to wipe the smug smile off of the fella who disrespected you like that!

 

Lol, Jennifer R, I love watching people try to figure out what I am too!

And some people HAVE to ask! And if I'm in a mischievous mood, I'll answer with a sweet "why?". And watch them wriggle uncomfortably, while they try to explain why exactly they are dying to know what race I am
By the way, my mother is from Pakistan, dad from Suriname (sth America), and I was born in Botswana, learnt english as my first language from British nuns at my private catholic school, so have an accent, but also speak urdu (pakistani), and dutch, and dress traditionally some days, and other days I dont...so people have a really tough time.!!

 

I grew up in southern california, and my circle of friends included guy and girls who where of the following races/color/creeds/nationalities: India (hindu), Mexico, Chinese (originally from Panama of all things!), African and Philippines! My dad (divorced from my mom long ago) is exceptionally racist against African Americans so I saw a bit of that from him, but I just could not understand it -- like those brain cells just don't exist in my brain. I first heard the "he jewed me" in college, and had no idea what the the student was talking about. I think a lot of it just comes from background - as they say-- you aren't born with racism; you are taught it.

 

That stinks! I am not married to a white guy, he is mixed Phillipino (his mom is from the Phillipines) and Spaniard (his grandparents on his dad's side are from Spain). I never really think about it, but he sees people looking at us unapprovinly. I never notice because I guess I am oblivious.

There is just one race...the human race. There is a GREAT sermon about this by Voddie Baucham at: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=525091133123 called "The Table of Nations: Are There Many Races, or One?" I highly recommend checking it out!

 

Honestly....I would probably wonder too! lol! What a background!

 

I know right, me neither. I have used the word gypped often, still have to look it up for a complete definition...also I have used and heard the word "japped" if someone cuts in front of you in traffic. Wow, I guess common slang needs to get checked out for background info before use!

I still remember when I learned that dork means a whales you-know-what! I have to catch myself before saying it! lol!