Have you faced discrimination?

iluvdes · Post by **iluvdes** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:48 am

Today has been a bad day for me. I have been a long time visitor to this site but this is the first time I'm posting because I wanted to share my situation with you.

I work in IT with a big client on the west coast. I have been with this client for more than two years. I always thought I had good relations with the client, even though there is little interaction.

But today, at lunch, I overhead a couple of amrus from the clients' IT department, making fun of me and my accent. This was at a fast food place near our office. Thankfully they did not see me and I quickly moved it. They were saying demeaning things in a bad Indian accent like "Hi, My name is (my name), I am Indian, I dont use deodorant, I dont know English, I am Hindooooo" and much more..

I don't know what to do. Should I just pretend that nothing happened, should I try and change my job. Lest you feel otherwise, I have a slight Indian accent but I think I'm easy to understand (I've been here 5 years) and maintain impeccable personal hygience (shower, deo everyday)

Also please share any incidence of discrimination you might have faced and how you dealt with it

hisathish · Post by **hisathish** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:32 am

Sorry to hear that dude.

Pretending that this whole thing did not happen or moving to another company would not solve the problem. Why don't you show your friends that while you may have an accent and be a hindoo etc, you are also an assertive professional. Confront them head on; tell them you overheard this, and it is highly inappropriate and unprofessional.

Also, send an email to the HR director and your supervisor documenting the whole thing, including your confronting the bad guys. Cc the bad guys too, if you like. End the letter by saying that you hope this will be an isolated incident, and doesn't repeat. (sounding more like I'm not interested in pressing charges.)

That should help them look at you with a new pair of eyes, from now on.

Or, we could try something very different, inspired by Munnabhai! What would Gandhi do? Not sure what it is yet!

Rangan

Desi · Post by **Desi** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:43 am

Let us see - were you discriminated or made fun of because of accent, Body odor etc?

Can this be called discrimination or is it racist fun and / or racist denigration?

I agree that confrontation should be done, preferably with an email stating that you did not appreciate the racist comments that you overheard about you.

It is a good idea to get a little less ruffled by jokers and their comments - this does not mean not taking them on, but it means to know to not let those things bother you.

iluvdes · Post by **iluvdes** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:43 am

I really wish I cud do that - but I am a contractor here and they are permanent employees. It will be just their word against mine since I do not have any prood they said those things about me. Even if everybody believes me, I think I will lose even the casual acquaintances / friends I have here.

The funny thing is that those two guys are always cordial to me, both of them stop by forawhile whenever they are passing my desk and ask questions about India and Hinduism etc. I feel terrible that I thought they were nice people - where in reality they were just making fun of me the last two years :-(

babu_babu · Post by **babu_babu** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:47 am

iluvdes;38470Today has been a bad day for me. I have been a long time visitor to this site but this is the first time I'm posting because I wanted to share my situation with you.

I work in IT with a big client on the west coast. I have been with this client for more than two years. I always thought I had good relations with the client, even though there is little interaction.

But today, at lunch, I overhead a couple of amrus from the clients' IT department, making fun of me and my accent. This was at a fast food place near our office. Thankfully they did not see me and I quickly moved it. They were saying demeaning things in a bad Indian accent like "Hi, My name is (my name), I am Indian, I dont use deodorant, I dont know English, I am Hindooooo" and much more..

I don't know what to do. Should I just pretend that nothing happened, should I try and change my job. Lest you feel otherwise, I have a slight Indian accent but I think I'm easy to understand (I've been here 5 years) and maintain impeccable personal hygience (shower, deo everyday)

Also please share any incidence of discrimination you might have faced and how you dealt with it[/quote]

This is there every where in the world. King of one's home town is, untouchable in other town.

There is no one on the earth, who is not drenched in the rain.
Ther is no one on this earth, who is not insulted.

Silence is the hardest refute.

Btw, Read "Satcharita".

sftrade · Post by **sftrade** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:53 am

maybe its the spillover effect of Apu from the Simpsons. I don't think you need to confront them but if you feel uncomfortable, you need to find a new place to work. I've seen Indian's look down upon other Indians in the US but that doesn't condone this behavior.

moneyIsNot_funny · Post by **moneyIsNot_funny** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:43 am

To me, this is a no brainer. Just send a polite email to those guys, and cc their and your manager, saying that you overheard them talking about you in a not so nice way (without divulging the details), and would appreciate if this will just be an isolated incident.

Purujit · Post by **Purujit** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:43 am

This is not a big deal unless there is a pattern. If it is bothering you, ask them in a light hearted way some self-introspecting questions or feedback. You may find they were just picking on you unintentionally. If you feel they were indeed making derogatory comments and it did hurt you, let them know you want to be treated with respect. Follow it up with a written note, if needed, and save it somewhere. I wouldn't take it further to management.

Such incidents are everywhere and we will find them in any country, including ours. Sometimes it helps make work more exciting and a chance to develop thick skin! Imagine working with normal nice people all the time. That might be good for a while but it can become boring :rolleyes: and not an environment for self-development. Variety is the spice of life.

nand · Post by **nand** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:59 am

Ignore it and laugh it off. I too have a colleague from the south who tries to always find an opportunity to joke about India. I too give back on the same coin with a smile. That is the best option.

mn_op · Post by **mn_op** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 7:04 am

I would have just ignored the incident and would have stopped talking to those guys. Of course, this may sound like a cowardly act but other options are not any better.
It is heart breaking to be ridiculed by people who we respect but retaliation of any form just makes the situation worse.
Mahatma Gandhi was one in a million (though every clown has an opinion about it) and so following his footsteps is not for us lesser mortals...E-mails are NOT going to solve the problem but you may end up making enemies.

Ridiculing others is favorite timepass of many people...did you know that many Indians refer blacks as Kallus and are vocal about their bad habits?