We are NOT alike
So what is it like for you Asians who work at a white dominated work place? Do you experience things that I experience.
Today, and it has happened many times before, I was sitting around talking with co-workers when one of them has a story to share. The story happens to involve another Asian person so my co-worker turns to me and says, oh, I knew this Asian girl... blah blah blah. The whole time she is talking straight to me as if I must totally understood her because I too am Asian. She draws me to this story that really is just a story to me, but she feels as though she is connecting with me at some kind of level and all I can do is look interested, nod and smile. I can't even tell you what the story was about because frankly I didn't care, but that sense of me wanting to scream, "we are not alike" was so tense. This co-worker of mine must of really wanted to share this story with me because she was so happy to tell me all about it.
Just because I have black hair, brown eyes who wears glasses doesn't mean that I look and am like the other girl that has black hair, brown eyes who also happens to wear glasses. We have a individual identity. Don't we?!? Am I all alone on this?
Today, and it has happened many times before, I was sitting around talking with co-workers when one of them has a story to share. The story happens to involve another Asian person so my co-worker turns to me and says, oh, I knew this Asian girl... blah blah blah. The whole time she is talking straight to me as if I must totally understood her because I too am Asian. She draws me to this story that really is just a story to me, but she feels as though she is connecting with me at some kind of level and all I can do is look interested, nod and smile. I can't even tell you what the story was about because frankly I didn't care, but that sense of me wanting to scream, "we are not alike" was so tense. This co-worker of mine must of really wanted to share this story with me because she was so happy to tell me all about it.
Just because I have black hair, brown eyes who wears glasses doesn't mean that I look and am like the other girl that has black hair, brown eyes who also happens to wear glasses. We have a individual identity. Don't we?!? Am I all alone on this?
posted by Wackies at
7:21 PM
2 Comments:
I am often astounded at the level of ignorance of some people (meaning your co-worker).
I would try telling her a story starting with, "So, I knew this white person once" and see how things go. ;)
(Or "I knew this honkey once" but some people have a tendency to get inflamed (admittedly, doesn't happen to me but I think being white has that advantage))
By
Anonymous, at February 23, 2006 4:11 PM
That's funny. I should try it, but watch, she'll get all offended and that would be the end of our friendship. Ha Ha.
By
Wackies, at February 23, 2006 4:59 PM
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