Article: Coming Clean

amother

Burlywood

Sun, Feb 17 2019, 9:41 am

I'm guessing that those who found it terrible do not have Hispanic cleaning ladies. The rest of us found it really funny.

Where I live, and where I presume the author of this article lives, the demand greatly outweighs the supply, so the cleaning ladies totally have the upper hand. They can do subpar work, not show up, come late, leave early, and if you complain they will just find someone else.

At some point you say, you know what, it's not worth spending the money to hire this person. Companies do this all the time, nothing offensive about that.

amother

Honeydew

Sun, Feb 17 2019, 9:47 am

amother wrote:

No, you have to explain it clearly to the unenlightened, such as myself.

Think of what a big mitzvah you're doing! Imagine if you can actually get us to change how we think and speak, imagine how amazing that would be!

I'll try one last time. Mentioning someone's race for no reason is racist. Imitating poor English is racist. Assuming that all people of a different race are less intelligent than you, or less honest than you, is also racist.

It's a free country, and it's not illegal to be a bigot. But in a world where all humans are created betzelem Elokim, we have a responsibility to treat people with respect.

There's no downside.

Rubber Ducky

Sun, Feb 17 2019, 9:55 am

amother wrote:

...Imagine an article by someone who's frustrated with his shyster Jewish accountant: So Yankel/Chaim/Shmuel pulls at his unkempt beard and says, "Nu, you really vant I should tell the government how much money you're making? In cesh?"

I'd find that anti-Semitic, wouldn't you?

I laughed out loud at your example, but I would not have found it funny if it had been written by a non-Jew.

amother

Burlywood

Sun, Feb 17 2019, 10:01 am

amother wrote:

There wasn't "no reason". It's good writing - a descriptive. She was just describing how they talk. Or this particular lady talks. It's just funny, not racist at all.

Let's say it's a story of a Jewish woman of Hungarian origin. Wouldn't you imitate the accent to make it funnier? I hear this all the time in Jewish comedy and stories. What's racist about it?

And she never implied that Hispanics are dishonest. Or unintelligent. Where did you see this in the story? She was telling the facts.

mommy3b2c

Sun, Feb 17 2019, 10:03 am

amother wrote:

My Jewish mechanic worked on my car. What's the big deal?

She wasn't negative towards all Hispanics, she was just being descriptive as to the story how it happened.

"The big burly blond haired mechanic worked in my car". Is that a stereotype that all mechanics are big, burly, and blond?

I didn't see that she was being negative about Hispanics, just relating her experiences. Which actually happened. How is that a stereotype?

It’s clearly racist. As are you.

mommy3b2c

Sun, Feb 17 2019, 10:06 am

amother wrote:

I actually do have a Hispanic cleaning lady. Who I treat with utmost respect. This article was nasty.

amother

Burlywood

Sun, Feb 17 2019, 10:14 am

mommy3b2c wrote:

I actually do have a Hispanic cleaning lady. Who I treat with utmost respect. This article was nasty.

You don't live in our neighborhood. It's very different. Nothing to do with race, it's supply and demand. I think the author should explain it. People who have this know what I mean.

I happen to have Hispanic friends (not cleaning ladies) and we have a very good relationship. I also think they are wonderful people and really nicer in general than the native born Americans. I guess that's racist, but true.

Personally, my cleaning lady does all those things but I just let it go because I still need her. Even if she does one hour of work for three hours paid, and spends two hours on her phone. I know I'm not going to find someone better so I just let it go. But it IS ridiculous.

amother

Wine

Sun, Feb 17 2019, 11:40 am

amother wrote:

You probably also pay well below minimum wage. You get what you pay for.

amother

Powderblue

Sun, Feb 17 2019, 11:53 am

amother wrote:

You probably also pay well below minimum wage. You get what you pay for.

I pay my ckeaning Lady $13 cash.
I make $15 minus tax.....

You bet she is expected to do her work properly. Or else I'll find someone else.
When she didn't show up (her public ride didn't work that day) She got an earful!
I don't expect her to show up if she's sick or she doesn't have transportation that day. But I DO expect her to call me and let me know.
To do her work properly.
I've had one Polish (she scared me with her unexpected rage at some grease on the oven that she needed to work on a little), one Spanish (from Spain, she was full of advice about my pregnancy.....) and Hispanic cleaning ladied (omg. Way too many). Also one American (who was arrogant and didn't clean properly. Also very unreliable).

My current one is by far the best one I've had.
She learnt from the first time she didn't communicate. And has since improved.
I treat her wI think respect. I give her healthy filling food. (She is doing physical labor. She needs good nourishment) and I expect her to do her job.

And I TOTALLY get the letter writter.
I think my cleaning lady is the exception.

The things I've been told, used, abused, stolen, (she grabbed something and rannn never to come back)
My sister had a lady who threw her lunch at her because she "only" gave her two veggies, scrambled eggs, bread and spread and had the chutzpah not to give her the 3rd veggy that her son had prepared for himself.
(My sister handed her her bag and walked her to the door.)

Need I go on?

simcha2

Sun, Feb 17 2019, 11:56 am

amother wrote:

So explain this to me - which part of the article was racist? Point out the sentences please.

BTW, I don't agree with the author. Sometimes you have to put up with subpar work because... that's just life.

Without taking out the highlighter and just after a cursory reading.
Speaking to the women in pidgin English is offensive.

The "even" in the "even to two Hispanic women" is racist.

centurion

Sun, Feb 17 2019, 12:59 pm

amother wrote:

Well, they SPEAK pidgin English, she was just transcribing it accurately.

And I think she meant "I can't stand up to CLEANING LADIES?" The Hispanic part is just a descriptive. Cleaning ladies are considered lower on the totem pole in anyone's social ladder.

Well, naturally non-Jews have negative descriptives towards other races, you actually thought otherwise?

Totem pole? Social ladder? Henry Higgins, why do you bother posting with the likes of us?

amother

Ivory

Sun, Feb 17 2019, 1:55 pm

I am Latina and I don't consider this to be article racist. It is enforcing stereotypes, but it's clearly for entertainment.

I do have to add that I understand why people speak pidgin English to immigrants of any race, but I hate when I hear people do that to my parents. Again, I don't think it's racist, but please try to minimize it. It's demeaning.