Discrimination

[Vi Mazzella 4]

Hey guys.

I will like to know if you had some bad experience with discrimination in this country, I'm a latina living and working in NYC, specifically in the Upper East Side and if you are not familiar with NYC this is one of the richest areas of Manhattan.. The population is mostly white and jewish and honestly there are just a few latinos living there so if they see a latina they assume that we are cleaning people or nannies. I'm not against those jobs and the people that perform those activities is just that upsets me the fact that they get surprised when I tell them that I went to school (Peru) and had a very decent life. They think that 'cause we are latinos we are all here ilegally, NO!!!! I COULD BE LIVING IN MY COUNTRY BUT I FELT IN LOVE WITH A WONDERFUL MAN AND HE'S THE REASON WHY I'M HERE.

Vi

[athena_ny 1]

Hey guys.

I will like to know if you had some bad experience with discrimination in this country, I'm a latina living and working in NYC, specifically in the Upper East Side and if you are not familiar with NYC this is one of the richest areas of Manhattan.. The population is mostly white and jewish and honestly there are just a few latinos living there so if they see a latina they assume that we are cleaning people or nannies. I'm not against those jobs and the people that perform those activities is just that upsets me the fact that they get surprised when I tell them that I went to school (Peru) and had a very decent life. They think that 'cause we are latinos we are all here ilegally, NO!!!! I COULD BE LIVING IN MY COUNTRY BUT I FELT IN LOVE WITH A WONDERFUL MAN AND HE'S THE REASON WHY I'M HERE.

Vi

Not usually, we live in Florida, but I had a terrible experience with my husband (he's from Peru too) at Amscot trying to get a money order the other day. I won't get into the details it makes me so mad, but let's just say the stupid woman had the nerve to ask us WHAT IT WAS FOR. For our rent, wasn't even a lot of money. I will be complaining to their corporate office

[Mononoke28 135]

You better get used to it sister, it happens all the time. It's sad but most Americans are very ignorant about other people who are not from the States. They live such a sheltered life that they assume Latinos should be this way, Asians should be that way, Polish another way etc. and never get it right. Of course there is the exception to the rule, but a lot of them simply don't care to know how people are and live in other places.

Take it with a grain of salt, educate them and move on with pride. If they appreciate it then good, if they don't too bad.

Diana

[E&R4ever 6]

Vi,

Sorry to hear that you felt/were discriminated. It’s definitely a touchy subject and one should never be discriminated, but it happens. Being born and raised here ( like I was ) doesn’t disqualify one from being discriminated. This country is composed of many immigrants and SOLEY the Native American Indian is the True American.

This subject is so touchy that common America has invented ‘politically correct’ phrases to describe just about anything. I do not condone discrimination that’s for sure. I only reach higher within my CULTURA and PROUDLY act accordingly. Trust me, my Mexican heritage has gone through many trials since the Alamo. Just look at the map of the US and you still find cities named in Spanish ( Santa Clara, San Diego, Los Angeles).

Don’t let the few idiots get under your skin. You have the option of not associating with them; it is just surprising when you do not expect to be treated in a derogatory manner. The moment we give them the benefit of letting them get under our skin, that is when they feel empowered by their acts. More than that, they are just sick individuals who do not deserve our attention. Keep your chin up!

Eff

[donsarge 0]

Hey guys.

I will like to know if you had some bad experience with discrimination in this country, I'm a latina living and working in NYC, specifically in the Upper East Side and if you are not familiar with NYC this is one of the richest areas of Manhattan.. The population is mostly white and jewish and honestly there are just a few latinos living there so if they see a latina they assume that we are cleaning people or nannies. I'm not against those jobs and the people that perform those activities is just that upsets me the fact that they get surprised when I tell them that I went to school (Peru) and had a very decent life. They think that 'cause we are latinos we are all here ilegally, NO!!!! I COULD BE LIVING IN MY COUNTRY BUT I FELT IN LOVE WITH A WONDERFUL MAN AND HE'S THE REASON WHY I'M HERE.

Vi

Im sorry that happened to you

I too am from NY originally and am very familiar with the upper east side. And please dont use the elevators on passover!!!hahahaah

But let me share my experience as a BlackAmerican living in brasil for a year and a half..as well as having visited a lot of latin american countries

cuba, dominican republic, panama,columbia and puertorico...

In my experience and observations in latin america is that the black or negro populations live and are treated as 3rd class citizens. I almost never saw any black person with a job higher than waiter or maid...lawyers doctors,congressmen,professors, college students, waiters in highclass establishments

in some cases even owning a car i almost never saw a black person.

I lived in the south of brasil where the majority of the people were of italian german mix. There were no other blacks living in the center of town where i stayed the only other blacks were maids or taxi drivers. so when i first moved in to my apartment i would always receive these nasty looks and it was only untill word got around that i was an american that i eventually had people start to communicate with me.

Even when i went to certain restaurants and stores that were considered expensive i would get all theses strange looks as if i wasnt supposed to be there.

I used to walk around all day with a chip on my shoulder complaining to my wife(girlfriend at the time) that these people hate blacks...

it wasnt until a waiter 1 day asked me if i was famous untill i started letting my guard down.

I had forgot that being 6foot 225lbs eating in expensive restaurants living in the most expensive part of the city would kind of make me stand out

as well dressing completly different and speaking portuguese with an accent didnt help either.

So i guess what im trying to tell you is sure some people are going to have some issues with everyone be it race, religion, etc,etc,etc

but if you walk around thinking that everyone is racist or bias against you...YOU WILL PREVENT YOURSELF FROM ENJOYING YOUR TIME HERE

AS WELL AS MISSING OUT ON SOME GOOD FRIENDSHIPS

hope that helps good luck and god bless and mazeltoff

don

[Ladylethal 12]

Yeah, my husband too got lots of looks in Brazil, but they were discriminatory looks, but the fact he is 6'4" and 215 lbs. The only thing of that sort we saw in Brazil was an old lady giving us the look when she saw us kiss (a little peck) in the subway. I guess she didn't like the fact I am white and he's black. Bah!

I'm lucky to be now living in Puerto Rico, where we're all latinos so, obviously, I've had ZERO discrimination here.

[MandR 0]

Hey guys.

I will like to know if you had some bad experience with discrimination in this country, I'm a latina living and working in NYC, specifically in the Upper East Side and if you are not familiar with NYC this is one of the richest areas of Manhattan.. The population is mostly white and jewish and honestly there are just a few latinos living there so if they see a latina they assume that we are cleaning people or nannies. I'm not against those jobs and the people that perform those activities is just that upsets me the fact that they get surprised when I tell them that I went to school (Peru) and had a very decent life. They think that 'cause we are latinos we are all here ilegally, NO!!!! I COULD BE LIVING IN MY COUNTRY BUT I FELT IN LOVE WITH A WONDERFUL MAN AND HE'S THE REASON WHY I'M HERE.

Vi

Hi Vi

Unfortunately there is discrimination of some kind all over the world. Just plain old ignorance.

Living in South Florida with the diverse population that there is down here I come accross it

Dominicans look down at Puerto Ricans, South Americans look down at Cubans, Cubans look down at South Americans and on and on. Being jewish myself I've been dicriminated at some point as well.

I'm sure most upper class people all around this county see a latino or latina as something else... Not thinking that they are educated or were even born in this country and educated here. Or that they have come here for other reasons.

They're just dumb close minded individuals and probably jealous for some reason.

Don't let ignorant people get you down.... be proud of your heritage and just say screw them.

[belize 0]

I'm white and I'm a nanny...I am a "minority" nanny in one of the richest neighborhoods in San Francisco. 99% of the nannies in this neighborhood are Mexican, Salvadoran, Brazilian, etc.... This is a fact. I would not say people are being discriminatory, rather, they are making stereotypes based on what they see, whether that is good or bad. When I meet nannies from Central and South America, they are SHOCKED that I am a nanny--"why are you doing this job?!" they ask, "you are American, you could do anything!"....

I don't want to say stereotyping isn't that bad but the reality is that there seems to be a correlation between the richer people are and the cheaper nannies/housekeepers they hire. Who takes the cheapest jobs and ends up getting taken the most advantage of? often time immigrants who do not have other choices...

As another Jewish member, I would also state that not just my people have been discriminated against, but pretty much everyone in the world has been discriminated against in one way or another....we have it pretty darn good in America....if you were a black African in Sudan right now, for example, you would be murdered by the Arab Sudanese government. I don't want to minimize discrimination because I know how much it sucks, even my husband faced it in Belize, as being one of the "blackest" members of his family....but I would be careful not to assume that stereotypes are always the same as discrimination..

[Mononoke28 135]

My question would be why are you paying your rent with a money order? Why don't you have a regular checking account? I have always seriously wondered about situations like this.

I think this the deserves a "none ya" answer.

[SoL. 0]

Discrimination happens almost everywhere. I have been here @ KCMO for 7 years and in the begining was pretty tough for me because I could not understand what was going on. But I just learned to live with it (cannot change it) and don't let it ruin my day.

People here are actually very nice most of the time, they were just shocked at my work because there are not many latinos, very very few. But slowly they got used to me and now it's all good. I just ignored the bad comments and moved on...

[donsarge 0]

My question would be why are you paying your rent with a money order? Why don't you have a regular checking account? I have always seriously wondered about situations like this.

I think this the deserves a "none ya" answer.

that was a hillarious reply!!!!!!!

[Mona Lisa 0]

The problem isnot to be nanny or have a low rental job, the problem is the strong ignorance I bet the world learned it with the slavery.

Brazil as anyother country there is points of discrimination but the south of Brazil is very prejudiced really, all people lives there are decendent from German and until brunets and brunettes are discriminated too.

When Sting came to live with the indigeans in Amazonia, they didnt want accept him because he was white and his "trible"(white man) was other, after months living together they accept him as a son of jungle.

The society designs what we have to feel about the other and we must to doubt it.

[Mononoke28 135]

Why? I think it's a legit question. I have often wondered why many people esp immigrants do not have bank accounts. I don't get it and I am just curious. Is there a reason you don't think the question should be answered?

I'm sure you meant well BUT what other people do with their money is nobody else's business. If they have a bank account or not, if they have savings or not, if they have an IRA or not, all this is stuff shouldn't concern others. It's like asking a couple who's been married for a long time why they haven't had any children. None ya business.

[athena_ny 1]

My question would be why are you paying your rent with a money order? Why don't you have a regular checking account? I have always seriously wondered about situations like this.

I think this the deserves a "none ya" answer.

Why? I think it's a legit question. I have often wondered why many people esp immigrants do not have bank accounts. I don't get it and I am just curious. Is there a reason you don't think the question should be answered?

Well, it's really none of your business, but I haven't ordered checks yet. Hard to pay with a check when you don't have any.

And the fact we don't have checks isn't a good reason to get treated like #######.

[athena_ny 1]

Why? I think it's a legit question. I have often wondered why many people esp immigrants do not have bank accounts. I don't get it and I am just curious. Is there a reason you don't think the question should be answered?

I'm sure you meant well BUT what other people do with their money is nobody else's business. If they have a bank account or not, if they have savings or not, if they have an IRA or not, all this is stuff shouldn't concern others. It's like asking a couple who's been married for a long time why they haven't had any children. None ya business.

I don't know if it's a cultural thing (I have a feeling that enters into it) but my husband and his family have never used checks. They do everything by money order. He's opening up to the idea of checks since he married me - I personally have no use for money orders unless it's coming from the joint bank acct - no checks for that one yet.

But acting like we should have just written a check so it's okay that we were discriminated against is total #######. That's like saying "Oh I was treated like ####### at Publix grocery store" and someone coming back with "Well you should have gone to Sweetbay anyway." HI, IRRELEVANT.

The fact is, we were quizzed on what the money order was for, as well as being forced to open an account with them, when it says right on their website that no membership is required. Why we were getting a money order isn't important. It's a valid form of payment to most any place and should NOT open us up to discrimination.