Let's say you are receiving a verbal report from a fellow from a another country originally, along with a handwritten reference sheet. This guy is from the Philippines. You can never read this fellow's handwriting. You tell him that his handwriting is difficult to read, and jokingly compare it to another co-worker's (well known to everyone) bad handwriting, who is also happens to befrom the Philippines. Then you good humoredly note "you guys are even from the same country".
This previously congenial colleague flies off the handle, extremely offended, and accusing you of racism, calling you a racist. You immediately try to sooth the situation, apologizing, but the co-worker has trouble getting over it. Other co-workers are dumbfounded at the fellows reaction too.
I didn't realize that "Philipinian" was a race :shock:
no, it's not.Let's say you are receiving a verbal report from a fellow from a another country originally, along with a handwritten reference sheet. This guy is from the Philippines. You can never read this fellow's handwriting. You tell him that his handwriting is difficult to read, and jokingly compare it to another co-worker's (well known to everyone) bad handwriting, who is also happens to befrom the Philippines. Then you good humoredly note "you guys are even from the same country".
This previously congenial colleague flies off the handle, extremely offended, and accusing you of racism, calling you a racist. You immediately try to sooth the situation, apologizing, but the co-worker has trouble getting over it. Other co-workers are dumbfounded at the fellows reaction too.
People seem to use the word racism rather broadly these days, to mean any and all prejudices.
I don't think this is racist. It may be a little insensitive but not racist. If anything the Filipino guy is way to sensitive and just wants an excuse to say he was treated with racial animosity over his garbage handwriting. People are too easily offended, we shouldn't cater to the emotional instability of adults with the maturity levels of 6 year olds.
Let's say you are receiving a verbal report from a fellow from a another country originally, along with a handwritten reference sheet. This guy is from the Philippines. You can never read this fellow's handwriting. You tell him that his handwriting is difficult to read, and jokingly compare it to another co-worker's (well known to everyone) bad handwriting, who is also happens to befrom the Philippines. Then you good humoredly note "you guys are even from the same country".
This previously congenial colleague flies off the handle, extremely offended, and accusing you of racism, calling you a racist. You immediately try to sooth the situation, apologizing, but the co-worker has trouble getting over it. Other co-workers are dumbfounded at the fellows reaction too.
The guy in question has no history of making racist remarks and is pretty easy going and friendly. The remark was entirely off the cuff.
For some reason "no" wasn't on the list.
Unless the guy making the comment was a Democrat. We all know what racists they are.
''If anything the Filipino guy is way to sensitive ''
This brings up another thought I have been having. How does a person lose this sensitivity, after they have become allergic to certain comments and behaviours that have happened to them a bit too much? I am not expecting an answer to this, as nobody I asked has yet been able to answer it, but if anyone wants to give it a shot...
I have a friend who is a psychologist. She says the strong feelings that come up when racial comments are made are 90% caused by what has happened in a persons past, and only 10% by what caused the outburst/reaction.
''Throwing out the Race card is highly inflammatory, I must say. Accusing someone of racism should be done lightly or on the spur of the moment. ''
Have you succeeded in responding lightly to something which irritates the hell out of you? And, what if a possible threat is involved. This is the case with race comments. A person might want to shut up anyone making generalisings and others latching on to the generalisions, in case it starts becomming a work place 'truth', just because it is said often enough.
''That's very true, hearing things over and over again might make folks overly sensitive and prone to over reacting''
I personally would apologise again, but keep it very simple, so he does not have something else to be p*ssed of at you about. I had a situation where I made a joke at work which I didnt think anybody could take seriously. Apparently somebody did, and the boss asked me to apologise. I apologised, because it is sometimes the simplest way to resolve things. Afterall, I really did not mean to piss off a colleague, so I could at least be sorry about that much.
''I think White people are, in general, sick of the term racism being thrown out at the drop of a hat. ''
It is the price society will have to pay for a while, for hundreds of years of oppression. Best be careful not to prolong it, by putting more racism or even what can be peceived as racism out there.
Let's say you are receiving a verbal report from a fellow from a another country originally, along with a handwritten reference sheet. This guy is from the Philippines. You can never read this fellow's handwriting. You tell him that his handwriting is difficult to read, and jokingly compare it to another co-worker's (well known to everyone) bad handwriting, who is also happens to be from the Philippines. Then you good humoredly note "you guys are even from the same country".
This previously congenial colleague flies off the handle, extremely offended, and accusing you of racism, calling you a racist. You immediately try to sooth the situation, apologizing, but the co-worker has trouble getting over it. Other co-workers are dumbfounded at the fellows reaction too.
Let's say you are receiving a verbal report from a fellow from a another country originally, along with a handwritten reference sheet. This guy is from the Philippines. You can never read this fellow's handwriting. You tell him that his handwriting is difficult to read, and jokingly compare it to another co-worker's (well known to everyone) bad handwriting, who is also happens to befrom the Philippines. Then you good humoredly note "you guys are even from the same country".
This previously congenial colleague flies off the handle, extremely offended, and accusing you of racism, calling you a racist. You immediately try to sooth the situation, apologizing, but the co-worker has trouble getting over it. Other co-workers are dumbfounded at the fellows reaction too.
''If anything the Filipino guy is way to sensitive ''
This brings up another thought I have been having. How does a person lose this sensitivity, after they have become allergic to certain comments and behaviours that have happened to them a bit too much? I am not expecting an answer to this, as nobody I asked has yet been able to answer it, but if anyone wants to give it a shot...
I have a friend who is a psychologist. She says the strong feelings that come up when racial comments are made are 90% caused by what has happened in a persons past, and only 10% by what caused the outburst/reaction.
''Throwing out the Race card is highly inflammatory, I must say. Accusing someone of racism should be done lightly or on the spur of the moment. ''
Have you succeeded in responding lightly to something which irritates the hell out of you? And, what if a possible threat is involved. This is the case with race comments. A person might want to shut up anyone making generalisings and others latching on to the generalisions, in case it starts becomming a work place 'truth', just because it is said often enough.
''That's very true, hearing things over and over again might make folks overly sensitive and prone to over reacting''
I personally would apologise again, but keep it very simple, so he does not have something else to be p*ssed of at you about. I had a situation where I made a joke at work which I didnt think anybody could take seriously. Apparently somebody did, and the boss asked me to apologise. I apologised, because it is sometimes the simplest way to resolve things. Afterall, I really did not mean to piss off a colleague, so I could at least be sorry about that much.
''I think White people are, in general, sick of the term racism being thrown out at the drop of a hat. ''
It is the price society will have to pay for a while, for hundreds of years of oppression. Best be careful not to prolong it, by putting more racism or even what can be peceived as racism out there.
I don't even think what MyOwnDrum said was the least bit insensitive. He was making a joke, for ****s sake.
Just the other day I was out with my co-workers having a drink, including the Irish guy I work with. (whose accent makes me weak in the knees, but I digress... ) He's telling this story about how he thinks we're too soft on kids here in the US. About how in Ireland, if kids do ****ty in some sport, they'd throw rocks at them and how in the US we give ****ty kids trophies. I said something about there being a 'happy medium' between the two. He chuckled and said, "Well, we wouldn't actually throw rocks..." and before he could finish I interjected, "You'd throw potatoes?" Everyone at the table busted out laughing and he did his damndest NOT to laugh and just TRY to pretend to be offended while he rattled off about Irish stereotypes and told me, "póg mo thóin".
People CHOOSE to get offended. People like that guy in the OP are only harming themselves by being pissed off all the time. He'd be so much better off mentally, and probably physically, if he laughed instead of angered.
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