Workplace Diversity

"Your son has a better chance of going to jail than college."

“You know, statistically speaking, since you’re Black, Spanish or whatever you consider yourself AND a single mom, your son will most likely wind up in jail."

OHHHHHHHHH! I get it now! Thanks for explaining the first statement with "facts" because my ignoring you since I'm trying my best not to lose my shit and keep my job led you to believe I was confused and didn't understand the knowledge you just DROPPED on me. It couldn't have possibly been because I thought your statement was ignorant and misinformed, it was because I was the misinformed one that had never heard of the frequently cited statistics that are no longer factual.

"I wish I were a Black woman. I could get any job I want and go to a top 10 law school because of affirmative action."

Yea, the same fool that told me my son was going to jail said this was the reason he may not get into a top 10 school. 

"Hey, since you're Black and Puerto Rican I don't have to worry about filling both quotas! Lucky me!"

Ohmagod! You are the luckiest boss EVER. Every employer should look for mixed race employees so they don't have to hire too many non-white employees because you know, one is already enough. Employers should actively recruit people that identify themselves as Cablinasian so they could have all their bases covered.

I wrote a post about using the N word at work but I feel as if there is still so much I have to say about diversity at work, which basically means throwing a Black or Latino in an office and calling it diverse. From my experience, I've found people think its OK to make inappropriate, hurtful or downright racist comments because they know I :

a) wouldn't want to be known as an overly sensitive drama queen
b) wouldn't want to damage the opportunity to get a reference or considered for a promotion 
c) they know I have a kid and don't want to risk losing my job by beating someone's azz

Now to be clear, I am NOT one to sit and listen to someone say hurtful, insensitive things about groups of people; even groups that I do not belong to. Call me the race police but I have confronted colleagues about comments about various ethnic groups, religions and LGBT people. It just gets to the point where I say to myself Why do I have to do this? Why should anyone go through this?

And please, please, please do not initiate a conversation with "why do black people always..." or bring up your views on immigration and the need for all of these Latinos to get out of the country or talk to me about Al, Jesse or some black chick that claimed to get raped by white lacrosse players at least a decade ago or why you believe the Zimmerman verdict was correct. 

What makes people think I want to talk about that?

Just Go AWAY!