"You dont look like a Susan Brown" (long)

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Specializes in Occ health, Med/surg, ER.

I want to know how other people would react.....Am I over reacting?

Not too long ago, my nursing dept got a new health manager due to the expected retirement of the existing health manager. The nurse who was about to retire has a name that does not sound ethnic, (Please do not blast me) just say its Susan Brown. She stayed on to train the new health manager before officially retiring....

Another nurse and I needed needed to get certified in CPR, and Mrs "Susan" gave me her corporate card to pay for the class. Ok. Here's what really burned my tail. The new manager, told me she was nervous about me using Susan's corporate card, because I dont "look" like a Susan Brown!!!!! I felt my face turn red, and I said....Well, my name is Cynthia Johnson, what do I look like my name is, Maria Gonzales? To explain a little bit more, I am half mexican and half black. I look very ethnic. I was very hurt and furious at the same time. I have never been made to feel like that before. Am I over reacting? Would any body else taken this to be a prejudiced statement?

Well, about a month later....the new nurse manager was suspended for sending a racist email through the company email network. The email was called...."I am white and proud" and was horrible. It stated how unfair it was to have an all black college like spellman or moorehouse, but if white people wanted an all white college, it was considered racist. Or, why was it ok for black gansters to promote violence against white cops, but it was unacceptable for white cops to beat "n----rs! I dont even want to repeat some of what the email said.

The new nurse manager was suspended for three days. We then had to have a meeting with her, to listen to how sorry she was, and that she was not a racist, that she just wanted people to "ponder" some of the ideas in the email. She asked us if we thought she was racist, and that she believed she never acted that way. I told her that she did, when she told me I didnt look like a "Susan Brown". I told her that I have never felt so humiliated, and that she made me "realize" my differences as far as ethnicity goes. I asked her to look at me, and tell me what she saw. Did she see someone who made a 4.0 in nursing school, someone who was named an All State Academic Scholar, or did she see a minority female who didnt "look" like a Susan Brown? She couldnt answer.

Thanks for listening.

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Unfortunately I think things like this happen all too often. I had something like this happen as the result of my name, which is Alisha Lopez. My husband's family is Colombian and I am as pale as a ghost. I went to get an x-ray done at a local clinic and my appointment was at 9. Of course offices run late, so around 10:15 I got a little antsy. Finally, 10:50 someone peeking around a corner in a shy and discouraged way says "Ms. Alisha Lopez?" I walked up to her and smiled. She said "I have been looking for a translator for the past hour, glad to see I don't need one." You talk about a WTH moment!!!!!!!!!! I turned around and walked out. I just was so incredibly shocked. I mean she could have totally kept that comment to herself.

People will never change unfortunately. I feel sorry for people who are intolerant, indifferent, and most IGNORANT.

I am sorry you went through such a horrible ordeal.

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I think you handled this great. What she did and her comments are totally uacceptable, even without the racist e-mail the comment alone regarding is enough to send out huge red flags.I am surprised/shocked she only got suspended. I am sorry you had to go through this although sadly I assume this is not the first time and won't be the last time. Take care and keep using your voice. :)

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That is crazy that she implied your "susan brown" name didnt match you. I dont get it that kind of ignorance. Some names are more ethnic than others. I married an englishman and i am german and cherokee indian. It NEVER occured to me that someone might look at me and think...her last name shouldnt be Heath, it should be Littlebear...or some weird indian name. It doesnt really make me mad that someone did that to you, it honestly, makes me laugh at that kind of ignorance. Sounds like that woman may not be racist, but stupid and there is a difference...sometimes. ha ha

Although, i have often wondered why it is socially acceptable for blacks to have "Ms. Black America", if there was a "Ms. White America" everybody would have a fit over racism. And honestly i dont know why it is legal to have an all black school. I cant have an all German school, or all Indian school and quite frankly, i wouldnt want one. I like diversity and culture. But i have to admit, i have wondered why it is ok for the blacks to have stuff that is "theirs" but whites cant have stuff that is "theirs". My indian heritage is a minority, but i dont feel i should get anything special because of it. I am a human being, black, white, blue, or red. What is so special about what country your ancestors came from? Arent we all Americans?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.

Thanks for listening.

She sounds painfully, painfully ignorant not just because of her racist beliefs but because she is clearly so unpolished that she is unable to keep it out of her professional life. Who doesn't know in this day and age not to use company e-mail to send that type of stuff? Moreso, she is a huge liability to the company because if she is so crude that she cannot have a simple interaction with a nonWhite person without making a comment about their appearance, then it is almost guaranteed that this person will be unable to function in a managerial position and treat employees and guests fairly.

I would start taking notes of just this sort of thing along with dates and witnesses to the incidents. It may be what the company needs to get rid of this woman and protect themselves from anti-discrimination lawsuits in the future. As for taking it personally, I wouldn't. The woman is a moron, who cares what she sees?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.
And honestly i dont know why it is legal to have an all black school.

Oh geez, here we go. It isn't legal to have an all-Black school. That is why they don't exist.

It's funny that you claim to be Cherokee and German but you didn't know that there are schools which are founded for and by Native Americans and that there is a Miss German American pageant as well as a Miss Indian Nations pageant. Interesting. So let's just stop this right now and focus on supporting the OP, okay?

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CyndieRN, I am appalled by what your nurse manager said and did. I am equally disturbed by your employer's lack of action. She should have been fired immediately. By failing to do so, your employer has sent a terrible message to you and your co-workers, not only about its lack of sensitivity but about the low standards it sets for hiring managers.

In regard to the rest of the posts that suggest it's legal to have an all-black or all-white school, it is not. Affirmative action is aimed at helping minorities achieve parity at the college level. That no or few members of a different race opt not to apply or are not accepted by a particular school is a different matter.

I am sickened that CyndieRN and her co-workers have to work with this ignorant woman -- and ignorant is an understatement. I realize that many people are racist, but most know to conceal their unacceptable points of view on the job. Apparently your nurse manager crawled out from underneath a rock.

As a nursing student, I'm really troubled by the work environments I read about on this bulletin board. Such behavior would not be tolerated in the corporate environment I came from, and it would be dealt with swiftly. As I read story after story about harassment and abuse on this board, I have to wonder how it is that so many health care operations seem mired in mid 20th century attitudes.

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The new manager, told me she was nervous about me using Susan's corporate card, because I dont "look" like a Susan Brown!!!!! I felt my face turned red, and I said....Well, my name is Cynthia Johnson, what do I look like my name is, Maria Gonzales? To explain a little bit more, I am half mexican and half black. I look very ethnic. I was very hurt and furious at the same time. I have never been made to feel like that before. Am I over reacting? Would any body else taken this to be a prejudiced statement?

..........................

Well, about a month later....the new nurse manager was suspended for sending a racist email through the company email network. The email was called...."I am white and proud" and was horrible.

Well, up until the elipse I thought you were over-reacting to an exceedingly ignorant woman.

After that, I saw an incredibly racist woman. With astonishingly bad judgment. How on earth does someone think such a thing is acceptable at work (not to mention anywhere, but at WORK?!)

So no, you weren't.

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It's funny that you claim to be Cherokee and German but you didn't know that there are schools which are founded for and by Native Americans and that there is a Miss German American pageant as well as a Miss Indian Nations pageant. Interesting. So let's just stop this right now and focus on supporting the OP, okay?

Well, you actually hit the nail on the head with that one. I actually dont "claim" to be German or Indian. As my letter said, i claim to be American...that was my last sentance. I suppose there are minority schools with my heritage, but i just dont care enough to investigate it. I wouldnt attend them anyway, as i would deem them racist and segregatory. But anyway. No need to get upset. The way i see it. There is really no such thing as an full blooded "American". What is "American"...everybody that is American came from somewhere, except for the indians i guess. I hope i didnt offend, i was just saying, i dont see why we need to cling to things that segregate. Why not all pull together as Amercians instead? Oh sure i embrace my heritage, i feel a sense of respect and sadness each year when the Trail of Tears is obsersved in my area. I have often cried at the cruelty my ancestors endured. But i put myself as an American first and i think the ones who dont put American first need to evaluate why they are here. I dont live on a reservation (although my grandfather did, most of his life), i dont live in Germany. I am an American, i live in America. If Indian came first, i would live on a reservation. If German came first i would move my butt to Germany. So why not just let everything be American...i dont think anything good has ever come of segregation.

It is crazy that anyone born in America with an ethnic name should feel any less an American than someone with the name Smith. After all, Mr. Smith came from somewhere, cause that name sure doesnt sound native indian to me. So when you get down to it, we are all imigrants.

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Specializes in Occ health, Med/surg, ER.

OMG! I should have got this off my chest as soon as it happened! I underestimated the support I would get from you all here. Thank you.

I was deeply, deeply hurt by what this women said and did, because, I had just recently graduated from nursing school, where diversity is pounded into our heads. ANNNNNNND, I never thought I could excel in something like I did in nursing school! I found my calling!!!! Once I knew that I would never, never be looked down upon, (I MADE ALL A's!!! YEAH!! I never knew I could do that!! :)) she made that awful statement and knocked me off my high horse. It was traumatizing to say the least.

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Oh and BTW, i do think that woman should be fired and reported to her local BON for her behavior. No one that stupid needs to be taking care of people, that is just not safe.

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Once I knew that I would never, never be looked down upon, (I MADE ALL A's!!! YEAH!! I never knew I could do that!! :)) she made that awful statement and knocked me off my high horse.

Hey, young lady, you get right back on the horse and yell, "I MADE ALL A'S! YEAH!"

Let an assclown like that knock you down mumble mumble I never in all my days heard of someone so mean and stupid as that woman ..... mutter mumble she gives the rest of us white folks a bad name grumble grouse....

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