Yesterday I had two nurses make anti-Mexican statements. The first was a new nurse who moved from Montana and made these statements in the medroom. She's having trouble adjusting to the hospital, which does have a considerable Mexican population, but I haven't noticed the Mexicans being particularly difficult patients, they seem to come in all stripes. I made some soothing comments and changed the subject.
The second statement was made during report, I was telling the story of a patient who was a real psychosocial disaster, very difficult, a total drain on society type, we had to move her roomate the woman was so loud, obnoxious and off the wall. She had a Spanish last name so the nurse I reported to made a derogatory remark. I told him that I didn't think this woman was Mexican but was married to one, thus nipping that one in the bud. He made this comment at the nurses station within earshot of everyone!
Meanwhile, we have Hispanic coworkers galore, most of whom are awesome people! I suppose a few Hispanic workers might also resent non-Hispanics, but I find the whole thing appalling. It always blindsides me! I need to practice a witty comeback, like the fact that my husband's half sisters are half Mexican (true).
Then there's asking point blank "What's being Mexican (black, queer, rich, poor, fundamentalist, redneck, liberal, conservative ... etc.) got to do with it?" and not letting up until they answer.
Or, if I were standing there: "What's being a special kind of girl got to do with it?"
my hair is naturally blonde and it's super curly and kinky and thick enough for a horse's tail. i spend alot of time with a flat iron, but after working and sweating a little bit, i've got the super frizz anyway.
she cracks me up. like, as horribly judgemental as she is, she's kind of just a pure kind of duh... she really doesn't know any better.
Honestly, I don't know where people get off trying to impose their racist and homophobic views onto other people especially in the workplace. I don't understand what makes them so comfortable in saying such things especially if they do not know if the person they are saying them to share their same views.
Honestly, I don't know where people get off trying to impose their racist and homophobic views onto other people especially in the workplace. I don't understand what makes them so comfortable in saying such things especially if they do not know if the person they are saying them to share their same views.
to be completely honest with you, i really think it's because they do not think that they are wrong in their beliefs. they think that the people who do not think like them are wrong and by sharing their views, they think they are helping us see the right way to think.
there are people who are purely full of hate because they choose to be that way. but there are some, like my two friends, who really don't know any other way to think, because that's what they have been told since they were little kids.
they say these things so blindly. as if they are looking at the people they lash out about in a picture or something. like they aren't real...... but i don't think they could look at another human being in the eyes and say such hateful things.
kinda like why rush hides behind a microphone, on the radio. :)
I have a standard line I use with these kind of situations: :"I'm very uncomfortable hearing that word (or kind of remark). Please don't use it around me again." I repeat as necessary and refuse to listen to any of their "justifications". I have even used this on my relatives. The only one that got any pass on this was my uncle AFTER his second ruptured cerebral aneurysm - it destroyed his "censor" circuit. Fortunately it was very easy to redirect the conversation with him. I don't give anyone a pass for less than that.
Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
Do you work in the deep south? (of the US?) Because that sounds EXACTLY like where I live and about 200 miles in any direction.
I hate to play devil's advocate and crash the party here, but isn't that being a bit..prejudiced?
On my mother's side, we are descended from "backwoods" coal-mining, "mountain men." A vast majority of the stereotypes related to the people from my family's region (and this includes my family) stem from truth. However, they are still stereotypes, and offensive.
I know of more than one person in my life who fits that "deep south prejudiced person" bill, but that doesn't make it not a stereotype. I know people from Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia who are nothing like this, several of them, in fact. I also know that the "N-word" still flies in my aforementioned family's region, and they're above the Mason-Dixon line!
FireStarterRN, BSN, RN
3,824 Posts
Ha ha. It's funny how provincial people can be!