feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

DH is PR, born in PR...spent a short while in the Bronx, then moved to MA and then FL...MA and FL he lived in very white neighborhoods.

We moved to Charlotte, then bought a home out in the sticks. DH loves it here. Safe, friendly, shops, Main Street...loves it even though he's been asked for ID twice outside my home when coming home from work.

Speech coordinator is VERY country. I barely understand what she says. She was observing the session today. She was going over different programs that the county offers.

She gets to a program that I tell her I am interested in(once a week free preschool that parents attend)...

she says okay...then she says, "Since you are interested, I should let you know, a lot of Hispanics go there"

I was confused at first...then I said that's fine Josh is hispanic.

She lost all color in her face then says "oh yeah, I would send my kids there I want to expose them to different types of people, but some of my clients have called me mad that I did not warn them. They got scared off and left the class"

She apologized. I went out, she called while I was gone and left a message apologizing again. She's probably scared I will make a call about her.

Thank God Josh isn't old enough to realize what she was saying...it broke my heart that he was even in the room to hear this.

I hope she learned her lesson.

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

I am speechless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Message edited 6/19/2009 7:54:03 PM.

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

That's terrible, I can't believe she would even say that!

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

It's so unfortunate that people don't think before they speak.

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

i cant believe that she would even say that ...

DH was born in Puerto Rico and came to America at age 8
i was born in England and came to America 13 yrs ago

our kids are as white as the driven snow

and if you knew our last name you would PIYP ....

you wouldnt even believe the comments i get when they see us after seeing our last name

hang in there there are some very narrow minded people out there just let it roll off your back .....

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

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It goes beyond about "thinking before she speaks." The fact that she is prejudice p i s ses me off.

Message edited 6/19/2009 8:05:49 PM.

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

thanks.

at first I was just shocked...then mad...now just sad.

I always knew racism suc ks, but as a mom of a little minority...it just hurts.

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

People suck...... I bet if you looked a me you wouldn't think that I'm actually Latina. English is my second language and I didn't learn it until I was 3.

My first year of college was in a well know private Jesuit school and I was totally descriminated against because I listed to Latin music, spoke Spanish and occasionally cooked rice and beans in out communal kitchen.

The last straw was when someone spray painted racist slurs on my dorm room.... I left and went to Stony Brook and was welcomed with open arms.


I'm sad she said that to you and that Josh heard it, I'm glad he didn't quite understand it but just know that as he gets older he may still come accross ignorant people.

Teach him to be PROUD of his culture and heritage so when ignorant people start flapping their lips he can walk by and see them for what they really are, mindless idiots!

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

you know what is really sad?

she thought she was being a good person by "warning" you about the place.

it really says a lot about the parents who got mad at her previously for not "warning" her.

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

I am sorry this happened

This has happened to me many times actually. I am technically "hispanic" both my parents are Cuban but my grandparents are from Spain. From looking at me you would never guess it in a million years. I have green eyes, fair skin and light brown hair (which is always highlighted blonde ).

The irony is I get it from both sides. So I have people saying bad things about hispanics not realizing that I am hispanic but i have also had other hispanics saying things about me in spanish obviously not realizing I speak.

I am sure that Josh will have a strong sense of self a will realize that those people are the ones with the problem.

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

Unfortunately, this is not something that happens just down south. This happens to me ALLLLLLLLLL the time. When people hear I live in Patchogue, they gasp and always say something about the large hispanic population, however, they are so stupid because they are speaking to a person who is hispanic. I might look mostly Italian, but my father's family is Puerto Rican, and I am not shocked anymore by the bigotry in this world. I'm sorry that you had to deal with it first hand. That's awful and completely uncalled for.

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

Although I'm Italian, DH is PR, my kids look like me. I have a neighbor on my block who is pretty much a bigot, he made a joke at the expense of Puerto Ricans and I nicely told him "Awww thats so great you think like that, did you know my husband and kids are Purerto Rican? He said I didnt know how to take a joke.

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

Yeah...I know what you mean.

The amount of culture down here is just sad--and that's part of the reason that I don't see us staying her for the long haul.

Same situation with Ryleigh...she looks like me and has my coloring, but is still a Rivera and has PR blood as well.

I know the day will come that we will run into someone like this, and I just don't want to have to tell her about this "holier than thou" standard, especially here.

I'm sorry that happened to you

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

Message edited 6/19/2009 9:50:11 PM.

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

yikes that is so sad. i'm sorry this happened to you.

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

omg i am speeechless

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

Thats so F'ing rude its disgusting!
Gillys babysitter is spanish and one of the better babysitters we've had. What i like about her is that she tells it like it is. She will tell me all kinds of situations shes been in and honestly ...it saddens me. Situations with the grandkids or neighbors etc... People are just not nice. She is married to a really nice caucasian man and today she was telling me how an auditor came in and the coloring in the persons face was lostwhen they asked if it were her dh. Are you kidding me??? People are just so insensitive and sometimes i feel like I am missing that feeling to judge on others races. its just horrible that people are so rude. As much as we love this family ...others might not...
to think of that makes me sick to my stomach.

Message edited 6/19/2009 11:36:22 PM.

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

That's just wrong.

Re: feeling a little sick over comment speech coordiator said, she called and apologized

I would have said, "Great, we'll fit right in!!"