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Re: Work in a poisoned environment
by Tanktalus (Canon) on May 13, 2006 at 20:49 UTC

    I'm not going to post behind the veil of anonymous monk. I, too, work in Canada. Spent 5 years working for a fairly large company in Toronto before venturing West. I still work for the same large company in Toronto, from home.

    I recently switched jobs. In my last team, my manager was Chinese (Hong Kong), my star performer was a Chinese woman (mainland), and we laid off another Chinese woman in one round of layoffs (since she was the poorest performer on the team, and someone had to go). We've had many Chinese student hires, some of whom were fabulous, some of whom were merely mediocre.

    My current team is managed by a Chinese woman (I'm not sure where her background is yet - I haven't been on the team that long) and has many Chinese on it (as well as non-Chinese). I'll have two Chinese men reporting to me, and two "white" men. Thus far, no complaints.

    As you probably know, but many others may not, Toronto has one of the highest Chinese populations outside of China. It even has two "Chinatowns." Having moved back to Western Canada, I don't see nearly the proportion of Chinese as I did in Toronto. However(!), I don't see them being really that different from most other cultures as far as domineering or sucking-up is concerned. I've seen my share of domineering people from Middle-Eastern backgrounds, European backgrounds, Central Asian backgrounds (India and Pakistan have been most of my experience), etc. And I've seen demure people from all backgrounds. I do not see any correlation here. I think you've just had some bad luck in whom you've worked with.

    I find a bigger correlation is with the corporation's culture. Where domination and sucking up are rewarded, you'll find more people adapting to one, the other, or both personality types. Regardless of their own backgrounds. It may tick off those who aren't willing to "succeed at all costs," but some people have that attitude and will do whatever works.

    "I'm not racist, but ..." I'm not going to get into a philosophical or political debate about racism. However, I don't really believe you when you say that. (pg's comment notwithstanding.) You may not go out of your way to spew hatred. However, you've obviously had a few bad experiences with individuals of a certain background, and you seem to be painting the entire ethnicity with that unfortunate brush.

    (Of course, I'm one to say "I'm not racist - I hate everyone equally." Or, "I'm not picking on you because you're <insert ethnicity>. I'm picking on you because you're you." Or, "I don't hate all <insert ethnicity>s. Just you.") ;-}

Re: Work in a poisoned environment
by jZed (Prior) on May 13, 2006 at 22:02 UTC
    You say you are not a racist. I take this to mean that you do not have negative intentions towards other races. If so, good, I'm glad for that. However, my definition of racist is someone who, regardles of their intentions, makes generalizations about an entire race, ethnicity, or culture based on opinions about individuals who belong to that group. By that definition I am sometimes an unintentional racist, most people (regardless of their own race) are. The problem is that making these generalizations (and especially acting on them or stating them as legitimate in public) is hurtful regardless of the intentions. When I hear someone say "She was asking for a lot of money but I Jew'd her down to a better price" I don't assume that the person is intenionally racist against me (I am a Jew), but the statement still leaves me with a very unpleasant feeling. When one says all Arabs are terrorists, or all "insert any group here" are "insert any generalization here", one is behaving in a racist manner regardless of intentions.

    By the way "Asian" does not refer to people of a particular culture or race, it is a purely geographic term. Other than "they live in or come from Asia", there is absolutely nothing that can be said to be in common between all Asians.

Re: Work in a poisoned environment
by hossman (Prior) on May 13, 2006 at 23:13 UTC
    she is close or at that age for a middel-aged woman to lose her mental balance.

    Wow.

    That would be the point where I stoped reading

      Yeah, but don't worry, he's not racist!
Re: Reaped: Work in a poisoned environment
by rvosa (Curate) on May 25, 2006 at 00:02 UTC
    I think the take home message is: some Asians are nice, some aren't. Imagine that, just like 'real' people, eh?
Re: Work in a poisoned environment
by TedPride (Priest) on May 13, 2006 at 21:37 UTC
    Racism is believing that a certain race is inherently inferior, rather it being the fault of cultural influences. Blacks are not inherently inferior to whites, for instance, though a debate could be made that the "black culture" overemphasizes sports and underemphasizes education. In the same way, Americans are not inherently inferior to to Asians (or for that matter, Europeans), but we're perhaps a bit too complacent and lazy. If you want to succeed in a certain area, you have to work hard in it, you can't expect a job to be given to you on a silver platter.

    Bottom line, I guess the difference between a racist and a non-racist is that the first will make his decision based on what you look like, and the second based on how well you act. As long as you don't reject all Asians because the ones at work are idiots, you're not racist :)

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