[anxietygirl]

My friend who lives next to me is hispanic and so is her husband. I have known her for 15 years, our kids have grown up together. Today her husband was talking about a job he had applied at and said the people that work there are all spanish because spanish people are the only ones who like to do hard labor like warehouses, etc. Then my friend said, " No offense to you, but you don't see alot of white people do that kind of work because they don't like to work hard like that and spanish people do because they send their money back to Mexico for their family." Well I am offended because I do work hard. I have had **** jobs such as waitressing, bagging groceries, cleaning houses, etc but I put myself through school while I worked full time to get a degree. My dad has worked construction/foreman jobs for over 40 years. I know a lot of white people who work "hard labor" jobs. She really pissed me off. I felt like saying, "They work those jobs because they are uneducated and here illegally."

[jerrymichele]

Originally Posted by anxietygirl

My friend who lives next to me is hispanic and so is her husband. I have known her for 15 years, our kids have grown up together. Today her husband was talking about a job he had applied at and said the people that work there are all spanish because spanish people are the only ones who like to do hard labor like warehouses, etc. Then my friend said, " No offense to you, but you don't see alot of white people do that kind of work because they don't like to work hard like that and spanish people do because they send their money back to Mexico for their family." Well I am offended because I do work hard. I have had **** jobs such as waitressing, bagging groceries, cleaning houses, etc but I put myself through school while I worked full time to get a degree. My dad has worked construction/foreman jobs for over 40 years. I know a lot of white people who work "hard labor" jobs. She really pissed me off. I felt like saying, "They work those jobs because they are uneducated and here illegally."

I totally agree with you. It's bs. I'm suprised that you didn't go off on her.

[Lenny]

Stereotypes often tend to have an agenda. Being that they are profoundly oversimplified and lack any form of individuality,,stereotypes miss the whole point...we are all wonderfully unigue individuals.

We are all here to work,,no matter its course or type and God knows there is much of it to do...

I applaud you on your humility both in your work, accomplishments and your restraint.

Lenny

[KathyM]

It gets tricky when you lump a group of people together into a category. Not only is it offensive to say all white people are lazy, it's offensive to say all Hispanics are hard-working....or from Mexico. My husband doesn't have any relatives in Mexico.

I can almost see his point though. Hard/manual labor jobs don't pay as much as they used to pay. I have a friend in the construction business. He has white foremen and carpenters, but all the laborers are Hispanic - they were the only ones who were willing to work at a lower wage.

I have another friend in the landscaping business. All of his employees are Hispanic. No whites ever even applied to do the work. Many of my neighbors hire landscapers to care for their lawns. I've yet to see a white person doing the work. Why is that?

[Shangrala]

I have spent the majority of my working years in the manual labor work force...by CHOICE.

It offered me many experiences that I could have NEVER found behind a desk and the thought of working outdoors was a large part of the attraction, beside the fact that it kept me in great shape for decades, (and it's mainly what I attribute to my shape even today).

From constructing fences for the Nevada YACC (Young Adult Conservation Corps), cemetery maintenance/burial (LOVED operating the bobcat...lol), city road construction/repair, gold mining (open pit), seismographing (electronic ground mineral reading), firefighting (Nevada BLM), to landscaping and roof construction....and all the odd jobs inbetween...I loved them all. Most of those jobs were not a "favored" position that most would willingly choose as a first choice of work, though I saw other benefits to the physical labor.

Started out at 18 and endured throughout up to my mid 30's. Since, been retired from that work force, (devoted self to the raising of kids), but now am once again seeking work back into open pit mining in Nevada, (once I get there). I'm all giddy about it...lol....can't wait.
Granted, I'm decades older now, but there are many positions that don't require THAT much extensive physical strength....(good thing, too...don't have much of that anymore...lol). Endurance and desire are the two factors to consider....and I have them both....so, all's good.

Looking forward to gettin back into the physical works again. Been really missing it.
In my opinion, manual labor is NOT considered degrading, or the "tossing of the bone because there's nothing else" position. It does require alot of determination and appreciation TO be successful at it.
Sure would like to see a desk jockey do what I can do..(and even at the age I am NOW).......NO competition....

Btw....I've done accounting for 10 years, as well, so I have that ability to endure the tediousness of the indoor stationery, hum-drum of office work, as well...and to me....THAT was strenuous...lmao..."brain-drain"..

And..YES...MOST whites are LAZYYYYYYYYY. I've learned over the years that it's the white males who do the least amount of work and expect the most pay/benefits/vacation.. they watch the clock for their next break, complain about their work, and allow other's to do what they should be doing themselves. I've discovered that women far outwork the men, (in the feild that I'm accustom to, anyway), but there are few women who choose the physical labor...(lol...Imma oddball that way).

Hubs is a foreman for Ironworker's Union..and daily he tells me about having to fire newly hired men (all white), because they simply are too lazy. He's also mentioned how he feels those of the "Mexican persuasion" are far more honorable and reliable..and that he feels it's so unfortunate that most who are so willing to work simply cannot afford to go through the necessary extensive training or have the legal status to acquire the sponsorship necessary TO enroll in the required training.

Hard working, dedicated and VERY appreciative of what they get....and THAT is what seperates those men from the white boys, imo....More power to those who are willig to carry their own AND appreciate the fact that they can AND have that opportunity TO.

Shangrala

[kris9999]

You shouldn't feed into it at all. It's a stereo type. Back in my home town, the hispanics are the only ones working construction right now. Not because the "white people" don't want to but because the economy is so bad no one wants to pay full price and the hispanics are willing to do it for much cheaper. My Grandfather owns a once VERY successful masonry company. But now he can't get any work at all because no one is willing to pay full price any more.
Your friend did stereotype you and it was wrong. Lots of "white" people have worked construction. I was working construction with my dad when I was growing up and would visit him and my brother and mom (when she got off work from her desk job) worked in a warehouse for years before he joined the Army, same as my husband.
Just don't listen to it. It will only make you upset and people who love to think in stereotypes will never learn so there really is no point in even speaking to them about it. You can however if you feel compelled to just tell her you didn't appreciate her saying that, it wont change her view but at least she might not say things like that around you any more

[Junerain]

I find this thread fascinating...the things we do, can do, will do, and will not do....what a breadth of difference in all of our lives...color has nothing to do with it either, all colors all beautiful, as is this thread...

[marjan]

good for you to not say anything....I think she was just trying to back up Hispanics...

well...I can see that lots of Hispanics are taking hard jobs...

It's better not to stir it up....and I suggest to not tell anything to your friend...I don't think she meant to offend you!

I always respect hard worker people....

[50guy]

I wouldn't even give it a thought......lots of people work hard at their jobs.
I know I did. I dug ditches for a cable company in the 80's. I did a lot of floor stripping and refinishing, carpet cleaning, cleaning hood over grills, cut carpets, painted houses, delivered mail, cleaned out trashed houses, etc. I worked my way up from bed maker in the hospital to housekeeper, to work leader and on to Supervisor. Nothing worth doing is ever easy.

Now, I said that to say.......I'm American-Indian, aren't we supposed to be drunks and worthless?

Everyone has value, and everyone has an opinion and opinions are like buttholes, they usually are crappy and stink.

Eric

[thunderbear]

Yeah that was wrong of her to do. My husband and his crew are all white and they work in construction my bro in law is white and he owns a sucsessful lanscaping business. The only people on that crew are his family. I don't know why people have to be racist. I'm glad you did'nt lose your head. Because then you would be stooping to her and her husbands level. You handled it well

[jerrymichele]

You know I would also like to say that my bf, and me have worked around a lot of different types of people, and some of the races still form this thing what I call a click. One race will gang up on one person, and make the minority feel like a piece of crap. It's bs. It's happened to me, my bf, and some other people I know. I have had to work some really crappy jobs, so that would have made me mad hearing that. Besides that there are a lot of people out there right now willing to take anything seeing how the economy is bad at the present moment. JMO

[AAAAA]

Any stereotyping is inaccurate. The community I live in is not very diverse but I have lived all over the world and worked with many different nationalities at many different kinds of jobs. I have experienced all races and both genders being both hard working and lazy.

I would never assume because I worked with several individuals from a particular race or culture that have been lazy that they’re all lazy. I have noticed that one particular culture does not deal well with a female being in charge at several different jobs. Once I was the immediate supervisor and did not enjoy the person I was giving instructions to turning his back to me and ignoring me completely or borrowing my personal tools and not caring where they ended up. But I am absolutely positive that not everyone of this race is that way.