Thread: Workplace Segregation

Friends, Countrymen lend me your ears while I tell a tale that gives me great despair.

The tale is set in the here and now right down the street, around the corner and inside some of my favorite places. This is the tale of Antonio, a legal immigrant from Chile.

Antonio moved here and went to college, he got a business management degree and a girlfriend. Out of college Antonio got married to a beautiful girl from Rhode Island and he pledged to work hard to earn her a home and care for his new family.

He prefers to speak English, but unfortunately that is not his 'niche' in the workplace. Employer after Employer shoved him into uncomfortable situations; making him the 'maintenance manager' at one place so he could talk to the janitors, at a construction company he was the 'hiring manager' and was told to just glimpse at the I.D. finally after being used and payed little Antonio got a great job at a burger restaurant.

While they pay him more, his job is less satisfying, you see he is the Assistant Manager in charge of the cooks and the clean up crews. He stands off to the side and jokes in spanish with the cooks, the only language they know, and helps the bus boy clean tables while talking of his family in Gutemala. Antonio doesn't exactly like his job, he'd prefer to be the head manager and speak English and smile at all the customers, but this is what Employers see in him so he makes the best of it, after all he has a wife and child to support.

What Antonio doesn't know, but suspects, is that the English speaking employees think differently of him than of the other managers. The see him as just a Spanish-translator and that is why he has the job. Most ignore him and he never gets to hang out with them.

Would it be better if the whole workplace was hispanic? No, it would be worse. What would be best is for the restaurant to hire people who speak English and encourage, if not demand, that Employees speak English while on company time. This will help those unfamiliar with the language practice it and provide a cohesive environment that is less open to segregation.


The above story is mostly true, names were changed to protect those involved, and is a near perfect example of Workplace Segregation.

Workplace Segregation is where employers group people of one race and tongue together and all but cut them off from the rest of the employees.

Many times this is racism against Hispanics, but it is also Racism against Whites, Blacks, Arabics, Asians and others who speak English.

Workplace Segregation is no good for communities and the people involved. Everyone that works for a company that practices workplace segregation is hurt by it.

Please help me in stopping Workplace Segregation in our country.

I TOTALLY AGREE!!!