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Aimee Constantino

Prof. Lee

AAS 201

06 March 2017

Midterm: Race Project

Interviewee #1 is an 82-year-old Filipina woman who has lived in America since the

early 1980s. She initially worked in Maryland as a nanny, taking care of a half-Hispanic,

half-Filipino newborn baby. Unfortunately, the family that she worked for had not treated her

well. The father of the baby was Filipino and did not treat her as badly as his Hispanic wife and

teenage daughter had treated her. However, he did not do much to help her either. They used

the fact that she was of a lower class and that her visa or passport had expired to their advantage,

for they would threaten to report her to immigration. The family saw her as a powerless

immigrant from the Philippines who, in order to stay in America, would not dare to rebel against

them. Interviewee #1 was only fed leftovers and was not allowed to make food for herself. She

would have to scrape off the last of the rice from inside the rice cooker in order to have

something to eat. The mother would get mad at her for the smallest mistakes and would not take

into consideration that Interviewee #1 did not have much experience yet. When the family was

not home, she would be locked inside and not allowed to leave. Interviewee #1 had little to no

contact with the outside world and her own family. The letters she wrote to her family were not

being mailed, and any letters that were sent to her were hidden from her. The family only treated

her well when there were others present. Working for that family resulted in her becoming very

thin and developing an ulcer. Being in her fifties and the first and only person in her family to be
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in America at the time, it was not easy for her to get out of the tough situation that she was in.

Luckily, one of the neighbors, a married couple, noticed that something wrong may be going on

and found a way to reach out to Interviewee #1. The neighbors, a white man and a Filipina

woman, came to the house, along with the police, and demanded that the family let Interviewee

#1 leave. When the family saw the two police cars parked out front, they were compelled to let

her go. Near the end, she discovered that they had not been paying her and only after did she

find out that they also did not have the proper paperwork to be in America.

Interviewee #1s experience may serve as an example of minority vs minority racism and

passive acceptance (Lee Lecture, 02/22/17). Passive acceptance occurs when the amount of

oppression is too great for the person of minority to do anything about it (Lee Lecture, 02/22/17).

Therefore, Interviewee #1 had no choice but to accept the situation she was in. The Hispanic

mother used Interviewee #1s immigration status against her and as a way of giving herself more

power over Interviewee #1. I think that Interviewee #1s experience also opposes the idea that

one can always seek help from someone of the same race as oneself. I would think that being of

the same race makes it easier to approach someone and connect with them. However, in this

case, the Filipino father allowed someone of the same background as him to be treated poorly,

despite possibly being aware of the kinds of struggles that their racial minorities have to go

through.

Afterwards, Interviewee #1 ended up working ten years as a nanny for a family that

treated her well and even helped her become a US citizen. Until it was time for her to retire, she

worked as a caregiver, with most of her patients being white. Only one of her patients ever

treated her badly due to her race, and because they did not have a good relationship, Interviewee
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#1 only stayed with her for several months before she quit. It was during the early 2000s, and

the patient was in her early 90s. Interviewee #1 took care of an old rich white woman that she

described as selfish and racist, for the woman viewed racial minorities as ignorant and

uneducated. Interviewee #1 constantly felt that this rich white woman was looking down at

her. The patient was selfish and meticulous with her food by keeping track of what she had and

what Interviewee #1 was allowed to eat. The woman was afraid of Interviewee #1 eating all her

food, for she viewed her as a starving foreigner and believed that all who come to America from

third-world countries were starving. The old rich white woman used to own a store, where she

had hired some undocumented Mexicans who did not speak English well, and as a result of that

experience, she developed this idea that foreigners are dumb.

This experience of Interviewee #1s may serve as an example of majority vs minority

racism and an active bigot (Lee Lecture, 02/22/17). An active bigot is someone who is not only

prejudice but also someone who will discriminate (Lee Lecture, 02/22/17). The old rich white

woman is an active bigot for sharing her thoughts on racial minorities then acting upon them.

The active bigot shared with Interviewee #1 her belief that she was a starving foreigner then

deprived her of sufficient meals. The old rich white womans view on Mexicans or foreigners

supports a racial stereotype or negative belief that was stated in Adalberto Aguirre Jr. and

Jonathan Turners book entitled American Ethnicity: Mexican-looking people,

Spanish-speaking people, or individuals who speak English with a Spanish accent must endure

prejudice about their character, honesty, work ethic, and reliability (Martinez, 1969) (206).

Because the Mexicans she hired were unable to speak English well, she made the assumption
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that they were simply dumb and unreliable, and this continued to impact how she would see

Mexicans or others foreigners in the future.

Interviewee #2 is a half-Chinese, half-Japanese man who graduated from CSUN and now

teaches at CSUN as an Asian American Studies professor. He grew up in a predominantly black

and Latino neighborhood, where he heard the common jokes and racist remarks that Asians

would get. As a child, Interviewee #2 would be told things like open your eyes and do you

speak Chinese? In middle school, he felt as though his teachers expected more of him and

would feel extra disappointed in him when he did not perform as well as his race is

stereotypically supposed to. When he and others failed to do the homework, his teacher would

pick on him and never on any of his black or Latino classmates. His teachers would look to him

and expected him to answer their questions. Growing up, Interviewee #2 hated being Asian and

did not identify himself as one. He always did what he could to break the stereotypes. He

surrounded himself around blacks and Latinos and even adopted their cultures, in terms of music

and clothing. Since Asians were not expected to be in sports, he put his time and effort into

playing basketball. It was not until college when Interviewee #2 realized that he was only

running away from himself and learned to accept himself as an Asian American. It was during

his time at CSUN where he developed an interest for Asian American Studies and had a desire to

learn more. Now as a professor, people would assume, due to his race, that he teaches math and

not english. Interviewee #2 also talked of how Asian American men are not favored in dating,

film, and media and how Asian American women are seen as of a higher status when dating a

white man and not one of their own race. Interviewee #2 believes that everyone is racist in a
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way, whether we realize it or not, for we all have our own ideas and prejudices and standards

that may not be vocalized or shared.

Interviewee #2s experience may serve as an example of racial stereotypes, acculturation,

and race becoming common sense (Lee Lecture, 02/13/17 and 02/11/17). Eventually,

Interviewee #2 achieved acculturation, which occurs when the person of color embraces both

their own culture and the American culture (Lee Lecture, 02/22/17). Interviewee #2 also

supports the idea that race becomes common sense, meaning that race affects how we act,

understand, and see the world (Lee Lecture, 02/13/17). His thoughts on Asian American men in

society correlates with actual evidence. As mentioned in class by Professor Lee, Asian men

have the least attractive scores or romantic roles (Lee Lecture, 02/13/17).

Interviewees #3 and #4 are Mexican women who shared similar thoughts on how their

race has affected their lives here in America or more specifically, in Southern California. They

have not really experienced racism, for they surrounded themselves around people of the same

race as them. Living in a generally racially diverse area, there are only a few places where there

would be more white people. When these women would shop in marketplaces like Whole Foods

Market, they see people of a higher class and can feel them, the white people, looking down at

them and wondering what their kind is doing in a place like Whole Foods. Interviewees #3 and

#4 shared the belief that racism can be seen more now in America due to the new president.

They believe that the new presidency allows people to be more openly racist.

Interviewees #3 and #4 may serve as examples of marginal participation, meaning that

they chose to stay within their own bubble or among their own people (Lee Lecture, 02/22/17).

As a result of marginal participation, they are able to avoid the possibility of experiencing
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majority vs minority racism. When they are in whiter and possibly higher class areas and they

notice others looking down on them, they are encountering all-weathered liberals. All-weathered

liberals are people who are prejudice but will not discriminate (Lee Lecture, 02/22/17). They

will have their negative ideas about these Mexican women, but they will not confront them.

Interviewee #10 is half Filipina and half Salvadorian and, like Interviewees #3 and #4,

has not really experienced racism here in Southern California. Interviewee #10 has not felt that

she has been treated differently due to her race but due to her gender. Between her and her

brother, she would be the one who gets into more trouble even if they did the same wrong thing.

Her family gives the excuse that since hes a boy, its different (Interviewee #10). Interviewee

#10 has been in racially diverse schools and has co workers of similar backgrounds, which

probably contributes to why she has not really experienced racism. Interviewee #10 has small

eyes and dark curly hair, but her light-colored skin could possibly balance out those physical

traits and push her to possibly pass as white.

Interviewee #12 also has not had any experiences where he felt that people treated him

differently or negatively due to his race. Like others, his lack of racist experiences could be a

result of being in racially diverse cities. However, being Asian or more specifically Filipino, did

make others, like his Filipino boss and co workers, expect more from him. According to

Interviewee #12, people expect a Filipino nurse to be hardworking, efficient, and provide

exceptional patient care. Filipinos are known for becoming nurses, and Asians, in general, are

stereotyped as being the better racial minority, in terms of education and work ethic. Interviewee

#12 sees this idea as a good thing and a bad thing because it pushes him to be better but also

drains his energy. In terms of sexuality, Interviewee #12 grew up as a closeted gay guy because
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compared to the 90s, homosexuality wasnt as acceptable as it is now (Interviewee #12). His

family always knew that he was gay, and they accepted him. However, they wanted him to

finish school first before worrying about dating. In his workplace, all his co workers know of his

sexual orientation, and he has not felt that anyone has treated him differently because of it.

Interviewees #5, #6, and #8 are Mexicans who have been unfairly rejected in the

American workplace. Interviewee #5 is an interior designer who was not given a job due to her

race, despite being highly recommended. The job was designing the interior of a yacht. She felt

that as soon as the clients saw her face and what race she was, they had already believed that she

could not be trusted with the job. She felt that these white people were incapable of believing

that people of her racial minority could be professional. The clients gave her a hard time and had

her make more samples than what was necessary but did not even give her the job in the end.

Interviewee #6 is a hairdresser who had a difficult manager when she first started her career at a

previous hair salon. The manager was a Colombian woman who believed that Mexicans were

stupid but hired some Mexican employees anyway. The manager would abuse her power by

placing Interviewee #6 at salons with less customers, which meant that she would not be able to

work on her skills as much and cause her to earn less money. While she sent Interviewee #6 to

the salons with less customers, the manager would place herself at the busier salons, allowing

herself to get the most profit. Interviewee #8 has lived in America for about four years and went

to a predominantly Latino high school before coming to CSUN. He can recall one event where

he felt that he was treated differently due to his race. Interviewee #8 was being interviewed for a

job at a cafe. Since the beginning of the interview, he already felt as if the white manager would

not give him a chance. According to Interviewee #8, the moment the manager found out that he
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was not born in America, the manager rejected him. Otherwise, he has not really felt that his

race has negatively affected his life here in Southern California but has relatives in other states

that are not as racially diverse who are fearful and intimidated and have been treated poorly by

white people.

Interviewees #5, #6, and #8 may serve as examples of selective inclusion and ethnic

discrimination. In this case, ethnic discrimination occurred when they, the racial minority, were

denied jobs by the racial majority (Aguirre, 6-7). Selective inclusion refers to how America

chooses what role you play and excludes you in everything else (Lee Lecture, 02/22/17).

According to American Ethnicity, Latinos are underrepresented in the best-paying occupational

category, Management/Professional (18). Interviewee #5 challenges that statement by being

Mexican and having a career that Mexicans are not stereotypically known for. However,

because of the lack of Latinos in professional careers, those who are prejudice have trouble

trusting certain racial minorities with higher-paying jobs. Because of these negative beliefs, the

race of Interviewees #5 and #8 will always have the potential to negatively impact them in the

workplace. Also, Interviewee #6 specifically experienced minority vs minority racism because

her manager was also of a Spanish-speaking background yet viewed Mexicans as dumb and

unreliable.

Interviewee #7 grew up having friends of all kinds of ethnicities. It was not until high

school when she felt that her race served as a disadvantage and had an impact on her interactions

with other people. She attended a public high school within a white, upper class area, for that

was where her father had lived. When she first started attending this high school, she only had a

few friends, and they were all white. Interviewee #7 found it difficult to make friends among
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rich white people because she felt like she could not relate to them and did not know how to

act or talk or connect with them. Interviewee #7 constantly felt afraid to speak up and always

had to be the one to initiate the conversation or to plan a meet-up outside of class. They were

the kind of people who were aware that she was new but would not do anything to help her or to

make her feel welcome. However, when someone else was new but was rich and white, it

appeared easier for them to make friends. Eventually, Interviewee #7 made more friends at the

high school, but they, like herself, were also of racial minorities. Interviewee #7 had some white

teachers growing up, but it was not until high school when she came across some who were

racist. According to Interviewee #7, her english teacher once asked her Is English your first

language? after grading one of her essays. Because Interviewee #7 failed to revise her essay,

her teacher simply assumed that she must be foreign instead of thinking something else like

perhaps english was just not her best subject. Another high school teacher of hers once said

something awful in front of the whole class and used the excuse that her husband was Mexican

so it was okay. According to Interviewee #7, the teacher said something along the lines of

theres always Mexicans waiting outside of Home Depot looking for jobs oh, Im sorry, I

mean illegal immigrants. Basically, one may interpret that the teacher is making the assumption

or generalization that only Mexicans have trouble finding jobs and that most Mexicans are illegal

immigrants.

Interviewee #9 comes from a predominantly black family but also has a little mix of

white, Hispanic, and Indian. Her race made it difficult for her to navigate freely in high school,

for the school officer was white and notorious for picking on any student of color (Interviewee

#9). Therefore, Interviewee #9 felt as if she had to watch her back and avoid him through any
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cost. According to Interviewee #9, their racist school officer would find ways to get the

colored kids in trouble and would assume that it was only the colored kids that were up to the

no good things that would go on. He would even give harsher detentions or punishments to the

students of color compared to the white students.

Interviewee #9s school officer may serve as an example of an active bigot and white

privilege. He is considered an active bigot for not only being prejudice but also treating students

of color worse than the white students. The school officer can relate back to what Professor Lee

said of white privilege in class, which is how if a white person does something wrong, excuses

are made for them and punishments are less severe (02/01/17). However, if a person of color is

caught in an unfortunate situation, then bad assumptions are automatically made.

Interviewee #11 came from the Philippines and grew up in Los Angeles where the

majority was Hispanics. Although he is Filipino, he was often called chino, which is Spanish

for Chinese. Interviewee #11 clearly does not look Chinese. Therefore, those Hispanics who

would tease and bully him simply referred to all Asians as chino. Because he was an Asian

minority, he was often targeted and jacked for his wallet, cash, watch or just about anything

they wanted (Interviewee #11). What Interviewee #11 experienced growing up is an example

of minority vs minority racism. In the workplace, which is a cable company, he can see how

race decides what area one is assigned to cover. If the employee is white, then he is sent to the

upper class neighborhoods like Porter Ranch and Bell Canyon (Interviewee #11). If the

employee is a person of color, then he is sent to average or low class neighborhoods like

Reseda, Canoga Park, and Van Nuys (Interviewee #11). Interviewee #11 also recalls a time

when he and two of his co workers, a Hispanic and an African American, went out for lunch at a
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restaurant that they saw was not busy at the time. However, the hostess demanded them to wait

outside for fifteen minutes, but they ended up waiting for over thirty minutes (Interviewee #11).

During their prolonged wait standing outside, they could see the hostess seating all the other

customers who walked in after them and noticed that they were all white. Interviewee #11 and

his co workers complained to the hostess, but she gave the excuse of being really busy and just

apologized. Interviewee #11 felt that this happened obviously because of the colors of their

skin.

Interviewee #11 may serve as an example of minority vs minority racism, segregation,

and discrimination. Because Interviewee #11 and his co workers believe that they were denied

equal treatment at the restaurant, it becomes an event of discrimination. Although they were

dressed professionally in their work uniforms, the white people of the restaurant still viewed

them as lower or as people of unimportance. In terms of how his workplace operated, it can

serve as an example of segregation, where, because of race, certain people are placed in their

own areas and not allowed in others (Lee Lecture, 02/22/17).