.
Now, you may wonder what does a black Jewish girl have in relationship to Philippinos and Mexicans. So, let me explain:
When I lived in Chicago, I remember almost every company I called had in their voicemail: Press one for customer service, two for automated credit card payment, and three for spanish. Or something like that. I often wondered how was the "se habla Hispaniol" department? Was it decent? Do they do all the customer service and payment and everything else all there? I used to also think how sad to be in a country and not know the language. How must they feel?
Well fast forward to Israel. Now, I am struggling with the Hebrew. Sometimes I call a company and hope for the "for English, press three" message --but alas, many times its just Russian, Arabia, or Hebrew! No English choice. Well so I try. I do pretty well, but the only problem is when I get tired, that's it. Brain closes down and the Hebrew department is gone. lol
As for Philippinos - I see them, almost as if shadows. They come to the country expressly for working and for sending money back home in the Philippines. But at times I feel wistful for them that they work so hard and often not acknowledged or not treated as if there is a person in the room. So I make it a point to say hello to them or smile or share a joke or something. Not sure if that's the right thing. For all I know they probably just want to get through the day and get out of there. But hopefully I am doing right.
Another stickler for me is because sometimes I feel that they are alot like Black folks. Some people may see them as mere servants! As if that (maid, nanny, etc) is all they were even meant to do /be. For this reason, I have purposefully tried to never hire them myself -some strange way of letting them be. But they came for work, right?
Well, my place is a mess and I saw how well a friend of mine's home is and she has someone working for her. I think I may buckle. But that would be good because they came for work --I am trying to tell myself this.
I suppose that's my version of being "liberal" minded...
2 comments:
@Miriam: So I make it a point to say hello to them or smile or share a joke or something. Not sure if that's the right thing.
You're never wrong to treat others the way you'd like to be treated.
In the new paradigm, you're not separate from the other. In the new paradigm, you are the other.
And yeah, it doesn't matter who the other is--a saint or a serial killer.
It goes some thing like this: If you see a beggar, you think, there I go being a beggar again.
If you see someone wealthy, you think, there I go showing off my wealth again.
It's a total shift in perspective, but the new perspective offers a new experience, and it's the new experience that is the prize.
It's a radical concept, but it's gaining in acceptance.
Hey, I like that!
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