Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Aimee Constantino
Prof. Lee
AAS 201
06 March 2017
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
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
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
Interviewee #2 is a half-Chinese, half-Japanese man who graduated from CSUN and now
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
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.
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
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).
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
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
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
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.
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