Grumpy cashier incident....

[NekoMama7]

Hi NekoMama7, reading GoldieGirl's account of the incident I can't spot anything that would suggest that it was due to racism. Just extremely bad manners from a stressed/unstable employee.
Your account of American racism (just 'whites'?) against Asians is also highly disturbing... but take comfort in the fact that there are robust laws against racism in the USA, and you have strong legal redress. When such laws are eventually enacted in Japan, I'm sure they'll be used rather often (probably against certain high-profile Japanese politicians... )
I think he would've been completely dismayed, since such aggressive rudeness is almost unkown in Japanese shops.

Being a naturalized Japanese American born and grew up in Tokyo, I can tell you that ordinary average Japanese are quite racists. They might now show it to you right in your face, but it's there. I just gave one example and you seem to decide that I can only spot racism by Whites, and that I'm ignorant with the US laws, cultures and what's out there. Laws are laws. It's not quite the same as reality. I wish life was as easy as the world you live in.

You have no idea how many charges and litigations are filed against corporations by their former and current employees with mental problems. It can get very expensive to fire people these days unless you have a solid case. But that does not justify plain "rude" behaviors. Ignorance plays a large role in this. And unprocessed anger that are misdirected. Come to think of it, working as a cashier making minimum wage is not everyone's dream job.

 

[GodEmperorLeto]

Your account of American racism (just 'whites'?) against Asians is also highly disturbing... but take comfort in the fact that there are robust laws against racism in the USA, and you have strong legal redress.

Okay, I'm going to throw in my two cents here...

I'm getting tired of people playing the race card, and not necessarily on the forums, but in general. Especially when students from Asian countries come to the United States and complain to me that when they get a somewhat aloof, unhelpful, or just plain rude storeclerk, or when some drunken frat brother yells at them from out of his car, that it is because they are being discriminated against. It is difficult for me to hold in my frustration when I explain that the storeclerks are useless to me, too, or that the fratboys scream obscenities or throw water balloons at me, too.

Actually, to many of us, race is just another physical feature, and foreignness isn't certain until somebody opens their mouth. For example, my friend, Rish, is from India, but I never knew (I'd known him for two years) until he told me, because he speaks with no accent and he is immersed in our culture. He grew up for 25 years in India, and assimilated within 3 or 4 years. He's a special case, but I was shocked when I heard him complaining about his work Visa and his desire for citizenship.

Now, there are places where race is an issue. They are the deep, deep parts of the South. And nowadays there are plenty of people living in the southern states that are not racist one bit. Racism persists, true, but honestly, I believe that minorities are more racist than whites these days. In fact, ever since I was a kid, I've been bombarded with images that I am inherently evil and responsible for all that is wrong with the world because I am a white, Christian male.

When such laws are eventually enacted in Japan, I'm sure they'll be used rather often (probably against certain high-profile Japanese politicians...

Thanks for noting that, by the way. And this wasn't directed at you, Taiko, but more as just a general rant. It was, to me, yet another case of "Someone Claiming Discrimination Because They Met an *******, Not a Racist".

Being a naturalized Japanese American born and grew up in Tokyo, I can tell you that ordinary average Japanese are quite racists.

You noting this clears things up a bit, and I think, illuminates your motivation for posting what you said. Like I said, don't think the above rant was directed at you in particular, it was just something for everyone to think about.

I think he would've been completely dismayed, since such aggressive rudeness is almost unkown in Japanese shops.

Oh, God, please, please tell me you've shown him Clerks. Especially if his English is really good and he's really acclimated to American culture that he can follow all of the references.

 

[KirinMan]

I'm getting tired of people playing the race card, and not necessarily on the forums, but in general. Especially when students from Asian countries come to the United States and complain to me that when they get a somewhat aloof, unhelpful, or just plain rude storeclerk, or when some drunken frat brother yells at them from out of his car, that it is because they are being discriminated against.

Now then let's all go and proclaim next month "White History" month and see how much s**t hits the fan.

Seriously now, when you walk into Mitsukoshi in Japan I expect to be treated with certain deference and respect, but at Lawson I don't expect the 17 yr old clerk to be bending over and kissing my butt.

In the states too, if I go to Walmart I don't expect the clerks there to be the most articulate people in the world either but while I do expect a certain level of respect due my status as a customer however I am not going to go overboard expecting red carpet treatment either.

I think that Goldiegirl was correct in her handling of the situation, but I also think that the store should have done a better job in screening the employee for the work that she was doing. It was also a great experience for her husband as well. There are all sorts of jobs in a store like that, they don't have to have a person with a Jeckyl and Hyde personality talking to customers either.

I think he would've been completely dismayed, since such aggressive rudeness is almost unkown in Japanese shops.

Mmm, I am going to have to disagree with you here, On the surface here this is true it isn't "unknown", not by a long shot. I have been in stores throughout Kyushu and live in Okinawa , I've been to Tokyo and Osaka numerous times and believe from my experience while this opinion you have here may be commonly accepted as the truth, it is urban legend as well.

I've had experiences with any number of rude people in the service industry here as well as any number of friends and family members also.

 

[maushan3]

Now, there are places where race is an issue. They are the deep, deep parts of the South. And nowadays there are plenty of people living in the southern states that are not racist one bit. Racism persists, true, but honestly, I believe that minorities are more racist than whites these days. In fact, ever since I was a kid, I've been bombarded with images that I am inherently evil and responsible for all that is wrong with the world because I am a white, Christian male.

Now, I wonder how people in the more-educated areas of the United States would behave in a more open-minded thinking. That's real, I don't think I experienced racism in the southern U.S., but rather strange, I thought the more racist people were a minority (won't tell which race since I don't want to start problems around here).

Yes, racism persists, but now it is less and less prevalent nowadays since people are begginning to think more on a global setting than like in their own ranch.

As for the White Christian male part, I think you are right, I don't know how old you are, but I have been told that the Church was, and still is, doing many mistakes like scaring people off and condemning them to hell for all the sins they made.

Mauricio

 

[Goldiegirl]

I don't think the USA could ever have "white history month" or all white universities, all white tv shows, commercials, magazines, rodeos...it would be called racist. That said, I will say that in no way do I think my incident was in anyway racial. I think it was a mentally unstable woman having a bad day.

 

[KirinMan]

I don't think the USA could ever have "white history month" or all white universities, all white tv shows, commercials, magazines, rodeos...it would be called racist. That said, I will say that in no way do I think my incident was in anyway racial. I think it was a mentally unstable woman having a bad day.

I am pretty sure you get the point I am attempting to make here. Caucasian is a "race" as well.

And I agree that I dont believe that this case was in any way racially motivated either.

 

[GodEmperorLeto]

That said, I will say that in no way do I think my incident was in anyway racial. I think it was a mentally unstable woman having a bad day.

Yeah, that's what I think it was too.

Sorry for the rant. Maybe it would have been better placed somewhere else, but I just sort of hit a point where I have been sick of hearing this sort of thing at work at least once a week.

 

[Goldiegirl]

I liked the rant! And no I haven't shown him "Clerks". I haven't seen it myself. I think I'll look it up.

 

[maushan3]

I don't think the USA could ever have "white history month" or all white universities, all white tv shows, commercials, magazines, rodeos...it would be called racist. That said, I will say that in no way do I think my incident was in anyway racial. I think it was a mentally unstable woman having a bad day.

There was a news that was about a high school in New York, Stuyvesant High School in NYC to be exact. This school had aftercurricular clubs and there were these clubs called "Black League" or "Asian" or "Hispanic" Clubs. So, some white kids tried to do their club, and they were refused to do so by their school. This seems pretty racist to me. Why is all we saw Black History Month or Hispanic Heritage, what's wrong with White Heritage Month? At first, it might sound racist, but then, when thinking about it, White is a race and no matter what some of their ancestors did, these new generations have nothing to do with what their ancestors did... I must say, that from what I see in the new generations, racism is pretty close to nil.

Mauricio

 

[Goldiegirl]

Update! We went to the store today. My husband didn't realize that it was "the" store of the now infamous grumpy cashier incident. He forgot which store the incident happened; we have quite a few around here. Well, when he realised that it was this store I had to drag him in there. He was protesting the whole way. I told him that he can't let this control him. I did nothing wrong and have no reason why I shouldn't go into that store, so neither should he. Finally we agreed that we can shop there but just avoid the grumpy worker's checkout line. That's ok with me. I was just glad that I could get him in the store and hopefully we can continue shopping there without further problems. BTW she was working and seemed pleasant. I hope she can keep herself together so she can keep her job. It's good to work.

 

[Taiko666]

You've obviously never been around an Obatarian have you!? : )

Indeed, I have to plead ignorance here! I had to google for 'obatarian'.

Of course, Japanese staff (waiters especially) have been rude to me in their own, 'ignore the gaijin even though he's speaking Japanese' way, but I've never seen such an angry outburst in Japan. Yet...