While I'm still high off the Obama win, I have to figure out if I've been a victim of A.O. racism so soon after the election (A.O.= After Obama vs. B.O.= Before Obama). So, I've been eating more healthy for a while now and I'm on my way to the Farmer's Market to get me some non-pesticide, no preservatives, spoil in four days fruits and vegetables. Since I don't have cash on me, which I seldom do, I gotta figure out how I'm going to get it. Should I go to my home bank for free? Should I go to the closest ATM and pay the $2.00 fee + $2.00 from the home bank, essentially withdrawing $16? or Should I go to Ralph's, buy something and get cash back?
So I'm in Ralph's and I walk over to the produce department where I see all the health drinks. I'm looking for my favorite, Naked Juice-Green Machine. After looking for a few minutes in the section that was right by the door where the employees go to the back, I hear someone say what sounded like, "hey brotha you gotta come try this...", so I look up and it's an employee leaning in the door way eating a small watermelon. Is he talking to me? I know he didn't just... I'm bout to hall off and... Do you know who the president is? With all the thoughts that were going on in my head, my mental system just crashed (think blue PC blue screen of death) and the next thing I know I'm sticking my hand out (see Pavlov) to try it. Things start going in slow motion now. I see him cutting me a piece with a small pocket knife, like he is on the island of Oahu, then I notice a lot of seeds in the piece he gives me and I'm thinking "what kind of (fill in the blank) gives you a seedy piece of watermelon". So as I'm putting it in my mouth, I really can't get a good taste of it because of the pressure of him having said how good it is
, plus he's standing right there.Just to be nice, I say, "That's pretty good" and he proceeds to tell me that, "the red label 
watermelon is SHIT, you want to get the ones right there with the black label" as if it's some Johnnie Walker or something.As I'm trying to leave this awkward Seinfeld moment, he's says , "here, here's another piece" and walks back to the cart where the watermelon is sitting as if he wouldn't be doing his job if he let me leave without another taste. Once again, my arm starts to extend (see Pavlov) and I take it, then he just fades to the back like Kaiser Sosa and he was gone.
Was I a victim? Consider the evidence:
*Watermelon
*I wasn't the only person in the grocery store
*It's not like they had a watermelon kiosk and someone was out front with a tray like at Chick-fil-A offering samples
*"Hey brotha" (in a secret voice)
*Why did I HAVE to try it?
*Why offer the second piece?
Consider the defense:
*I was in the produce section
*I was the closest person
*My arm did reach out without even processing the info (see Pavlov)
*He was Asian, possibly Hawaiian
*"hey bro." is very common in CA
You be the judge!!!
Posts
i don't really know how to come at this one, though it seems right up my alley. if that's normal behavior in l.a., then so be it. if he had a very, thick accent, then he may think that's a way to relate to you. but if he sounds every as bit as american as yourself then, it's probably not much of anything.
ReplyDeletehowever, post-obama racism is something of another animal to me. it comes in the form of black kids being harassed at school by white kids. it comes in the form of black kids gloating to white kids in school. it comes in the form of whites who are antagonizing blacks at work w/obvious "racist-but-not-racist" comments to get blacks to react so that they're fired. i think you get my point because i could go on and on, but how can it be dealt with? the high school harassment is basic home training, but for those of you who are trying to stick that needle in your back to get you to react, there is a perfect reaction. tell them, "get over it, he lost."
Test
ReplyDelete