Employment Discrimination in the 21st Century
I read an Essay that stated, “It is illegal to institute quotas and to fulfill them solely based on the race or gender of the applicant in any affirmative action program.” Affirmative action laws were voted out in 2002; however, portions of it is continuing through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. President John F. Kennedy on March 6, 1961 required government contractors to “not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin” as well as to “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated [fairly] during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin” (US Equal Employment Opportunity Committee). Lyndon B. Johnson reinstated.
Jobs are not obligated to hire a certain number of minorities any longer; yet, they are not allowed to discriminate against someone’s race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender. Although it may seem illegal to many people especially White Americans, it is not fair that most Whites live over the poverty line, when black Americans and other minorities who are just as educated do not have a chance of getting preferential treatment like them. Please don’t use the excuse blacks are not qualified or educated to get jobs. In many cases, whites are not qualified to be in a management position yet he or she gets hired on as such. Now I am not blaming the “White man” or “White woman” for issues of job discrimination. All nationalities are biased when it comes down to employing applicants based upon race. And it is DESPICABLE!!!
When I lived in Parker, Arizona. I applied for a job as a Health Counselor on an Indian Reservation. I dressed up for the interview very professionally. I took my credentials to show him that I am not only a High school graduate but University Graduate as well. The man who interviewed me is Indian; he treated me with respect. He was very impressed with my overall presentation. When the interview came to a close, he asked one question of me “Yaffa, are you native American?” I thought long and hard at what he asked me, and the truth is I do have Black Hawk and Cherokee in my bloodline on my mother’s mother side of the family. I could show proof, but I just firmly told him, “I do have Indian in my family, but I do classify myself as Afro- American.” The man looked at me peculiarly and then smiled and basically told me he loves that I have the education to get the job, I am very well skilled, and I am his top choice for the position; however, he prefers to hire an Indian. I was surprised he was that direct with me. Being passive, aggressive, I didn’t want to come off confrontational; yet, I knew his hiring practices were prejudice. I shook his hand and saw my way out the door. Had I been someone else, he would have gotten the pants sued off his ass.
He is not the only hiring manager I witness this type of racism from when looking back at past jobs I applied to. I had seen it with Afro-Americans, when I lived in Tennessee, wanting to do business or hire just Afro-Americans. I have seen it with Latinos in the work force greater than any other race put together. Hispanics can be the most discriminating people you ever want to be around; and he or she is not held accountable. The laws do not expect racism from them when it comes to hiring. I am not saying all of them; yet, many of them would literally push an American worker off the line at these short-term warehouse gigs, I took on moving from state to state. I must say, I didn’t vote for President Trump, but the truth is he is telling the truth about illegal immigration. Illegals are taking our jobs. Now, it is not entirely their fault, if American corporation weren’t so darn greedy. Wanting illegals to work for less than minimum wage. The problem with getting rid of illegal immigrants is that big business uses them as slaves. Their work requirements are ridiculous but many Hispanics coming over looking for a better opportunity, come over not realizing that he or she will be abused. It is the new slavery of this generation! I worked for a powerful organization ACORN, where I marched for illegal immigrant’s rights. I have seen it first-hand how they discriminate towards Afro-Americans and vice-versa. I have witness many Afro-Americans stating they hate Hispanics. It is awful today how jobs discriminate in every way possible among all nationalities.
I applied for a job as a Domestic Violence Advocate in La Paz County in Parker, Arizona. I never worked in counseling before yet wanted to become a psychologist at one point. Anyhow, I called in for an interview. The folks that interviewed me were White. I let them know in advance I did not have the skills for the job; however, I told them I was willing to learn. I did not expect to get hired and would have not been disappointed if I were not hired on but they told me “We have but one black person in the office, we need another Afro-American to work for our organization” They hired me right on the spot. I kid you not!…. so in that case, it worked out to my advantage. I needed to make money so I took the job and got trained. Did I have mixed feelings about it, yes and no. Yes, I wanted he or she to see me as an individual; yet, the fact they needed another Afro-American made sense. Anyways, that open the door for me to continue my education in that field.
Dr. Martin Luther King gave his powerful speech that many nationalities recall him saying, “Not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” I know many are saying affirmative action is judging people by the color of their skin. The truth is Affirmative action is forcing employers to make the work force diverse and giving people who would not be able to come into a company the opportunity to work. How much skills do it take to wash dishes? To clean someone’s home? Let’s face it, the condition the economy is in today, all races are doing any job he or she can find to make “ends meet.” I have a degree and have taken on these domestic jobs just to make a living.(Being that I constantly moved all over the United States) That warehouse I worked for in Tennessee should have been diverse, not mainly Hispanics or Spanish speaking. You go over to South America, you better know the language, that is how it should be in America. And, please don’t say Hispanics are the only people that want to work. There are working class Afro-American, Whites, and many other nationalities who need jobs who turn to contract work to survive; but, you have Hispanics hogging the employment lines.
Secondly, White folks feel that Affirmative action hands minorities a job but that is not true in all cases. Affirmative action pits one minority against another because the law says hire minorities and women, it doesn’t say which ones. Jobs that have many white Americans, Asians who do not wish to work around Afro-Americans can hire a boat load of Hispanics and pass their quotas. The same with Afro-American’s who get jobs and they do not wish to see Hispanics on board, let alone their own (Meaning other Blacks)get hired. Affirmative action does not help me as an Afro-American woman to get hired when you have at least one other black person at a predominately white employment industry. GET REAL PEOPLE!
I worked as an Instructional Aide substitute in a Mountain Town in Idyllwild, California recently. I work for a nice size school district, and part of their boundaries reach into this mountain town. When I first began the job which was on November 3, 2016, my immediate supervisor called me up once my background check, and other paper work came back clear. She asks could I take the job. I was hesitant at first because of the drive up in 6, 000 elevations. There would be cliffs and windy roads. I was nervous for that reason plus the fact not too many blacks lived there, so I was apprehensive about that issue as well. Just keep it 100%! To make a long story short, I end up taking the job and driving up that mountain every day for about three months. The staff treated me kind and with respect; however, some (I recall two) were constantly asking me when would I be leaving. I have to say the majority of the staff members treated me with Professionalism; however, I could tell some wanted me to leave. In fact, some asked was I going to apply for the position at the school. When I even thought about applying, the Principal (Blue eyed, blonde haired white man) hurried up and begun doing interviews for the position. Anyways, I went out on medical leave, so he ended up hiring a white female for the job. Therefore, I didn’t even challenge the issue whether I would get the job. I was told by the Principal that he would hire me in the future because he claimed, I did a great job while worked there when I did. I had my surgery. Summer time came and went, then fall semester began of 2017. I applied for a position at his school and he passed me over for someone of his race or Hispanic. The Principal who had seem grateful for my help, gave me a look of resentment when he saw that I was going after another position at his school. I am not angry because he didn’t hire me, I am sadden because the man attitude towards me was as if he hated my guts. In all fairness that is my take on this situation. I have to say, I was the only Afro-American up there besides the Sheriff. Again, I didn’t confront him about the situation because in today’s workforce, employers have so many retaliation schemes in place against their employees and vice-versa; you can’t even open up about your feelings anymore whether it is right or wrong.
My point being employment discrimination appears more prevalent today than any other time in our history. Many Americans do not feel like there is job discrimination. In Retrospect, searching and being considered for a job is hard when you have individuals still hiring based on race. Of course, it is fair to say that Affirmative action laws do the same; however, when hiring practices are put into place correctly, it makes for everyone of all ethnic groups to work in a somewhat even playing field. I cannot promise that people will get hired, not everyone will get the position; but, when you go into a job atmosphere, and you find only one group of people dominating the work place, something is wrong. (White Americans, don’t use the excuse, you are the only educated ones out there.) Again, I am not blaming Whites because I have seen reverse racism as well. Let’s keep it a 100% real, there are still Whites who feel they are the only ones who matter. I can talk on this subject all day long.
Finally, I understand that many areas are dominated by a certain racial population; a job discrimination dispute can be iffy in that case because the company cannot help they have more of one race than another. If you notice that many people of the same race are applying for the job and not getting hired then it is time to question the situation. I mean situations are not always going to be perfect but please Americans of all racial backgrounds, let us do our part to help cut out job discrimination. It is our moral duty. Shame on you! If you are the cobra perpetuating racism in any shape or form in the workforce.
