No Hablo

Working from home with my new business has created all sorts of wonderful new experiences for me. Working in pajamas can be great some days, and it's also been interesting to see what goes on around here when I'm usually away. For instance, I have no idea what that man across the street is creating, but he spends all day working on something noisily in his garage behind his beater car. Interesting.

Anyway, today, someone rang our doorbell. Last week, it was the UPS man, so I got up and threw on something more presentable than a night gown (not much) and answered the door. As soon as I saw these people, I knew that they were not the UPS man, but for a moment I still thought they might be someone else I wanted to talk to - until I heard "Buenos Dias Senora."

Buenos Dias? So I said "um, hello?" The woman was like, "oh you don't speak spanish! I'm sorry." I foolishly responded, "si, pues, no mucho." She said "Oh, well, we thought that there were multiple spanish speaking individuals living here." (as in illegal immigrants?) I said, "nope, just me and my husband." Then I made the mistake of saying, "well, my husband is hispanic." She brightened up and tried to hand me a Jehova's Witness packet in spanish. I smiled and explained that while he is hispanic, English is his first language. I also threw in that he was a local physician.

In the meantime, I'm standing in the hallway, wishing I had taken a shower earlier in the day, hoping that none of the neighbors see me looking so crusty. The woman said "well, I only have the packet in Spanish so, ok, thanks!" She took her packet and she and her partner left.

Now, what is wrong with this picture? First of all, what gave anyone the impression that multiple hispanic people lived in our tiny one bedroom apartment? Was it because we have a hispanic last name and all hispanics must be poor or illegal? Was it because we live in an affordable complex (which I feel is a pretty nice place actually)? Would she have done the same thing if we lived in a nice home? I feel stereotyped - and I'm not even hispanic! (I'll admit that I mentioned the physician thing just to challenge this woman's obvious assumptions about our apartments). I can just imagine them looking through the phone book for Hispanic names in cheap apartment complexes - I mean, what else could have given them the impression that my apartment contained anything else than a young married couple?

Good one Jehova's Witnesses. First of all, I'll never answer my doorbell during the day again, unless I see the UPS truck out there. Thank God we're moving next week. Second, could you be just a little bit more racist? Now I really feel like drinking your koolaide...

Comments

[Milena Thomas]

I never answer the door during the day unless someone has already told me they are coming. I might even be seen through the window, and I just walk away. I've been verbally accosted by solicitors before.

You have to think that people roaming the streets by day are not all retirees...some are up to no good.

[oliviacw]

The JW's sent a Chinese-speaking person out to our house - on the basis of my husband's last name. Now, my husband does have a Chinese surname and is ethnically Chinese, but his first (and mostly only) language is English, since he was born and raised in the US. I think they are getting more agressive with perceived immigrants, since nobody else is buying their message. However, they really aren't doing a very effective job at targeting the right people!