is it racist?

Robsweezie

is it racist to do the thing where you talk slower and use more hand gestures than usual when dealing with foreign folk?

I caught someone at work at this recently, slowing down her speech and putting emphasis on her words when explaining to a foreign customer about a discount or something. she said '40' than made a hand gesture of 4-0 just to be clear. she spoke louder and noticeably different than she would the rest of us. is this just a formality to be absolutely clear? I think its perhaps ignorance giving her the benefit of the doubt, but she could well be an out and out racist. thoughts?

AnonoBoy

It's potentially ignorant and probably unnecessary but it's not necessarily racist.



Hope that's cleared things up for you.

BattleCorp

Robsweezie wrote: »

is it racist to do the thing where you talk slower and use more hand gestures than usual when dealing with foreign folk?

I caught someone at work at this recently, slowing down her speech and putting emphasis on her words when explaining to a foreign customer about a discount or something. she said '40' than made a hand gesture of 4-0 just to be clear. she spoke louder and noticeably different than she would the rest of us. is this just a formality to be absolutely clear? I think its perhaps ignorance giving her the benefit of the doubt, but she could well be an out and out racist. thoughts?

That's not racist. That's explaining something in a way that they think will be easier for the other person to understand.

LeBash

Its not racist.

I wish i had your problems

Turtyturd

Your co-workers gestures probably connected with your own subconscious racism op.

Cupcake_Crisis

Its presumptuous, and id imagine bloody irritating if they're fluent in English, but its not racist.

Eugene Norman

Turtyturd wrote: »

Your co-workers gestures probably connected with your own subconscious racism op.

This is fact a fact. Subliminal racists notice "racism" everywhere. Fact.

Slowing down Irish speaking patterns isn't racist because not everybody outside Ireland is a native Hiberno-English speaker. Fact.

PARlance

The KKK were always at this craic

michael999999

Robsweezie wrote: »

is it racist to do the thing where you talk slower and use more hand gestures than usual when dealing with foreign folk?

I caught someone at work at this recently, slowing down her speech and putting emphasis on her words when explaining to a foreign customer about a discount or something. she said '40' than made a hand gesture of 4-0 just to be clear. she spoke louder and noticeably different than she would the rest of us. is this just a formality to be absolutely clear? I think its perhaps ignorance giving her the benefit of the doubt, but she could well be an out and out racist. thoughts?

I find I have to do it dealing with people from cork!

suicide_circus

I think as long as your not pulling slanty eyes at the cnut your grand

Robsweezie

Turtyturd wrote: »

Your co-workers gestures probably connected with your own subconscious racism op.

I wouldn't go that far, its just something I thought others might see as racist , as it was only used in the presence of the foreign customers. I personally don't think it so, more unnecessary ignorance, but we all have different notions on what truly defines 'racism'. for me its the aggressive, intolerant 'get out of my country types'' that are the true offenders. to say my own subconscious racism came to light here wouldn't be an accurate reflection on me imo.

syklops

I sat beside a guy for 3 years, he was Czech, and often I would start saying something to him and he would stop me and tell me to start again slowly. Anyone who knows me will tell you I have a very clear accent with good diction, but he still had trouble understanding me.

To be honest I find people who don't modify their accent when another person can't understand them to be more ignorant.

c_man

She should be shot.

Shandashey

PARlance wrote: »

The KKK were always at this craic

what scamps!

Ghost Buster

You call your co worker 'IT'?!!!

Racist!!:eek:

sheesh

In fairness Irish speak very quickly so you have to slow down even for native english speakers e.g. Americans

Nodin

c_man wrote: »

She should be shot.

Are ye sure that would speed her up again though?

Hitchens

Daithi O'Shea even slows it down for Irish people

punisher5112

I think this thread is racist and should be reported to epa, cia or whoever needs be.

punisher5112

Op did she dub it or add sub titles?

Irish speak quite fast and I cant even understand some of them especially leprechauns

PARlance

Shandashey wrote: »

what scamps!

Well, I may have done them a disservice, maybe the weren't all that bad. They may have had to talk a little slower what with the face masks and all...

UCDVet

AnonoBoy wrote: »

It's potentially ignorant and probably unnecessary but it's not necessarily racist.



Hope that's cleared things up for you.

It's also potentially helpful and welcomed.

Robsweezie

punisher5112 wrote: »

Op did she dub it or add sub titles?

Irish speak quite fast and I cant even understand some of them especially leprechauns

she wrote it, recorded and remixed it with david guetta

mikemac1

Slowing down speech so others will understand?

Conor McGregor must be racist against all Americans so

osarusan

Cupcake_Crisis wrote: »

Its presumptuous, and id imagine bloody irritating if they're fluent in English, but its not racist.

Very irritating if they are fluent in English, but we don't know about this customer. Perhaps they spoke very little English and welcomed the slower speed and gestures.
Maybe she started by speaking normally but had to slow down to be understood.

Cupcake_Crisis

sheesh wrote: »

In fairness Irish speak very quickly so you have to slow down even for native english speakers e.g. Americans

Very true. When I was in Canada any time I was speaking to other irish folk, my Canadian pals hadn't a bloody clue what I was saying.

syklops

osarusan wrote: »

Very irritating if they are fluent in English, but we don't know about this customer. Perhaps they spoke very little English and welcomed the slower speed and gestures.
Maybe she started by speaking normally but had to slow down to be understood.

If they are fluent in English they will quickly assert that they dont need the special treatment, or it will become clear. If they don't, they might be damn glad of the person doing they're best to communicate with them.

AnonoBoy

UCDVet wrote: »

It's also potentially helpful and welcomed.

And potentially lethal. Or potentially embarrassing. Or possibly irritating.

See you missed the point of what I was saying.

Birneybau

Robsweezie wrote: »

is it racist to do the thing where you talk slower and use more hand gestures than usual when dealing with foreign folk?

I caught someone at work at this recently, slowing down her speech and putting emphasis on her words when explaining to a foreign customer about a discount or something. she said '40' than made a hand gesture of 4-0 just to be clear. she spoke louder and noticeably different than she would the rest of us. is this just a formality to be absolutely clear? I think its perhaps ignorance giving her the benefit of the doubt, but she could well be an out and out racist. thoughts?

As long as she didn't count out to 40 by throwing a straight armed salute for each one.

Robsweezie

Birneybau wrote: »

As long as she didn't count out to 40 by throwing a straight armed salute for each one.

no, she just said ''four...oh'' loudly while invisibly drawing a 4 and a 0 in front of her with her fingers

moc moc a moc

If it was a black Englishman or American, then that would be weird. If it was someone with a heavy accent or clearly not with a strong command of English, then it might be seen as helpful. Entirely depends on the situation and the customer (although hand signals do sound a bit much).

jimgoose

It's potentially helpful and potentially racialist simultaneously and at the same time. You may segfault now.

K4t

No. Yes. Maybe. Who cares?

Cold War Kid

michael999999 wrote: »

I find I have to do it dealing with people from cork!

I find I have to do it being from Cork!

Wacker The Attacker

Robsweezie wrote: »

is it racist to do the thing where you talk slower and use more hand gestures than usual when dealing with foreign folk?

I caught someone at work at this recently, slowing down her speech and putting emphasis on her words when explaining to a foreign customer about a discount or something. she said '40' than made a hand gesture of 4-0 just to be clear. she spoke louder and noticeably different than she would the rest of us. is this just a formality to be absolutely clear? I think its perhaps ignorance giving her the benefit of the doubt, but she could well be an out and out racist. thoughts?

What are you supposed to do?

Wacker The Attacker

Whoever calls this racist clearly does not know the meaning of the word racist.

K4t

If your colleague can speak the foreigner's language but chose to speak to them in English instead then it's probably racist!