Lost in Translation

"Lord you should see my (wife) - she's enough to make all the bishes cry - ooh yeahh, they on my d*ck, get off my d*ck..."

Zune Says - Big Pun - My Dick

You ever had light altercation with someone of another ethnicity, and they turn around and start talking about you in their language? Do you remember the feeling you get when you know they're saying something - but you just don't know what? Well, when it comes to Spanish - I don't have that problem. Today kinda pissed me off.

So yeah - I'm a mutt - we know that. But people underestimate me so often in society, it's annoying. Especially since I moved to Florida. I find that the racial issues are different here, the ignorance shifts to other perspectives. It's more based on looks than background - the aesthetics are what you're judged by first - then they try and figure out who you are later. The main thing I get is being overlooked for certain things when clearly I am fully qualified. Like speaking Spanish. Whenever we have a language issue at work - one that involves Spanish - everyone is asked for help but me. They will scour the earth for a latino person to come and translate - and I'll just stand there til they're about to give up, then I'll quietly say, "I speak Spanish." And I'll get "Oh - you do? Great! Can you help me?" And I of course, oblige.

Now, I wasn't born speaking the language, because despite my family's mixed heritage, we are Jamaican first and foremost. I started learning when I was 10, eleven years ago - so I'm gonna pretty much say I'm fluent. If I were in NY, my ethnicity would not be in question - everybody's Spanish until proven guilty. Well, at least in my hood. Not exactly - but everyone's mixed with something, you know what I'm sayin. Down here, if you ain't Cuban, Haitian, or Venezuelan - what are you? You get clumped in as black. And that's okay - just don't mistreat me.

Today now, I gave somebody a taste of my angry side. That doesn't happen very often. I was working at Customer Service, doing returns and purchases - when my computer (register) froze. Of course, customers show up at that exact time, and I had to ask them to wait. The little Spanish lady that was first in line was very kind. She went to another line and bought stuff until I could do her return. The second lady, though - was a beyotch. She kept askin me how long it was gonna take, sayin she came all the way there just for a return (what a lame), yadda yadda. I appologized and told her it would be a moment, and there's nothing that I could do. She turned around to her friend and started speaking Spanish to her. Few minutes later, she turned around and aske me again how long it was gonna take. I told her it was up to the computer. Anyway, long story short - I caught her talkin about me to her friend - makin fun of my politeness, and how I talk and sh*t. Finally, I got fed up and in Spanish - I leaned over and said, "Excuse me miss, but how much are your items worth? (Disculpe Senora, pero cuanto cuestan su cosas?)

Broad looked flabbergasted.

So now we're speaking Spanish. She goes on to tell me (the same sh*t she said in English) how long she'd been waiting, and bla-ze bla-ze - I said "Me entiendes, pero -" She cuts me off, talkin bout "You can speak to me in English."

She didn't know what to do when I bust out the Espanol on her ass. Her face turned so red, it was hilarious. She took her tone down a notch and retreated for a minute, then her bird ass friend hyped her up and she asked for the store manager (who came and backed me up). Needless to say, she left with her tail between her legs and her refund in her hand.

My question today is - how do we judge people? Personally, in our own lives - what are the criteria for people to be treated well by us? Is it their clothes, their shoes, their hair, what car they drive, who they know? Is it their skintone, their accent, their choice in food? Personally, I try my best not to discriminate - but you know what I judge people by? Their attitude.
If you walk up to me with a sour face - you'll get the silent treatment as I cash you out. You'll get the same attitude you give out. I don't care what you look like, smell like, sound like, dress like. I try to treat everyone with respect - cuz that's what I want back. It's so frustrating when people don't behave like they have home training - but then I remember - some people don't.

If I were in Washington Heights right now, this wouldn't be an issue, lol.