My young cousins hear the same thing when they do work for other construction crews.
Their experiences in hiring their friends (and friends of friends) has led them to believe many of the negative stereotypes of the 'Lazy Black Worker'.
"They always want to come to work late and leave early", one said.
"They're always talking on their phones when it's time to work.", said his brother.
"They always want to get paid early.", "...get paid more for doing less work." and "..want to borrow money." were also complained about.
"But Mexicans WORK!", they concluded.
I had to explain that they work hard and don't do any of those things.
"But you wouldn't let us.", said one.
"Exactly. You had to be taught how to work like you were the owner - not as though you were just waiting for a pay check.", I replied.
"Most people who own a business don't have the extra time or money to acclimate their employees to a competitive market. Most cannot afford to teach what should have been taught in ones childhood. Most of the Mexicans you see in trades have been doing those jobs alongside their fathers since their childhoods. They were brought up working hard... not being spoiled by their grandmothers.", I continued.
"Just hire the best workers you can find while still being able to make a profit.", I concluded.
"I'm hiring Mexicans.", they each said.
Later in the week, one cousin complained that his friends were saying that he was becoming 'Bougie"and that he "Thought he was white".
"This is a common complaint heard from those who cannot compete." I said.
"These same people complain about Slavery when they have never picked a bag of cotton in their lives. These people blame every failure on racism when in reality they are not even qualified to be discriminated against predicated on race.". I continued.
"Sometimes you just have to move along and leave these people behind.", I concluded.
I don't think these young men were satisfied with my response.
I think that they still believe that they can make a difference in the lives of others.
(Naive little kids...(SMH))
2 comments:
It's just acclimation to the American Dream. Blacks used to do all the jobs of the immigrants of nannies, contractors and just about any and all hard work jobs.
Just like the mexican brothers will do they will tell their kids to get educated so they don't have to swing a hammer. The kids will grow up and say that kind of work is beneath me. They will get a job being a manager of someone else business and take pride in being a title with no skills.
In LA we have plenty of Mexicans that don't work that damn hard. LA just has a influx of immigrant Mexicans and Central Americans who know they are locked out so they are willing to do the dirty work.
But, again give them 40 years and we'll see if the Mexcian man is the laborer of choice. The cycle is the same.
Slave labor, Discriminated Labor, Cheap Labor, Immigrant Labor and finally New Immigrant Labor. They all come to pass as the guy getting taken advantage of wisens up either through dying or their children making a better way.
This will not work as a matter of fact, that's what I consider.
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