This happened to my daughter-in-law at a local grocery store here in Rapid City where she works. I won't identify the store because this probably could have happened (and does happen) at any store here in Rapid City.
My daughter-in-law is a cashier, a very good one, with several years of experience and a very professional attitude, though she is only 21. They love her at the store because she always has a big smile and can bag really quickly on her own. Customers are served, out of the store and on their way with little delay.
She is, however, the only American Indian cashier.
Two men, dressed in cowboy hats and Western clothing, deliberately chose her line to pay for their items. There were three other cashiers working, but these cashiers were about three or four checkstands away from her.
My daughter-in-law immediately smiled and asked them if they found everything they needed, as she always does. One (white) man remarked, "Look, they let wild Indians work here."
My daughter-in-law was upset but continued to smile and remain professional, scanning their items. She told them how much they owed, while the other white man remarked, "Look, she even knows how to count!"
The first cowboy threw down a $20 bill, which the moving rubber counter immediately swept under the counter. She found it and picked up the $20, rang up their purchases and proceeded to try to give them their change. The first white man refused to let her put the change in his hand, telling her he didn't want her to touch him. He told her to put it on the counter. She then put the money down on the counter, still smiling like a professional, and the two men grabbed their change and walked away, calling her names which I can't even type for you, but I am sure you can imagine.
The man behind these two @#$%@!! noted to my daughter-in-law how rude these men were. She agreed and still held her head high, smiled and served the rest of her customers before asking someone for some time to go to the break room, where she proceeded to cry her eyes out.
She called her mother, who of course (as I would say the same thing) told her to leave - no job is worth that kind of humiliation. But my daughter-in-law is a professional, she has integrity and she didn't want to leave her employer shorthanded or leave the job in such a bad way. She wanted to stay and finish her shift, so her mother told her to go tell the shift manager.
The shift manager was very surprised and I believe upset for her also. Not one of the other checkers or the manager were aware this had happened. They immediately instructed her she had the right to refuse service to those men at that time and refuse in the future if they came in again. They instructed her to turn off her light, refuse service and call the manager and/or security. They did allow her to go home early.
Still, my daughter-in-law is reconsidering whether a job at that grocery store is worth it.
When my daughter-in-law told me, we both cried. It still makes me cry to think that our children can still be treated like this in 2006, here in Rapid City!
I know there are other instances ... I have heard ... racism and prejudice are alive and well here in Rapid City.
We need to encourage and teach our children not only how to hold their heads up high with integrity and pride in heritage, but also how to utilize available process to address these situations immediately. My daughter-in-law and my boys are all pretty vocal and speak up when they see someone being treated wrong. But when this type of thing is perpetrated upon you, and in public, and at work, what do you do? What if you get fired because you did something about it?
We also need to encourage others to speak up when they see someone suffering racial slurs and recriminations. (Like the man standing behind these guys!) And if they are too afraid to speak up, at least go tell someone in charge!
Please pass this around to everyone you can. And send your suggestions or comments to me, especially encouraging ones - I would like to show them to my daughter-in-law!
