Well, *that* was one fucked up conversation...

[silverthorne]

So one of my co-workers has come down with what looks suspiciously like pink eye to me, and has been trying to get a doc appointment since yesterday morning. She asked me about Dr. Lee (the totally aweseom doc who fixed my eye), having had no luck with her own resources, and I loan her his card so she can try and get an appointment with him.

She brings the card back, and, yes, being the awesome doctor that he is, the office gets her in for an eleven o'clock appointment today.

So, then, she asks me, "So, does he speak english okay?"

I dunno what the look on my face was, but she stepped back a foot or two.

I managed, "Yeah, he should; he's native to America..." those weren't quite the words I was trying for, but it was a lot better than the 'what the fuck else would he be speaking?!'. Which is what I was thinking.

She sort of backpedaled and said, "Well, I know, but you know what I mean, I just..." and she trailed off.

I just kinda shook my head at her. No, lady, you don't know.

I mean...damn. What? Holy fuck. Chinese surname does not immediately equal 'can't speak the engrish well'.

Comments

[rebl1969.livejournal.com]

Tommy Lee
Geddy Lee
Robert E. Lee
"Spike" Lee

I could go on, but I won't...

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

That also, which I didn't think of, because Dr. Lee is chinese. One of his secretaries does have a slight accent (and I didn't mention his ethinic background, either, so...assumptions on her part anyway), which is what I think set her off. Still...yeah. Floored.

[bogboblin.livejournal.com]

God. o_O I've had moments like that from my own coworkers. (Oh, they think they can get away with it because of their nationality...)

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

*shakes head*

Yeah. How to get beat over the head with peoples' prejudices.

Of course, I have to wince a little at my own reaction as well, which was 'of course he speaks perfect english, he's in America!', which, without knowing the man's background, goes into the whole egocentric 'American' thing from the 'everyone should speak english and nothing else' mindset, which is just as bad in it;s own right, because it negates any possibility that he might still be connected to family and community that speaks a different langauge than the expected, and rightfully so.