Comments on: The “Ghetto Dude” Email Gaffe

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:00:01 +0000

I know I’m going to get flamed on this, but I would not assume that Aileen Siu is racist. Perhaps she was familiar with where he was from, and was referencing it. For all I know she had earlier talked to her co-worker about having grown up in the same or similar “ghetto”.

Another likely story is that she was couldnt understand his mothers accent, and made mention of that to her co-worker. Maybe she only recognized the accent as ghetto instead of Patois. Which is a racist stereotype, but indicative of Malvern & Jane & Finch, and some of our ghettos…

I dunno – it just doesnt seem somethng to get fired over.

By: Robin

Robin — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:57:13 +0000

I work for the Ontario Gov’t and ashamed at this Aileen Siu individual. She should be fired immediately for sending such an offensive e-mail. Don’t hold the work ethic of OPS’ers hostage. We are a good and diversified bunch. Hold those leaders who decide to keep morons like Aileen around hostage. That twit gives all of us OPS’ers a bad name. She is a ghetto dudette for writing that about an applicant. Shame on you Aileen!

By: anonymous

anonymous — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 16:38:33 +0000

One thing that often gets overlooked in such situations is “institutional racism.”

Chances are the author of the note will be fired. And when that happens, the office where she worked will stand proud and say “This place is clean now.”

But what about the person she INTENDED to send the note to — a “co-worker”. Or the fact that she used office e-mail to use a phrase such “ghetto dude” in the first place, when we all know office e-mail is monitored by our superiors. None of us would dare to use such a phrase — even if we’re busy and multi-tasking — if there was even a remote chance that they would say “Now, that’s not appropriate. We will have none of that” To me this reeks of an office-wide atmosphere of intolerance.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but wherever I work “shit flows down.” Time and again when I’m hired somewhere it’s not just my qualifications that gets me in the door, but because my personality appeals to those who hired me. Then, when management changes, I often find I’m no longer on their wavelength. So, I keep my head down and try to get along, but pretty soon I’m collecting EI again so that management can surround themselves with people who suit their comfort levels. Such as young, hot-looking women.