C*T in a Bike Shop

Today my colleague(s)

…talked about ‘Chinks,’ and called the leaking water from a busted pipe in the ceiling ‘Chink shit’ because there is a Chinese family living over the store.

…laughed at being called ‘Pali Shit’ as an insult by children. (They did mean Palestinian. Why did you laugh, I asked? ‘Because it’s funny,’ they said.)

…told me his ID made him look like a rapist.
There were a lot of other rape jokes, (of course)… but I’ve forgotten them.

…joked about how the waitress at a family run restaurant looks like she experiences domestic abuse.
“It’s what makes the food so good,” he said.

…tried to tell me that racism (and so his jokes) are necessary to “keep people on their toes.”

Moving is hard; moving to a new country is harder. 

I’m having a lot of trouble getting through all the paperwork, and I keep getting sent back and forth for more paperwork/proof.

I am off for four days from the Undisclosed Bike Shop, but I had to go in today for forms.

After explaining my troubles my colleagues joked about me having so much trouble because of racism. To be clear: I am of mixed ethnicity but I look like (and for all intents and purposes here—live the life of) the average white girl. 

My co-workers know I’m mixed, and so to them it means that I will understand and appreciate their racist jokes (specifically anti-Asian) all the more. Because we’re all white here, right?

No matter how many times I say “hey, fuck you, that’s racist.” or “what do you think you’re doing?” they keep it up.

It’s like because I’m white I’ll jump right in with them to be more white?

Lots of rape jokes in the store today.

Rape. Rape. Rape.

I think there were so many because I tried to tell my colleagues that “rape’s not a joke.” 

Their response:
“Rapes not a joke; unless it’s a joke.” 

Today my co-workers:

…made jokes about ‘blenvy’ (their word): “Black envy” between an imagined future POC employee and the one existing POC employee

…imitated a vaguely ‘Asian’ accent when complaining about bicycle problems

…talked about how he’s okay with queers and gay folks—LOVES the gay neighborhoods—but It makes him uncomfortable. But he’s okay with it. Besides, he has gay friends.

…made jokes about annoying customers tailing them to rape them. 

…made pedophile jokes

…tried to explain just why I need to understand customer stereotyping. (‘None of them are good, even if they seem like it, they’re always thinking of ways to get you in the back of their mind.’)

Today my boss told me not to let people test ride bikes (for fear of theft) until I learn the local accents, so that I can stereotype people by their voices.

Yesterday, one of my superiors let me in on a nickname for one of their extremely loyal clients: They call him ‘Kung-Fu Panda’ because—you guessed it—he’s Chinese. 

I was told that on meeting him I would ‘get it immediately, he looks just like it.’ But that I ‘should never call him that to his face, it’s just a shop joke.’

This customer is a wicked fit man of average height with legs that could smash my co-workers. I’m not getting it.