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In reply to the discussion: White DUers: Tell Your Stories [View all]wasupaloopa
(4,516 posts)When ever I interviewed people for a job in our accounting department I had to tell the applicant that they did not have to complete the question of race/ethnicity on the application. Equal opportunity hiring was the hot issue at the time. Yet I had to keep track of the race and ethnicity of the applicants so if they did not fill out the application I asked them to tell me what their race or ethnicity was if they wanted to. That was in case we ever were taken to court we could show who applied and who got hired by race or ethnicity.
Well I got laid off and had the pleasure of being the interviewee. I found a few temporary accounting jobs but could never get hired full time. I was well qualified but I figured it was because I was a white male during a push for equal opportunity hiring.
Every job ad had these words, "We are an equal opportunity employer, women and minorities are encouraged to apply." Companies without many women or minority employees needed to get up to speed with equal opportunity hiring. Those words in the ad could have said "no white males need to apply." Now contrary to what is said on this board I was well aware of my white privilege since I was a kid. So I kind of knew what was up and felt the shoe was on the other foot now.
Then I applied for a job as a auditor with the CA Board of Equalization. I was a Vietnam Veteran so I got a few extra points in the application process and was called for an interview. Having been turned down numerous times I felt this was another one of those show up for nothing interviews. The group that interviewed me were five women three of whom were minorities. I thought I would do the best I could.
After a while it was clear to me that I was wasting my time so I thought I would try to have as much fun with it as I could. One question was worded like this, "Many of the people you would be auditing will be minorities and may feel uncomfortable having a white male audit them, what could you do to make then feel more comfortable with you?" My answer was, "I was in Vietnam and if the person was Vietnamese and I spoke their language they would feel very comfortable with me." One of the women got a big smile and very wide eyed and asked me, "Do you speak Vietnamese?" I said, "No but if I did they would be comfortable."
Now I understood that the times were not in my favor as they were not in the favor of those who got passed over because of their race and I got the job.
I eventually overcame those times though we lost our house and had to move into a small apartment. I took a laborer's job a friend got me. But I am a positive thinker and knew times would get better and they did.