Is this racism

[prettyprettyflowers]

Very senior manager was told off by HR for doing a mocking Chinese accent when talking about a trip to a Chinese restaurant in a senior meeting.
She then recounts story with same accent in different meeting as well as how funny it was HR told her off for it.

It Bothers me. But am I the only one?

It's not right

I heard someone recently defending a woman referring to people living in Asia as dirty, filthy and smelling.
When I pointed out that the woman is racist, I was told "No, she's very nice and sweet and doesn't think they are inferior to us white people so clearly she isn't racist."
My answer to that and this post is: bollocks, report, it's racism.

Yes, racist, and a worrying lack of awareness to mock the HR response in a further meeting.

If it's done in a mocking way (which it probably was) then it's racist. FWIW I'm Scottish and I'm sick fed up of people thinking it's funny to imitate my accent. It's rude rather than offensive unless followed up with a comment about 'don't hit me' (reference to Glaswegians apparently being violent).

Yes, I think it is racism.

Of course putting on an accent is not ALWAYS racist - but it usually is. Here I imagine she was making fun of the Chinese speaker. In which case, yes.

If she was trying to create an authentic representation of the events then no. But that seems pretty unlikely....

Of course it is.
Also it is EXTREMELY bad manners.

This.

Yes Tammy. The race blinkers are common on MN.

If course it's racist.

I think most people would find it comfortable to hear someone doing a Regional, European, American, Australian, South African, Canadian, or neighbouring Countriy's accent but not an Asian or African one. You're wrong. Having my Scottish accent 'done' is very offensive. And you have no comeback because you're made out to be completely humourless.

I wouldn’t say it’s racist to imitate an accent. You’ve never imitated a scouser, an American, an Australian, an Irishman, a brummie?! My close ‘friend’ colleagues imitate my accent all the time, I’m British btw, it’s a bit of fun.

I do however think it is unprofessional in the circumstances you have described and possible awkward. As well as disrespectful the fact that she had already been told by HR. I would report it to HR again.

So, no, I don’t see imitating accents as racist, but it can be rude/derogatory depending on the circumstances.

@MissEliza

I'm Scottish and I'm sick fed up of people thinking it's funny to imitate my accent. It's rude rather than offensive

I used to get very pissed off at people imitating my accent back to me, until I finally realised that a lot of the time they were doing it because they liked the sound of it, and were trying out those sounds for themselves. Not the same as poking fun at a Chinese voice I hasten to add! But I can see sometimes that people aren't trying to be rude, more 'fascinated'. A friend with a really strong Somerset accent was held up for ages in customs when he went to Florida, he finally asked them what the problem was and they told him they just wanted to listen to his accent. Accents are interesting, unfortunately.

If your a leftie snowflake....... Yes.

If your normal.............. No.

Yep. Racist. And it doesn’t matter whether there were Chinese people present or not.

wormery Mon 21-May-18 15:07:12

Racist, offensive, ignorant and unprofessional. She sounds a delight.

This

As somebody has pointed out: what about imitating usually European or White accents, would that be racist. Those Irish jokes that I have heard going around!

If your a leftie snowflake....... Yes. If your normal.............. No.

If you're educated enough to have proper grammar, you will find the above statement an offence against the English language.
Not sure what your "normal" is. Mocking Chinese accent definitely isn't mine.

If you're educated enough to have proper grammar, you will find the above statement an offence against the English language.
Not sure what your "normal" is. Mocking Chinese accent definitely isn't mine.

That's because you're a snowflake.

I have lived for short periods in both America and Australia. While there, people would comment on my accent all the time. Some would say how they liked it, and others would mimic it and take the mick. It could be annoying, but never racist.

It's just an accent.......

“Some would say how they liked it, and others would mimic it and take the mick. It could be annoying, but never racist.”

That’s because you aren’t a member of an ethnic minority. HTH.

I have lived for short periods in both America and Australia. While there, people would comment on my accent all the time. Some would say how they liked it, and others would mimic it and take the mick. It could be annoying, but never racist.

Yes. I also assume you're not white and you're not a native English speaker. Or are you?

You're wrong. Having my Scottish accent 'done' is very offensive.

Oh ffs. Really? Very offensive? Have you never done an accent?

FWIW I’m Scottish and can usually only laugh at the “Och aye the noo” accents that folk do. I’ve lived abroad in Spain, Germany, Australia and Singapore and never once have I thought there was a racist undertone to someone mimicking my accent.

Yes. I also assume you're not white and you're not a native English speaker. Or are you?

What is the inference in this line of questioning?

I get it now Clandestino. It doesn't apply if you're white?

Get a grip.

I'm mixed raced. Is it racist that they made comments on my English accent now?

I'm mixed raced. Is it racist that they made comments on my English accent now?

You are a native English speaker then. In that case commenting on your accent may be mildly offensive but it's not to a degree of a native English speaker mocking someone's foreign accent in English, especially as the Chinese accent has been mocked to death in movies etc. as a sign of inferiority. It's the equivalent of someone hopping around playing a black person with a black pain on their faces.

bridgetoc, commenting to you, is fine, as long as it's not in a piss take way.

Mocking someone, in a workplace, that you have contact with, is inappropriate behaviour. taking the piss out of an Minority accent is Racist.

I'm a scouser, I had to endure, the "Calm down, calm down, Harry Enfieled style, that was completely different to what happened in the OP's scenario. When it included jokes about stealing car wheels that was when it crossed the line. Context is everything.

She however took the piss out of something that comes about (the accent) only because that person is that Race, which makes it racist.