Saturday, January 20, 2007

Igno’ant Lady


For the past four months we’ve had a school friend of my brother and sister’s staying with us. The girl and her mom moved to NY from Florida after losing their home. Essentially homeless they were staying with relatives until they were able to get their stuff together here in New York. Then the girl’s mom got sick and she's been in the hospital for the past four months. As of yet no one in her family has offered to take her daughter in so she remains with us. The woman calls everyday to check up on her daughter and yesterday morning she called with some good news….


Igno’ant Lady: Oh Miss Maggie I have great news they are going to send me home! They are going to pay for our tickets back to Florida! I can have Jazzy stay with her brothers and they’ll make arrangements for me to be put into the physical rehab center out there!


Mom : That’s fantastic! It looks like 2007 is going to be a lucky year for you.

Igno’ant Lady: They called me in to a meeting this morning and the social worker told me they were going to discharge me and my doctor asked me what I wanted to do, that they were there to help me. I thought about what you said and told them I wanted to go back home. The Jew doctor told me he would pay for my tickets back home rather than wait for HRA to approve the money for them. That way I wouldn’t have to stay in a shelter for lord knows how long.


Mom : Well look at that what a kind hearted gentleman to do that for you.

Igno’ant Lady: I knew the minute I saw that Jew with the beanie on his head he had good news for me.

Mom : Beanie?

Igno’ant Lady: Yeah he's a Jew, beanie, curls and everything.


Mom : It’s a yarmulke not a beanie. At any rate that was really nice of him to dig into his pocket like that when he didn't have to.


Igno’ant Lady: Well of course you know those Jews with the beanies…

Mom : Yarmulke.

Igno’ant Lady: Hanukah

Mom : Whatever (sigh) … please go on.


Igno’ant Lady: Like I was saying those Jews with the Hanukah’s are rich they have mad money but they are all stingy.

Mom : Really all the Jews with the yarmulkes are rich?

Igno’ant Lady: Oh lord yes! They all have money but they are really cheap. Once you see them wearing the Hanukah on with the Jew curls you know they have money.

Mom : Uh huh. You know that’s just a stereo-type. Every race and ethnic background has a stereo-type assigned to them. For Jews it’s that they are cheap and if that were really the case this man wouldn't be paying for your tickets. It's just a stereo-type.

Igno’ant Lady: No. That’s the God’s honest truth not a stereo-type. Jews are cheap. You know sometimes stereo-types are truthful.

Mom : Ahhh I see so that stereo-type of African-Americans involving the projects, fried chicken and watermelons is true too?

Igno’ant lady did not appreciate what my mother had just said. She was not amused. She said nothing.


Mom : Yeah that’s what I thought. You might want to re-think that whole stereo-type thing over. I’ll tell you daughter to call you when she gets home from school. Bye.

I saw the look on my mother's face as she hung up the phone," Ma you alright?". I asked.

Mom: No. She irks the crap outta me ugh!


Mia: Well you know ma some people are just like that they buy into stereo-types except when it comes to their own.

My mom then looked at me arched her eyebrow and launched into her grandmother's thick spanish accent...

Mom: Bueno mija I guessing ju is right. It no paying to get the mad at deese peoples day don't know no beeter verdad? Okay then I'm going to cleaning the hoose now and then i'se got to go downing town and buy some tight clothes.

Mia: Okay woman no more coffee for you.

Labels: racism, stereo-type, WTF

Posted by @ 2:47 PM
8 comment from:  Anonymous,  Aisha,  DannieS72,  Just Jane,  christina/ohio,  Goggles Piasano Ritardo,  Mia,  Spontaneousnessity,