Dear Urban Diplomat: how can I convince my racist boss to hire a black sushi chef?

19 thoughts on “Dear Urban Diplomat: how can I convince my racist boss to hire a black sushi chef?”

1. I’m asian and if I’m in an upscale sushi place, I want to see a Japanese chef making my sushi, not Chinese, Korean or anyone else. If it’s a regular joint, I don’t care. It’s part of the experience when I’m paying big bucks. I like the Hiro Sushi experience.

2. “Breyton”

3. So when you walk in a restaurant, do you ask to see the chef’s passport to determine where he or she was born or any other piece of identification that would meet your idiotic, racist expectations Breyton?

4. Kaji Sushi in Toronto and is upscale. And expensive. His sous Chef Ian Robinson is caucasian. It doesn’t affect the preparation of the food.

5. The answer is, you can’t do anything. Discrimination laws “prohibit” this, yes, but simply put, they’re just not enforceable. Aside from the fact that you can’t prove your boss said what he said, there are numerous more “outs”, when it comes to disqualifying someone for a reason that isn’t discrimination. Perhaps all previous chefs speak fluent Japanese, and this candidate doesn’t – then he’s “not qualified anyway”. It’s a battle that a job-seeker can’t win.

   I was age-discriminated out of many jobs when I was younger (despite being qualified in all other respects), and I realized it simply wasn’t worth the battle to go crying about how “I’m a victim of discrimination so now they have to hire me”. Because even if I did get the job by force, I’d be pushed out of it in no time at all. An employer’s ability to “get rid of you” is a force to be reckoned with. They’ll “catch you doing something wrong”, or tell all your coworkers to ignore you, and you’ll either quit, or be “rightfully fired” before you even get your first paycheque.

   You can pretend that discrimination laws are there to help you, but depending on them isn’t going to get you a job, because at the end of the day, nobody has to hire you for any reason at all – and aside from the fact that you’ll waste a ton of time pursuing something you’ll never get, you’ll be known as “that guy”. Word travels fast, especially in the restaurant business – and… well… you get the picture.

6. No need. I know when some is speaking Japanese, Chinese or Korean.

7. Funny how some ethnic groups have no problem having blacks as customers……

8. I would love to know which restuarant this is so I can ensure I never eat there.

9. I don’t think the owner necessarily didn’t want to hire the chef because he’s black but probably because he isn’t asian.

10. Conversely, I would have no problem eating ham hocks n collards and mac n cheese prepared by an asian chef.

11. They will be racist regardless and their customers too, many of them but i have seen asians working as chefs in Greektown. Bottom line is they have no problems with discriminating against other pple but when it comes to jobs that they want they use the race card and that is the reality of racism in Canada nowadays. Whites need to take the blinders off. I have seen an asian person working behind the counter at a black caribbean resto and only once have seen a black person working ( as a hostess) at an asian resto.

12. well whites they would not have a problem with cause heaven forbid whites shoudl realize how racist they can be plus they think whites are just as superior as they are so no problem there i’m sure! Trust me, colour has everything to do with it.

13. Sometimes it works to try. There was an incident that went to the Human Rights Commission yrs ago where an asian resto owner blatanlty said that she did not want Turks i believe it was, in her resto and was fined $15,0000.

14. There was an incident recently in NYC recently where a popular Jamaican musician Muvado was moved to the back of the resto by the Chinese owner. Needless to say he declined the free meal offer when the ish hit the fan and it was made public. Not likely the guy will ever eat there again and the whole thing was discussed on TMZ. Gotta get their prejudice out there more!!

15. Ah the arrogance! yet they’d be up ish creek if they could not live outside of asia!!

16. No it’s def his colour but what no one’s asking them to move to NORTH AMERICA and they are free to leave

17. Years ago I responded to an ad in the paper for a position. I was contacted and asked to come in for an interview. When I arrived, I was interviewed by the HR representative. We concluded our interview and he told me that I would be speaking to the plant manager next. He left his office to speak with the plant manager and didn’t return for a considerable length of time. When he did return, he came in and closed the door. Then, with a somber expression, he said that he could probably get fired for what he was about to say. He went on to to tell me that the plant manager saw me when I came in and told him that he would not interview me for the position because I was black.

    I have never taken racism personally or as having anything to do with me. I have always seen it as an indication of the ignorance and mental deficiency of the perpetrator. As such, I was surprised, but not shocked.

    When the HR guy finished,I said that if they didn’t want to interview blacks, they should have said that up front so as not to waste my time. Obviously, that would have been illegal. Then I asked him what was the midpoint for the annual salary of the position In question. He told me and I quickly calculated an hourly rate. I told him that I wanted mileage plus the hourly rate for my time from preparation for the interview that morning to the approximate time that It would take me to return home. He cut me a check for the amount right on the spot.

    Now, I could have retained a lawyer and pursued a lawsuit. Perhaps I should have. But, I knew that would take a lot if time and I had no guarantee that the HR guy was going to repeat what he said to me. Any subpoenaed records could also have been doctored. Without that, it would clearly have been he said she said. I made an instantaneous decision that it wasn’t worth my effort. In retrospect, I was wrong. I should have challenged them. They were in a consumer market and many blacks bought their products. The behavior of the plant manager was reprehensible and he should have been called on it. I never saw him, but that was a sober reminder that the face of racism is often unseen.

18. So true, racism in Toronto is very subtle, disgusting!

19. Find a new job

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