"By the content of my character"-(ironic guffaw)!

[gobear]

I work at a non-profit that helps people with mental illnesses find support in their communities. Anew position opened up fror a higher position for which I am completely suited; in fact, it’s a glorified version of the position I now hold, but with better pay and responsibility. I mentioned to my supervisor that I was interested in the job, and she responded with a half-shrug, half-cringe, “Well, we were thinking about finding someone with more ethnic diversity.”

Now I support affirmative action in so far that it opens up the candidate base to include more people and that someone would not be excluded on the basis of race or ethnicity. If I lost out to a superior African-American, Asian, or Latino candidate, I wouldn’t complain. It’s only fair that if Ms. Jackson, Mr. Rodrigues, or Ms. Kim (for example) have more experience and better qualifications, one of them should get the job.

But that’s not what’s happening here. I’m being excluded from consideration a prioribecause I’m white (being half-Choctaw doesn’t count if you lack the upbringing or culture) and male. Sure, I’m gay, but I don’t think that gets me many “diversity points”–seriously, that’s the expression she used. I’m not being excluded for lack of qualifications, but solely because I belong to the majority ethicity in this country, and thus lack “diversity.” I’m being judged by the color of my skin.

Perhaps I’m a bad employee and they wanted to spare me? But A) open expressions of racism aren’t an appropriate response and B) that wouldn’t explain why they ask me to take on more tasks, like writing for the Web page, reviewing books for the monthly publication, editing copy for press releases, and assisting in other projects.

I’m trying to work through a rational, sensible reaction to this, trying to discover if there were some other reason they could fairly keep me from consideration, but no, I was told point-blank that it is because of race and I have no reason to think otherwise.

I find it ruefully ironic that this is being done in an office which is 100 percent Democrat and supposedly committed to social justice.

I’m sooo looking for another job.

[lieu]

Is increasing the “ethnic diversity” of the non-profit simply an ethical decision management has made or is there goverment (or other) funding that is contingent on maintaining a certain ethhnic component?

[Triskadecamus]

Here in Virginia, in the Washington DC suburbs, my employer has opened up the doors of opportunity to cultural diversity.

Over half of our mission services related employees are Ghanian, or Sierra Leonian.

A West African majority in suburban Northern Virginia doesn’t strike me as cultural diversity.

Upper level management is predominately white, middle class, and male.

We got lots of gays.

Tris

“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” ~ Will Rogers ~

[gobear]

@lieu

Is increasing the “ethnic diversity” of the non-profit simply an ethical decision management has made or is there goverment (or other) funding that is contingent on maintaining a certain ethhnic component?

The position is funded by a federal grant, but that merely shifts the responsibility, but the substance of racial discrimination still remains. Moreover, even if the source of the problem is the feds, my employer still does their bidding so my job prospects remain unchanged.

[tdn]

“Well, we were thinking about finding someone with more ethnic diversity.”

“Sure. How diverse would you like me to be?”

[MysteryFellow63427]

Isn’t this discrimination on the basis of race illegal? I would try to document it, if you care at all. Audio tapes are probably the most convincing.

IANAL, check local and state laws before recording any conversations.

[gobear]

Maybe I should don hornrim spectacles, a bow tie , and drak suit, and call myself Gobear X. If questioned on my ethnicity, I’ll just respond, “I detest every drop of the slavemaster’s blood in me! Allah and His prophet the Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us the correct way to overcome the white devil!”

Heck, we have a red-headed, blue-eyed All-American white guy who’s a Muslim; if he can pull it off, maybe my joining the Nation of Islam isn’t so implausible.

[5que]

Can’t you apply anyway? Can your supervisor prevent you from putting in an application? If you decide to make an issue of this now or later, you really don’t have anything to go on if you don’t even apply.

In my job (private sector, definitely profit oriented), if you apply for an internal position your supervisor isn’t even informed of it – unless you’d still be reporting to that supervisor. Supervisors usually don’t find out until you’re fairly well along in the application process.

And wow, gays don’t get many diversity points? I suppose in theory that’s a good thing, meaning it isn’t much of an issue anymore? However, I do think a gay, half-Native American, Nation of Islam applicant would be good for bonus points.

[Polycarp]

As a thought, perhaps they’re not aware of your Choctaw ancestry? That might make a difference – the Federal grant rules on diversity are arcane, to say the least. Having met you in person, it wasn’t something obvious in your appearance – might they not be aware of it?

My boy Jay is half West Virginia Sioux (not sure which specific group – that identifier should give some ethnologist the necessary information to fill in the blank). We were exploring getting him funding for a project as a member of an ethnic minority – for other reasons, nothing ever came of it, but he would have qualified.

[kaylasdad99]

@gobear

I work at a non-profit that helps people with mental illnesses find support in their communities. Anew position opened up fror a higher position for which I am completely suited; in fact, it’s a glorified version of the position I now hold, but with better pay and responsibility. I mentioned to my supervisor that I was interested in the job, and she responded with a half-shrug, half-cringe, “Well, we were thinking about finding someone with more ethnic diversity.”

Ask for that in writing.

Then suggest that the ethnically diverse newcomer be considered for the position that you will be leaving when your promotion takes effect.

I mean, even without this monkey wrench, they would need to fill your current position if you were awarded the new one, right?

[Bricker]

As I understand it, the practice that the OP complains of is precisely how affirmative action is supposed to work. He says:

@gobear

Now I support affirmative action in so far that it opens up the candidate base to include more people and that someone would not be excluded on the basis of race or ethnicity. If I lost out to a superior African-American, Asian, or Latino candidate, I wouldn’t complain. It’s only fair that if Ms. Jackson, Mr. Rodrigues, or Ms. Kim (for example) have more experience and better qualifications, one of them should get the job.

That’s NOT affirmative action. That’s race-neutral hiring… selecting the best candidiate for the job, regardless of race. Affirmative action is taking affirmative steps to increase the number of minorities employed by selecting minorities on a PREFERRED basis.

It should go without saying that I believe gobear’s proposed process is the correct one, and that affirmative action is an unwise policy. Race-neutral, color-blind hiring is the only fair way to act.

[mhendo]

@gobear

Now I support affirmative action in so far that it opens up the candidate base to include more people and that someone would not be excluded on the basis of race or ethnicity. If I lost out to a superior African-American, Asian, or Latino candidate, I wouldn’t complain. It’s only fair that if Ms. Jackson, Mr. Rodrigues, or Ms. Kim (for example) have more experience and better qualifications, one of them should get the job.

You say you support affirmative action, as long as the best-qualified person gets the job.

But isn’t one of the fundamental premises of affirmative action the notion that we should sometimes give the job to lesser-qualified candidates in order to expand diversity and make up for historical injustices and inequality of opportunity?

I’m not trying to needle you. I’m asking a genuine question. What do federal guidelines say about affirmative action and the relationship between employment, racial/ethnic/gender group, and qualifications? Is the idea of affirmative action really nothing more than an attempt to increase the pool of applicants, as your post implies? Or does it also mean that we can take inferior (but still capable) candidates in order to balance out the representation?

[BrotherCadfael]

@kaylasdad99

Ask for that in writing.

If they’re dumb enough to give it to you in writing, take the letter to an employment lawyer posthaste. You have the makings of a major lawsuit on your hands.

[gobear]

@BrotherCadfael

If they’re dumb enough to give it to you in writing, take the letter to an employment lawyer posthaste. You have the makings of a major lawsuit on your hands.

I checked with HR and was told that the ethnicity requirement was a condition of the grant, which makes no sense because being not-white is not a requirement to do the job. I very much doubt that there is any recourse for me.

Or does it also mean that we can take inferior (but still capable) candidates in order to balance out the representation?

Why would a minority candidate necessarily be inferior? I have no problem losing out to a superior candidate, or even an equally-matched minority candidate. It’s the “No dogs or white people” stipulation that pisses me off.

This is how Republicans are recruited.

[mhendo]

@gobear

Why would a minority candidate necessarily be inferior?

I’m not saying they necessarily would be. But it still seems to me that part of the idea behind affirmative action is that, in an attempt to balance out past inequities, minorty status sometimes becomes more important than qualifications. After all, if the best candidate was always hired for the job based on experience, qualifications and performace, there would be no need for affirmative action in the first place.

I say all this as someone who supports the principle of affirmative action, but who wishes it weren’t necessary.

[BrotherCadfael]

@gobear

I checked with HR and was told that the ethnicity requirement was a condition of the grant, which makes no sense because being not-white is not a requirement to do the job. I very much doubt that there is any recourse for me.

I seriously doubt that a grant which was restricted to whites only would pass legal muster, can a grant be restricted to non-whites only? I seem to recall seeing some discussion of this in the past regarding private college schollarships.

Can one of the attorneys enlighten us?

[mhendo]

@gobear

I have no problem losing out to a superior candidate, or even an equally-matched minority candidate. It’s the “No dogs or white people” stipulation that pisses me off.

I should add that i agree completely that you should be able to apply for the position.

In my opinion, affirmative action implies that the issue of race/ethnicity/gender might be taken into account during the evaluation and interview process. I don’t think it should be used as an excuse for a priori exclusion of any candidate.

[dropzone]

@gobear

…being half-Choctaw doesn’t count if you lack the upbringing or culture

Yet were your name Rodrigues but the last Spanish person in your lineage came over with Cortez and all the Spanish you knew fits on a Taco Bell menu would you qualify?

Sounds like you could have some fun with this, Goby.