# Have You Ever Been Mistaken for "The Help"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-mistaken-for-the-help/707509>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 17, 2014, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-mistaken-for-the-help/707509 "2014-12-17T18:58:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-mistaken-for-the-help/707509/1 "2014-12-17T18:58:44Z")

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> **[Obamas on Race: We've Been Treated Like the Help](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obamas-reflect-personal-incidents-racial-discrimination/story?id=27636612)**
>
> Barack and Michelle Obama are speaking out about their first-hand experience with racial bias in everyday American life.

Apparently the Obamas have, and they believe it’s because of their race. I’m not sure. I’ve never been mistaken for a valet specifically (& that specifically is probably more common of blacks), but many times over the years people have assumed (or seemed to have assumed) I worked in various establishments in which I was shopping.

And if you interpret any request for help (e.g. asking someone to get something down from a shelf, as in the case of Michelle Obama) as an assumption of employment at the store, then it would be a lot more.

Anyone else have experience with this type of thing?

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