Yesterday I got to meet the new veterinarian I will be working with starting in July. I like her. So of course the staff took an immediate dislike to her. This should be interesting.

I work with one person who is very racist. The new vet is Indian. The staff person is making a big deal of this. Of course it is under the pretense that the “clients will give her trouble.” I’m sure if you confronted her about it she would say that she has no problem with the vet’s nationality at all. Probably she’s convinced herself of that. But yesterday she also commented that she can hardly understand the vet. Yeah, right, the new vet speaks better english than I do.

We had a conversation yesterday that just blew my mind. It was between receptionist 1 (the racist one), receptionist 2, and me.

R1: I don’t get why she keeps saying she’s Indian when she’s not.
R2 and Me: What?
R1: She’s not Indian.
Me: Yes she is. She’s from India.
R1: She’s not Indian! Why isn’t she Fillipino?
R2: Because she’s not from the Phillipines. She’s from India.
R1: She not a “Woo-Woo” (mimes war dance) Indian.
R2 and I stare at each other.
R2: (slowly) No, she’s an Indian from India.
R1: Well, why do they call themselves that?
Me: The point really is why do people call native Americans Indians. Columbus just got lost and thought he was in India and just started randomly calling people Indians.
R1: Oh, now you’re just confusing me. I’m telling you any client we tell that the new vet is Indian is going to assume she’s a “W00-Woo” Indian.
R2: I really don’t think they will.

See what I mean by this is going to be interesting? Add to this the fact that I’ve wanted to adopt from India from a while so anyone who gives her any crap about being Indian will probably make me come unglued. I’m hoping that this will be educational for the racist one and possibly make her shift her attitudes.