Filams protest racial slur in Chicago
November 9, 2007
Written by News Team, in Articles/Stories
“It was really empowering, said Leizl Rivadelo, a Communication sophomore and member of Kaibigan, NUs Filipino student association. It was like a giant, well-oiled machine. Rivadelo heard about the protest through a performance group called Young Asians with Power. Members of the Race Alliance at Northwestern also attended.
On the same day, Suzanne Le Mignot of CBS reported about the protestors taking aim at the well-known clothing store along Michigan Avenue for verbally harassing a Filipino woman with racial slurs. She added that the Asian American Institute has filed a discrimination lawsuit with the citys commission on human relations. All the major American media, including the Chicago Tribune, reported the demonstration in front of M&M stor.
The complainant, Frannie Richards, is a retired U.S. Air Force Reserve Staff Sergeant and a nurse at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, NUs primary teaching hospital for the Feinberg School of Medicine. A press release from the Asian American Institute, which is representing Richards in legal negotiations with H&M, reported that the employee called her a mail-order bride and made ching, ching, chang noises to mock her ability to speak English, although she does not have a foreign accent.
(Frannie) couldnt believe it happened, said Robyn Richards, Frannies sister. She was wearing her scrubs, and its not even like she cant speak English. She talked to two managers, who just said We cant do anything about it, and told her to write to H&M anonymously.”
As you can see, its not affecting business, H&M employee James LaForce said. Although LaForce could not comment on Richards situation, he distributed a statement from Lisa Sandberg, communications and press director for H&M.
As an equal opportunity employer, H&M does not tolerate harassment, discrimination and/or violence of any type,” Sandberg wrote in the statement. Once H&M is made aware of a potential breach of this policy, it takes immediate steps to respond by investigating, gathering facts and determining the appropriate outcome.”
Although we have not heard from H&M directly, an investigator from the Chicago Commission on Human Relations is acting as a mediator between us and H&M,” said Myron Quon, the Asian American Institutes attorney for Richards.
We understand that they want to settle out of court, rather than a public decision. We are asking for three things: termination of the employee, compensation for emotional distress and diversity training (for all H&M employees).”
Quon also commented on the strength of character displayed by Richards in her decision to go public with the issue.
AAI represents Frannie because she represents a lot of Asian Americans,” Quon said. She is proving that people need to be more assertive, instead of just sucking it up and living with discrimination.”
Demonstration coordinators and protestors said they were satisfied with the effectiveness of the event.
Its a shame that minorities have to worry about things like this, said Jennifer Canda, a family friend of the Richards, who was out protesting. This has been a huge success, though. The more people we meet, the more we accomplish.”
Reporting CBS said the Filipino American nurse was shopping inside the store last month, when she was allegedly mocked and harassed by an employee.
Called her a mail-order bride, mocked her English, said Richards sister, Tracy Los Banes. She asked to go to the fitting room. He pretty much was saying: Cant you read English? Its over there, fitting room.” And as she was walking away, he was saying ching, ching, chong.
Richards family says the alleged harassment was completely unprovoked.
Shes a retired U.S. Air force nurse, Los Banes said. She works at Northwestern. Shes born and raised in Chicago and she speaks English perfectly fine.”
Its really important for our community to know and like Asian and other minority communities to know that we cant tolerate this,” said Robyn Los Banes.
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