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I saw your nanny: white is the new stealth
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Anonymous
| I find it interesting that people freely assume that if a black, Latina, or Asian woman has a white looking child she's the nanny. I am white, was a nanny for years and if I had a white child with me people assumed he or she to be mine all the time. However, if I had a black, Spanish or Asian child people still assumed they were mine and asked me questions about where I adopted my kids from. I could freely walk around the mall with them with no fear someone would post something online saying they saw me, god forbid, go to the bathroom or actually take my eyes off the sleeping child for a second. There really is an assumption that white people can have children with a broad range of skin tones, but if you happen to have a darker skin tone and a lighter child it must not be your child. I am all for being able to report on child abuse in anyway you need to, but it should be equal in all respects. You should be able to have a good reporting system for any adult that mistreats a child and that system should not be based on assumptions about a person's outward appearance. |
Anonymous
| I think that the assumption is that white women are unlikely to be nannies. |
Anonymous
|
PP, you hit the nail on the head. I am a white woman who happens to be a nanny. I love my work and the kids I care for. I have heard everything from people such as:
Oh, the parents are so lucky to have a white nanny. (absurd comment) Why are you nannying? You should be doing something different, this is way beneath you. You're way too smart to JUST nanny! Crazy comments! I just don't understand it. Like I said, I love my kids and vice versa. It really irritates me and I'm quite to honest with people so much people probably think I'm rude. But good grief to hear that continuously it just a bit much. |
Anonymous
| This is a touchy topic, as it appeared on another forum. I will say that as a society we could do a better job at forcing ourselves to look past race and deal with individuals. |
Anonymous
| Gotta tell you that I assume nothing unless someone tells me they are either the nanny or the mom. I have a big family that is multiracial so I wouldn't assume anything these days. Also, wonder why someone would waste time worrying about this? |
Anonymous
| No surprise; assumptions like that prevail on so many other levels in society. |
Anonymous
I totally agree. 
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zumbamama
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| although it is disheartening to read about all those stereotypical comments being tossed around about the nanny/race issue, it is equally nice to see that most people on this board are culturally open-minded and know better than to make racial assumptions like that. Let's hope the progressive mentalities of you modern DC women enlighten the rest of them. When I went to the Philippines with my parents (mom is Filipina, dad is white), everyone there thought my mom was my dad's maid! |
Anonymous
| Being the mother of bi-racial children, I never assume someone is the mother, or nanny, based on skin color. |
zumbamama
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| My son looks very Filipino, and daughter looks very European. Me, I look Latina cuz I'm a halfie. When I am with just my DD, some people have asked me if I speak English and if she's mine, and once if I'm looking for more kids to watch. But when DH is with DS, they say oh your wife must be Asian, or what is he mixed with? I wonder what people think when I take my girlfriend's half caucasian half african american baby and my euro-looking daughter to the park with me...they're probably confused...haha! |
Anonymous
| I'm a latina mom with a blond-haired, blue-eyed toddler. I have had people make assumptions that I was the nanny. I took him with me to get a pedicure once when he was a baby, and got a couple looks (until I started nursing him). In any event, it doesn't really bother me. It's unfortunate that the socioeconomic realities of our society divide us the way they do. But I realize that people are working off assumptions that aren't necessarily accurate, but statistically are more likely to be true. In N. Arlington in the middle of the day, it's more likely that a brownish woman with a blondy is going to be nanny. Most people don't mean harm, and I'm glad to correct them and perhaps make them more aware for the next encounter with someone else. |