Immigrant Gets Rejected From A Job Application In The Most Rude Way, So His Daughter Made The HR Pay For It
You would think a HR Manager, of all people, would know how to treat humans with respect and courtesy. Not this guy. Responding to a job application by Minh Huynh, a Vietnamese immigrant with relevant job experience, HR Manager Bruce Peterson sent back a rude and aggressive email that has ignited a Twitter storm, and got people talking about the difficulties that many immigrants face.
While a certain level of English is a perfectly legitimate requirement for many employers to ask for, there was just no need for this type of ugly response, one that lacks professionalism and could quite easily have destroyed the confidence of a guy who is doing nothing but his best to support his family.
Minh’s daughter Emily was shocked when she discovered the email, who shared the exchange on Twitter to highlight the discrimination that many immigrants face. “My dad told me that he isn’t that ‘hurt’ by it, but there’s a big stigma around Asian immigrant parents that deal with this all the time,” she told NextShark. “They brush it off because they don’t understand the depth of the situation. People always use micro-aggression with or without knowing they do which is a big concern when it comes to the treatment of future citizens. I’m just disgusted.”
Emily’s tweets have opened up an important discussion, at a time when immigrants are facing an absurd increase in pressure and attacks of all kinds. As well as this, the unwanted publicity that Mr. Peterson’s company has received since Emily’s tweets went viral has resulted in him losing his job. This is a positive sign that this kind of blatant discrimination and unprofessionalism won’t be tolerated, so if you have a job that deals with people of any kind, don’t be a dick and expect to get away with it.
Or just don’t be a dick in general! Scroll down to see how it all unfolded, and let us know what you think. Did Emily do the right thing by publicizing Mr. Peterson’s email? Was the company right to sack him? Tell us what you think in the comments!
This is Emily Huynh and her father Minh, an immigrant from Vietnam who has recently been trying to find work
Emily was flabbergasted when her dad received this letter from the HR Manager of a company he had applied to
Someone decided to take action after seeing Emily’s tweets
And here’s what Minh and Emily received soon after
People responded with offers of help and support for the Huynh family
Did Emily do the right thing by publicizing Mr. Peterson’s email? Was the company right to sack him? Tell us what you think in the comments!
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Share on FacebookShe was right to publicize this and glad the company fired this racist imbecile....Good luck to the family,hope you find a job soon. Keep the learning up,it does help ;)
The man seems to have a good work ethic. I hope he succeeds in finding a job worthy of his talents.
Load More Replies...Being the daughter of two parents who speak English as a second language I can tell you this. My mother speaks better English than I do and I watched my dad struggle daily trying to figure out all the differences in the english language. English is a totally screwed up language to learn and just because someone doesn’t speak it perfectly does not give anyone the right to degrade or talk down to them. Yes there are certain jobs where communication is essential however being condescending to someone who does not speak English well is disgusting, arrogant, and downright mean. I’m glad this jerk got fired there is no need to employ someone like this ESPECIALLY in a HR position!
Not to mention that most of those who make fun of, or are rude to people with poor english, probably only speak one language themselves and have no idea how hard it is to learn, especially as an adult. The people they're making fun of speak at least two. I am eternally grateful to have english as my first language as it's so widely used.
Load More Replies...this is the best way to change how businesses work - letting the public know!!
What impressed me the most, was the lawyer willing to work pro bono... Wasn't expecting that at all!. Good job from everyone involved though!
I believe everything to be just, and deserved, in this situation. Yes, speaking and reading English is definitely important in the job world, don't mistake that as an excuse for Mr. P. But it has been too often that recent high school graduates have an almost useless concept of English in speaking , reading , and worse yet, Writing. Reading published articles that can't properly use " there, their, they're" , "your, you're", "were, where, we're", and "than,then", make my head spin. Then include a lack of proper punctuation, spelling, and tense. HONESTLY, does anyone really "Speak English Good"?
My dad is an English major, so my grammar is better than most. However, I still make mistakes. At least I always use the right word.
Load More Replies...So they're Vietnamese but her dad came & asked her in Chinese? His writings are in Vietnamese too.
Most of America's Vietnamese immigrants are here because they were our allies during that war. Either that or they have some Chinese ancestry (common among the educated and merchant classes) and were kicked out or denied equal opportunities in a racist pogrom by the 'pure' Vietnamese that continues to this day.
Load More Replies...Great story! I am immigrant myself and my English is not good enough! I created for the same purpose a program to study the most important 3000 English words! This program is free and it will help Minh to memorise words! This is all Minh will need to understand 90% of all English conversations! I wish Minh very good luck http://3000words.info
The sad thing is,that many companies do not realize that one can best learn the language through work. By having to speak to colleagues and customers one learns the necessary language a lot faster than by not having to use it daily. It is the same in the Netherlands, hardly anyone would give anyone a chance if they do not speak Dutch fluently. My Dutch skills have mightily improved in just half a year in my job,as I have to talk to people all day long and also had a course on the side. But had my company not given me the opportunity and believed in me,I would STILL be looking for work here and still not have the best language skills.... I hope someone gives him a chance and watch him improve the language in a short time (he is trying!)
HR people are vermin, and usually tools of management to dispose of staff or contractors who do not kiss their a*s. No surprise here.
Spot on. In these days of social media, it's going to get harder and harder for people to be utter fucknozzles like the HR guy. Learning point? Don't put anything in an email that you wouldn't want to be in tomorrow's headlines. Props to everyone who stepped up and helped.
It is good that this story is publicized, people need to be more aware of this and hope those people who sees this will change their mind for the better ^^
First of all, I want to apologize for English is not my first language, so someone could tell me if the sentence "if you no speak English " is correct? I thought the right would be "don't " instead. If I am correct, Mr. Peterson wasn't fit for the job either!
Well done Emily! And bless you and all, you good and kind-hearted people offering helping hands and job offers. Mr. Huynh is lucky to have a careing and strong daughter like you. I can't however help but think of all those, less fortunate and desparing people just like mr. Huynh, who are being treated the same way every single day all over the wordl, but does not have a daughter like that, or someone else eg. supporting relatives, friends, or some kind of network spreading the word of how they are treated. We need to stop this arrogant and evil behaviour - everywhere. But most of the people are never heard. To the awesome law firm: will you be ready to take all those other cases,which are exactly similar - but just not exposed in the media? I hope so.
Could there have been a REAL reason Mr. Peterson acted the way he did ? Vietnam War memories run long and deep. I'd be interested to know if he was a veteran; that might explain some of it, albeit still inexcusable.
looking at the old man's notebook thinking 'he prolly knows more and biggerer words than i do.'
When social media is used for good, I appreciate it. HR guy deserved to lose his job. Hopefully he will never treat someone that way again.
This story infuriates me! How can someone be so cruel to another human being? Imagine if this hiring manager gave Mr. Huynh honest and sincere feedback and advice so that he could work toward goals that would help him get a job, rather than just cutting him down. It is very, very hard to learn a new language and the best way is to get a job and start interacting with everyday people. I commend Mr. Huynh for getting out there and doing his best!
*no* and *don't* are so close yet can be a mile apart lol. Seriously, what a stupid unprofessional move. If that happened to me and he wrote a sincere apology himself I wouldn't have a problem with him keeping his job tho. Maybe it was just an outburst..who knows
I believe the no was used to mock, an imitation of someone that doesn’t speak English.
Load More Replies...Gosh that would not happen in Britain, if you do not speak English then all refugees would protest until everyone learned your language, if you refuse you are racist
I think Emily did the right thing by publicizing Mr Peterson's email. Not only does it shame him, but it also makes the public aware that workplace discrimination is very real and that it should not be tolerated anywhere in any industry. It should be taken very seriously and the appropriate consequences should be seen through in its entirety. Therefore, I think that the company sacking him was the right thing to do. Such drastic actions should be taken, so as to serve as a warning to others to not repeat the same offense in the future.
Employees are a company’s best ambassadors; rally them together to enhance the hiring process. Potential candidates can be identified by any employee, especially those that are well-briefed on the position that needs to be filled and the qualifications for a said position. Check how peoplehum can help: www.peoplehum.com/#bl
Vietnamese immigrants are one of the most hardworking and educated immigrants just like the Filipinos.
Seriously? Care and respect from HR people? HR is there to use and treat people like objects, not individual people. Expecting them to "know better because they're HR" is extremely naive. Some of the most arrogantly callous (and 1984/sociopathic-speaking) people I've ever encountered were HR managers. Don't expect them to be humane.
Yes, the company did a good deed and fired the jerk. But apparently they did not offer to even bring the guy in for an interview. So their pretty letter is nothing but hot air.
I once taught english as a second language to some Vietnamese immigrants here in Colorado and it's very difficult since there are no touch stones in common. I hope he keeps trying and finds a good job. I worked for an architect who wouldn't even consider any application from an immigrant because of the language differances. So hard and so wrong but with some fields you just need more understanding of our system of math and engineering depending on your field.
I teach a diverse student population. The courses I've taught in my last fifteen years are Computer Systems Architecture, Health Care Law, Health Care Statistics, Medical Terminology, and Informatics. Learning these courses in a population who has English as the fourth or fifth language is an major achievement. Doesn't speak English well? How many languages do Americans speak? Most of us speak one...ONE!! Many of my students are returning to their countries, with the education they received here (paid for by their own countries) and supporting large, extended families. I don't envy them. I don't feel bad for them. I applaud them. They are smart, intelligent (yep, two different things!!), hard working, and kind. This racist creep deserves to be fired. My questions is - did they really fire him or did they just say they did and move him?
So you basicly got a dude fired cause you got butt hurt on how he rehected your dad application. And you want a standing ovation for it. What a c**t.... get your dad some english lessons it would be a better investment in the future rather than looking for sympathy on facebook...
What troubles me most is the lack of professionalism exhibited by Mr. Peterson. Now this is solely based on him actually being the HR manager. If he was the warehouse foreman I could be more forgiving. I'm not even certain this was racist in intent. There are many line level managers who use lingo like: "talk about appointment"; This just seems like a guy (Peterson) who believes he is just too darn busy to be professional. (mistake of course). I worked in Personnel for 12 years. Much of my time was spent in disciplining employees to include firing them. Even in the worst case scenarios I always took the time to explain what was happening to them, why and if they really felt we were being unjust what their options were for appeal and or review. Racism is a serious label. Without further evidence, I'm not sure Peterson has earned a label beyond incompetent and unprofessional.
And let me tell you this-my parents taught me English (my mom speaks 5 languages and my dad speaks 4). My dad knew ALL my SAT words better than me because he reads that much. He has a masters in his degree and has been in his field for more than 15 years. His field is extremely niched but it takes him over 100 interviews to get even one official offer...why? Immigration status. It's THAT hard to get a greencard and a job ya'll. Don't think that if you stay in America for X amount of years, you'll automatically get one! >:( And we know people from the same country who got theirs years ahead of us...it's abt luck and what kind of company you are in and a hundred different factors!
Hopefully he will get all the attention and condemnation his disgusting conduct has earned. It's hard to believe he had the position that he held. I would be suspicious that he was actually fired since his temperament and lack of professionalism didn't start with this one single applicant. If it's actually there policy to hire people who don't speak English as their first language why didn't they offer him the job after all was said and done?
Yes and yes. The man was the HR manager. His blatant disrespect and unprofessional behaviour speaks to an issue of performance and the mis-representation of the company. His ignorance and racism shines through. Anyone who exhibits those qualities can not occupy this sort of position. Emily was right to call the person out.
I think anyone willing to even TRY to get a job in a country where they don't easily speak the prevalent language has balls bigger than I will ever have. Kudos and the very best of wishes to all with the courage, bravery, and heart to try. Anyone who mocks or denigrates those with the courage and willingness to better themselves and their family needs to grow intelligence, compassion, and awareness.
There are so many nuances of the english language that do not occur in other languages that make it so difficult to learn to speak it effectively. I actually know many people whose first language is english and their reading, writing and spoken language skills are nothing short of atrocious. My hat is always off to anyone who works so hard to learn it as a second language when people who have it as a first language can't do it well. The HR person who wrote that email to anyone was really and truly in the wrong job, and deserved to be relieved of his position.
The letter was totally out of line. The HR person definitely should have been dismissed. He gave a very wrong impression of the Company's Brand and Values.
I don't know about the Huynh family but most of America's Vietnamese immigrants are here because they were our allies during that war. Either that or they have some Chinese ancestry (common among the educated and merchant classes) and were kicked out in a racist pogrom by the 'pure' Vietnamese. The US is the number one choice for emigres and they are the 6th largest group of immigrants here. Compared to the total U.S. foreign-born population, Vietnamese immigrants are more likely to be Limited English Proficient (LEP), but tend to have higher incomes and lower poverty rates. Considering that their language has no connections to English, unlike the Latin countries, this should be no surprise.
I apologize in advance for bringing politics into this comment, but with our current administration's racist leanings, we all benefit from actions such as this one by Emily on behalf of her dad. In short, while the president stands-down on all things involved with immigration, the rest of us have to stand even higher in support of immigrants.
Someone was talking trash about my parents who aren't American (he works for us) and I swore in my head if he left I would make sure that he lost his job because of the disrespect he shows.
She was right to share the email of the HR & the company was right to fire him. This is not acceptable. Every company is represented by its employees. When you employ people who are rude & disrespectful to your applicants , you lose your good name as a company & you only end up degrading yourself and company. Plus a rude employee will most likely be rude to his/her team & probably your customers. Besides, if you think about it, applicants are customers too... Imagine how many customers, this company lost on account of inappropriate behavior. I would certainly stop buying from any company that I applied for employment and they treated me in a disrespectful way.
What exactly is wrong with expecting prospective employees to speak English in an English speaking country?
Nothing. In this case it was not what was said it was the delivery. He could have easily just said: I need to remind you that proficiency in English is an absolute requirement of this position. If you can't meet this requirement, you may wish to consider a different position with either our company or others.
Load More Replies...HR people could of been nicer yes , but if you're going to LIVE & WORK in a country KNOW the language ! Is that so hard to ask ? NO it's not !!!
HR could of been nicer & more professional yes. But if you're going to LIVE & WORK in a country you were not born in then please learn the language at least enough to function in that society , no excuses !
I have the utmost respect and admiration, and I generally stand in awe of anyone who learns English as a 2nd or 3rd or whatever language. I live in Alabama and we have a lot of migrant families and native Alabamians can be quite rude and mean. There've been many times I've flat called people out for being rude while out in public. I simply won't stand for it. I'll say it again - if you're intelligent enough to learn English (which is an INCREDIBLY difficult language to learn if you weren't taught from birth) then I'm pretty sure you're smarter than me, and I give you ALL the respect. For real.
She was absolutely correct--that is how changes happen! Seriously though, most Americans who were born here don't speak correct English. Why would it matter that he speaks incorrectly as a delivery driver? Because where I live very few do speak correctly and they are many generations, American. Is it because it is with a Vietnamese accent???
Just so sad. My grandfather immigrated here from German in the 1930's. He spoke 5 languages fluently, had a working knowledge of 12 languages. I am struggling with English most days and I was born here. I don't understand those who will put down someone because they don't know the language of their adopted country really well after a short time. My Physics teacher in college was Chinese. He spoke English fairly well, until he would get excited and lapse into Mandarin. Didn't make him any less brilliant. Sad this man was treated this way. Good to see bullies are now paying for their actions!
I’m from the U.S., and my wife is from Bangkok, Thailand. She has a BS in computer engineering, an MS in IT, and now a BS in nursing. She has had this same discrimination occur, as she has an accent BUT does speak very good English. As a retired Federal law enforcement officer, I’ve personally gone into the HR office of 2 companies to threaten a lawsuit. She, and others, should never receive this type of discrimination, and next time I’ll follow up with an attorney. Most Americans are fine with foreign people, but a few think they are somehow “above”them, despite being less educated.
Yes, she did! Call it out, make it seen by as many as posssible, so it can stop! Time, is really. Up! We stand together, we survive, together!
She absolutely needed to publicize this situation. His response was rude, belittling & completely unprofessional. I understand (and fully support) that many employers need a workforce with a command of the common local language. But that's no excuse for poor manners. I've said it many times - if I moved to France and applied for a job, I'm pretty sure they'd expect me to speak French.
Not for nothing, but half of American native English speakers have Shyte grammar. At least her dad is trying to improve and learn. Like somebody else said, English is a messed up, very difficult language to learn with all of the idiosyncrasies within. Not to mention the slang terms that screw up even people in my generation (GenX) and older. Was she right to share? Absolutely. Should he have been fired? Without question.
First of all, he''s Taiwanese, then asks his daughter a question in chinese? I call BS
And what language do the Taiwanese speak, in your opinion?
Load More Replies...Uughhhh that makes me angry and sad at the same time. How dare he treat someone like that. God takes care of people like that.
What kind of person was that who decided it was ok to attack someone for not being fluent in their second language while typing 'you no speak English'???
I hate that anyone has to be treated as if they are less than anyone else. what touched me was the way people that they don't even know rallied around them, pulled for them, and in the end got justice for them. People this is what makes America Great! I'm all in my feels right now! Dilly Dilly!
Apparently the job manager doesn’t speak English that well either “if you no speak Englis”
Racism needs to be weeded out and the only way to do so is to call it out and remedy the situation. Allowing racism to fester only perpetuates the disease and makes things worse. It is nice to know that there are good people out there who care and are willing to extend a helping hand.
I have family member that are very outspoken about their disdain for immigrant Americans that don't speak English. It's amazing to me because their grandparents were immigrant Americans that didn't speak English.
I think everything was handled exactly right. And it is so heartwarming to see others stepping up and everybody putting their heads together and trying to find a job for this man.
there is something wrong with the world, but i am happy that the guy got fired
Well, while the situation was not handled correctly, you have to admixture that the immigrants have chosen to live in the US. Why is it wrong to expect them to be able to communicate in English? If any US citizen chose perminent residence in a foreign country, they would be expected to learn that country's language. You also would not be able to receive free housing, free food, free medical, free schooling ... that's why they come here ... it's the land of the free.
Connie, you need to turn off Fox News and read a book. Your English grammar isn’t great either, just like more than half of the native English speaking Americans I know. Furthermore, although admixture is a word in the English language, it doesn’t belong in this sentence. People in glass houses...
Load More Replies...for the love of God get the f**k over. You f*****g thin skin m***********s need to get a life. And of course you had to like put it all over the internet now didn't you? What a bunch of f*****g snowflakes this country has bread
Wow. You are definitely demonstrating the level of intelligence that right-wingers have “bred.” Winter is coming, asshat.
Load More Replies...If you can't speak the language for a job then you shouldn't be hired...this is what happens when everyone cries because of what someone said to them well.thats it .....all this is doing is creating racism.....we are all racist but why do only the white people get called racist when over half the world is black and they are more racist than whites ...and you know who started all of this .....yes the government has made us all racist by not treating everyone as equals....thats it.....and this is just garbage news not worth the paper to write it on.....my opinion....
No, honey. We aren’t all racist. Also, most of us are properly professional in our places of employment. If you think it’s okay to act like this in your place of employment, you will not be employed long.
Load More Replies...I'm sorry but, are you that stupid? Isn't it obvious that you will leave your current job on the country of your origin before leaving for the US? Look, english is also my 3rd language and it doesn't mean that I don't have the capacity to be more fluent than even you. People like you are the problem. I also learned how to code before learning english, one reason your own gov't wants to employ me. How about you?
Load More Replies...She was right to publicize this and glad the company fired this racist imbecile....Good luck to the family,hope you find a job soon. Keep the learning up,it does help ;)
The man seems to have a good work ethic. I hope he succeeds in finding a job worthy of his talents.
Load More Replies...Being the daughter of two parents who speak English as a second language I can tell you this. My mother speaks better English than I do and I watched my dad struggle daily trying to figure out all the differences in the english language. English is a totally screwed up language to learn and just because someone doesn’t speak it perfectly does not give anyone the right to degrade or talk down to them. Yes there are certain jobs where communication is essential however being condescending to someone who does not speak English well is disgusting, arrogant, and downright mean. I’m glad this jerk got fired there is no need to employ someone like this ESPECIALLY in a HR position!
Not to mention that most of those who make fun of, or are rude to people with poor english, probably only speak one language themselves and have no idea how hard it is to learn, especially as an adult. The people they're making fun of speak at least two. I am eternally grateful to have english as my first language as it's so widely used.
Load More Replies...this is the best way to change how businesses work - letting the public know!!
What impressed me the most, was the lawyer willing to work pro bono... Wasn't expecting that at all!. Good job from everyone involved though!
I believe everything to be just, and deserved, in this situation. Yes, speaking and reading English is definitely important in the job world, don't mistake that as an excuse for Mr. P. But it has been too often that recent high school graduates have an almost useless concept of English in speaking , reading , and worse yet, Writing. Reading published articles that can't properly use " there, their, they're" , "your, you're", "were, where, we're", and "than,then", make my head spin. Then include a lack of proper punctuation, spelling, and tense. HONESTLY, does anyone really "Speak English Good"?
My dad is an English major, so my grammar is better than most. However, I still make mistakes. At least I always use the right word.
Load More Replies...So they're Vietnamese but her dad came & asked her in Chinese? His writings are in Vietnamese too.
Most of America's Vietnamese immigrants are here because they were our allies during that war. Either that or they have some Chinese ancestry (common among the educated and merchant classes) and were kicked out or denied equal opportunities in a racist pogrom by the 'pure' Vietnamese that continues to this day.
Load More Replies...Great story! I am immigrant myself and my English is not good enough! I created for the same purpose a program to study the most important 3000 English words! This program is free and it will help Minh to memorise words! This is all Minh will need to understand 90% of all English conversations! I wish Minh very good luck http://3000words.info
The sad thing is,that many companies do not realize that one can best learn the language through work. By having to speak to colleagues and customers one learns the necessary language a lot faster than by not having to use it daily. It is the same in the Netherlands, hardly anyone would give anyone a chance if they do not speak Dutch fluently. My Dutch skills have mightily improved in just half a year in my job,as I have to talk to people all day long and also had a course on the side. But had my company not given me the opportunity and believed in me,I would STILL be looking for work here and still not have the best language skills.... I hope someone gives him a chance and watch him improve the language in a short time (he is trying!)
HR people are vermin, and usually tools of management to dispose of staff or contractors who do not kiss their a*s. No surprise here.
Spot on. In these days of social media, it's going to get harder and harder for people to be utter fucknozzles like the HR guy. Learning point? Don't put anything in an email that you wouldn't want to be in tomorrow's headlines. Props to everyone who stepped up and helped.
It is good that this story is publicized, people need to be more aware of this and hope those people who sees this will change their mind for the better ^^
First of all, I want to apologize for English is not my first language, so someone could tell me if the sentence "if you no speak English " is correct? I thought the right would be "don't " instead. If I am correct, Mr. Peterson wasn't fit for the job either!
Well done Emily! And bless you and all, you good and kind-hearted people offering helping hands and job offers. Mr. Huynh is lucky to have a careing and strong daughter like you. I can't however help but think of all those, less fortunate and desparing people just like mr. Huynh, who are being treated the same way every single day all over the wordl, but does not have a daughter like that, or someone else eg. supporting relatives, friends, or some kind of network spreading the word of how they are treated. We need to stop this arrogant and evil behaviour - everywhere. But most of the people are never heard. To the awesome law firm: will you be ready to take all those other cases,which are exactly similar - but just not exposed in the media? I hope so.
Could there have been a REAL reason Mr. Peterson acted the way he did ? Vietnam War memories run long and deep. I'd be interested to know if he was a veteran; that might explain some of it, albeit still inexcusable.
looking at the old man's notebook thinking 'he prolly knows more and biggerer words than i do.'
When social media is used for good, I appreciate it. HR guy deserved to lose his job. Hopefully he will never treat someone that way again.
This story infuriates me! How can someone be so cruel to another human being? Imagine if this hiring manager gave Mr. Huynh honest and sincere feedback and advice so that he could work toward goals that would help him get a job, rather than just cutting him down. It is very, very hard to learn a new language and the best way is to get a job and start interacting with everyday people. I commend Mr. Huynh for getting out there and doing his best!
*no* and *don't* are so close yet can be a mile apart lol. Seriously, what a stupid unprofessional move. If that happened to me and he wrote a sincere apology himself I wouldn't have a problem with him keeping his job tho. Maybe it was just an outburst..who knows
I believe the no was used to mock, an imitation of someone that doesn’t speak English.
Load More Replies...Gosh that would not happen in Britain, if you do not speak English then all refugees would protest until everyone learned your language, if you refuse you are racist
I think Emily did the right thing by publicizing Mr Peterson's email. Not only does it shame him, but it also makes the public aware that workplace discrimination is very real and that it should not be tolerated anywhere in any industry. It should be taken very seriously and the appropriate consequences should be seen through in its entirety. Therefore, I think that the company sacking him was the right thing to do. Such drastic actions should be taken, so as to serve as a warning to others to not repeat the same offense in the future.
Employees are a company’s best ambassadors; rally them together to enhance the hiring process. Potential candidates can be identified by any employee, especially those that are well-briefed on the position that needs to be filled and the qualifications for a said position. Check how peoplehum can help: www.peoplehum.com/#bl
Vietnamese immigrants are one of the most hardworking and educated immigrants just like the Filipinos.
Seriously? Care and respect from HR people? HR is there to use and treat people like objects, not individual people. Expecting them to "know better because they're HR" is extremely naive. Some of the most arrogantly callous (and 1984/sociopathic-speaking) people I've ever encountered were HR managers. Don't expect them to be humane.
Yes, the company did a good deed and fired the jerk. But apparently they did not offer to even bring the guy in for an interview. So their pretty letter is nothing but hot air.
I once taught english as a second language to some Vietnamese immigrants here in Colorado and it's very difficult since there are no touch stones in common. I hope he keeps trying and finds a good job. I worked for an architect who wouldn't even consider any application from an immigrant because of the language differances. So hard and so wrong but with some fields you just need more understanding of our system of math and engineering depending on your field.
I teach a diverse student population. The courses I've taught in my last fifteen years are Computer Systems Architecture, Health Care Law, Health Care Statistics, Medical Terminology, and Informatics. Learning these courses in a population who has English as the fourth or fifth language is an major achievement. Doesn't speak English well? How many languages do Americans speak? Most of us speak one...ONE!! Many of my students are returning to their countries, with the education they received here (paid for by their own countries) and supporting large, extended families. I don't envy them. I don't feel bad for them. I applaud them. They are smart, intelligent (yep, two different things!!), hard working, and kind. This racist creep deserves to be fired. My questions is - did they really fire him or did they just say they did and move him?
So you basicly got a dude fired cause you got butt hurt on how he rehected your dad application. And you want a standing ovation for it. What a c**t.... get your dad some english lessons it would be a better investment in the future rather than looking for sympathy on facebook...
What troubles me most is the lack of professionalism exhibited by Mr. Peterson. Now this is solely based on him actually being the HR manager. If he was the warehouse foreman I could be more forgiving. I'm not even certain this was racist in intent. There are many line level managers who use lingo like: "talk about appointment"; This just seems like a guy (Peterson) who believes he is just too darn busy to be professional. (mistake of course). I worked in Personnel for 12 years. Much of my time was spent in disciplining employees to include firing them. Even in the worst case scenarios I always took the time to explain what was happening to them, why and if they really felt we were being unjust what their options were for appeal and or review. Racism is a serious label. Without further evidence, I'm not sure Peterson has earned a label beyond incompetent and unprofessional.
And let me tell you this-my parents taught me English (my mom speaks 5 languages and my dad speaks 4). My dad knew ALL my SAT words better than me because he reads that much. He has a masters in his degree and has been in his field for more than 15 years. His field is extremely niched but it takes him over 100 interviews to get even one official offer...why? Immigration status. It's THAT hard to get a greencard and a job ya'll. Don't think that if you stay in America for X amount of years, you'll automatically get one! >:( And we know people from the same country who got theirs years ahead of us...it's abt luck and what kind of company you are in and a hundred different factors!
Hopefully he will get all the attention and condemnation his disgusting conduct has earned. It's hard to believe he had the position that he held. I would be suspicious that he was actually fired since his temperament and lack of professionalism didn't start with this one single applicant. If it's actually there policy to hire people who don't speak English as their first language why didn't they offer him the job after all was said and done?
Yes and yes. The man was the HR manager. His blatant disrespect and unprofessional behaviour speaks to an issue of performance and the mis-representation of the company. His ignorance and racism shines through. Anyone who exhibits those qualities can not occupy this sort of position. Emily was right to call the person out.
I think anyone willing to even TRY to get a job in a country where they don't easily speak the prevalent language has balls bigger than I will ever have. Kudos and the very best of wishes to all with the courage, bravery, and heart to try. Anyone who mocks or denigrates those with the courage and willingness to better themselves and their family needs to grow intelligence, compassion, and awareness.
There are so many nuances of the english language that do not occur in other languages that make it so difficult to learn to speak it effectively. I actually know many people whose first language is english and their reading, writing and spoken language skills are nothing short of atrocious. My hat is always off to anyone who works so hard to learn it as a second language when people who have it as a first language can't do it well. The HR person who wrote that email to anyone was really and truly in the wrong job, and deserved to be relieved of his position.
The letter was totally out of line. The HR person definitely should have been dismissed. He gave a very wrong impression of the Company's Brand and Values.
I don't know about the Huynh family but most of America's Vietnamese immigrants are here because they were our allies during that war. Either that or they have some Chinese ancestry (common among the educated and merchant classes) and were kicked out in a racist pogrom by the 'pure' Vietnamese. The US is the number one choice for emigres and they are the 6th largest group of immigrants here. Compared to the total U.S. foreign-born population, Vietnamese immigrants are more likely to be Limited English Proficient (LEP), but tend to have higher incomes and lower poverty rates. Considering that their language has no connections to English, unlike the Latin countries, this should be no surprise.
I apologize in advance for bringing politics into this comment, but with our current administration's racist leanings, we all benefit from actions such as this one by Emily on behalf of her dad. In short, while the president stands-down on all things involved with immigration, the rest of us have to stand even higher in support of immigrants.
Someone was talking trash about my parents who aren't American (he works for us) and I swore in my head if he left I would make sure that he lost his job because of the disrespect he shows.
She was right to share the email of the HR & the company was right to fire him. This is not acceptable. Every company is represented by its employees. When you employ people who are rude & disrespectful to your applicants , you lose your good name as a company & you only end up degrading yourself and company. Plus a rude employee will most likely be rude to his/her team & probably your customers. Besides, if you think about it, applicants are customers too... Imagine how many customers, this company lost on account of inappropriate behavior. I would certainly stop buying from any company that I applied for employment and they treated me in a disrespectful way.
What exactly is wrong with expecting prospective employees to speak English in an English speaking country?
Nothing. In this case it was not what was said it was the delivery. He could have easily just said: I need to remind you that proficiency in English is an absolute requirement of this position. If you can't meet this requirement, you may wish to consider a different position with either our company or others.
Load More Replies...HR people could of been nicer yes , but if you're going to LIVE & WORK in a country KNOW the language ! Is that so hard to ask ? NO it's not !!!
HR could of been nicer & more professional yes. But if you're going to LIVE & WORK in a country you were not born in then please learn the language at least enough to function in that society , no excuses !
I have the utmost respect and admiration, and I generally stand in awe of anyone who learns English as a 2nd or 3rd or whatever language. I live in Alabama and we have a lot of migrant families and native Alabamians can be quite rude and mean. There've been many times I've flat called people out for being rude while out in public. I simply won't stand for it. I'll say it again - if you're intelligent enough to learn English (which is an INCREDIBLY difficult language to learn if you weren't taught from birth) then I'm pretty sure you're smarter than me, and I give you ALL the respect. For real.
She was absolutely correct--that is how changes happen! Seriously though, most Americans who were born here don't speak correct English. Why would it matter that he speaks incorrectly as a delivery driver? Because where I live very few do speak correctly and they are many generations, American. Is it because it is with a Vietnamese accent???
Just so sad. My grandfather immigrated here from German in the 1930's. He spoke 5 languages fluently, had a working knowledge of 12 languages. I am struggling with English most days and I was born here. I don't understand those who will put down someone because they don't know the language of their adopted country really well after a short time. My Physics teacher in college was Chinese. He spoke English fairly well, until he would get excited and lapse into Mandarin. Didn't make him any less brilliant. Sad this man was treated this way. Good to see bullies are now paying for their actions!
I’m from the U.S., and my wife is from Bangkok, Thailand. She has a BS in computer engineering, an MS in IT, and now a BS in nursing. She has had this same discrimination occur, as she has an accent BUT does speak very good English. As a retired Federal law enforcement officer, I’ve personally gone into the HR office of 2 companies to threaten a lawsuit. She, and others, should never receive this type of discrimination, and next time I’ll follow up with an attorney. Most Americans are fine with foreign people, but a few think they are somehow “above”them, despite being less educated.
Yes, she did! Call it out, make it seen by as many as posssible, so it can stop! Time, is really. Up! We stand together, we survive, together!
She absolutely needed to publicize this situation. His response was rude, belittling & completely unprofessional. I understand (and fully support) that many employers need a workforce with a command of the common local language. But that's no excuse for poor manners. I've said it many times - if I moved to France and applied for a job, I'm pretty sure they'd expect me to speak French.
Not for nothing, but half of American native English speakers have Shyte grammar. At least her dad is trying to improve and learn. Like somebody else said, English is a messed up, very difficult language to learn with all of the idiosyncrasies within. Not to mention the slang terms that screw up even people in my generation (GenX) and older. Was she right to share? Absolutely. Should he have been fired? Without question.
First of all, he''s Taiwanese, then asks his daughter a question in chinese? I call BS
And what language do the Taiwanese speak, in your opinion?
Load More Replies...Uughhhh that makes me angry and sad at the same time. How dare he treat someone like that. God takes care of people like that.
What kind of person was that who decided it was ok to attack someone for not being fluent in their second language while typing 'you no speak English'???
I hate that anyone has to be treated as if they are less than anyone else. what touched me was the way people that they don't even know rallied around them, pulled for them, and in the end got justice for them. People this is what makes America Great! I'm all in my feels right now! Dilly Dilly!
Apparently the job manager doesn’t speak English that well either “if you no speak Englis”
Racism needs to be weeded out and the only way to do so is to call it out and remedy the situation. Allowing racism to fester only perpetuates the disease and makes things worse. It is nice to know that there are good people out there who care and are willing to extend a helping hand.
I have family member that are very outspoken about their disdain for immigrant Americans that don't speak English. It's amazing to me because their grandparents were immigrant Americans that didn't speak English.
I think everything was handled exactly right. And it is so heartwarming to see others stepping up and everybody putting their heads together and trying to find a job for this man.
there is something wrong with the world, but i am happy that the guy got fired
Well, while the situation was not handled correctly, you have to admixture that the immigrants have chosen to live in the US. Why is it wrong to expect them to be able to communicate in English? If any US citizen chose perminent residence in a foreign country, they would be expected to learn that country's language. You also would not be able to receive free housing, free food, free medical, free schooling ... that's why they come here ... it's the land of the free.
Connie, you need to turn off Fox News and read a book. Your English grammar isn’t great either, just like more than half of the native English speaking Americans I know. Furthermore, although admixture is a word in the English language, it doesn’t belong in this sentence. People in glass houses...
Load More Replies...for the love of God get the f**k over. You f*****g thin skin m***********s need to get a life. And of course you had to like put it all over the internet now didn't you? What a bunch of f*****g snowflakes this country has bread
Wow. You are definitely demonstrating the level of intelligence that right-wingers have “bred.” Winter is coming, asshat.
Load More Replies...If you can't speak the language for a job then you shouldn't be hired...this is what happens when everyone cries because of what someone said to them well.thats it .....all this is doing is creating racism.....we are all racist but why do only the white people get called racist when over half the world is black and they are more racist than whites ...and you know who started all of this .....yes the government has made us all racist by not treating everyone as equals....thats it.....and this is just garbage news not worth the paper to write it on.....my opinion....
No, honey. We aren’t all racist. Also, most of us are properly professional in our places of employment. If you think it’s okay to act like this in your place of employment, you will not be employed long.
Load More Replies...I'm sorry but, are you that stupid? Isn't it obvious that you will leave your current job on the country of your origin before leaving for the US? Look, english is also my 3rd language and it doesn't mean that I don't have the capacity to be more fluent than even you. People like you are the problem. I also learned how to code before learning english, one reason your own gov't wants to employ me. How about you?
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