Photo via @JohnpaulGonzo/Twitter, @breathinagb/Twitter
April 5, 2021, 12:59 pm
A restaurant in Brisbane, Australia has one very apologetic manager after a Snapchat screenshot of his laughing at an employee kitchen receipt describing a pair of customers as “Two very annoying Asians” spread online.
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The manager posted an image of this receipt on Snapchat with the caption “Omg I love my staff” and three cry-laughing emojis, but at least one employee did not think it was funny and had to be the one to call out this racist behavior.
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“If you wouldn’t want customers to see it you probably shouldn’t do it,” the employee pointed out.
“Oh get a grip,” the manager replied initially. “It is just a joke.”
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“But you’re the manager,” the worker said. “It’s your job to call out behavior like that. It’s unprofessional and inappropriate.”
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It’s also really bad timing after reports have begun to surface about stark increases in anti-Asian hate crimes following the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic. A recent mass shooting targeting East Asian women in Florida and video footage of random attacks on often elderly individuals who appear to be of Asian descent have underscored this fact in the most brutal manner.
Someone must have explained this to the restaurant manager, because he changed his tune pretty fast and has issued a pleading apology.
“I personally wish to apologise for the offence and hurt caused,” he told the Daily Mail Australia. “I’ve been a business owner in the area for more than six years, personally and professionally invested in diversity. I’m deeply disappointed and embarrassed at my actions as they go against everything I pride myself on. Internally, my team and I will do better to ensure we uphold the diversity and inclusivity that is at our core.”
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This manager is also believed to be the joint owner of the restaurant, which was not identified in the story.
This sudden change in attitude has people wondering if the apology is less for being racist and more for getting caught after people started reporting the Snapchat image to local media.
One PR professional who goes by Vivienne on Twitter demonstrated how she alerted local media to what was going on at this restaurant, using her professional contacts to get the issue on their radar in order to expose the manager’s racism and pressure him to apologize, just in case he wasn’t going to see the light on his own.
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“Today I saw a QLD business owner encouraging racist behaviour amongst staff who labelled customers as ‘two very annoying Asians’. Immediately enraged and very frankly at my breaking point regarding all this anti-Asian hate, murders, attacks, and racism, I did something about it,” she wrote.
“Reporting hate crimes is something we can ALL do,” she concluded. “To police when required, news outlets to publicly condemn the acts, or local community groups/councils to protect others. This is something we can ALL do. I hope when faced with the chance to speak up against racism that you will.”
*First Published: April 5, 2021, 12:59 pm
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