Is it racist to not want to hire somebody because they smell like ethnic food?

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I was looking at it as the smell being a part of the culture/race and denying somebody employment based solely on something that is inherent to their culture/race is racism. The majority disagrees.

The signifigance here is that I see it as your friend denying them the position because they smelled bad. What that bad smell was isn't entirely relevant. It isn't like bad smells are exclusive to one ethnic group.

[return to the red]

Sliver, I think you are confusing Discrimination vs Racism and thus people are having a hard time understanding what you are trying to suggest.

If he was clearly the best candidate for the job and lost it to a less qualified individual because of his odour from the ethnic food he eats then I would say there is a case of discrimination.

This has nothing to do with poor hygien and everything to do with cultural differences.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by ken0042

The signifigance here is that I see it as your friend denying them the position because they smelled bad. What that bad smell was isn't entirely relevant. It isn't like bad smells are exclusive to one ethnic group.

In my opinion it is, but I do understand where you guys are coming from, too.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by return to the red

Sliver, I think you are confusing Discrimination vs Racism and thus people are having a hard time understanding what you are trying to suggest.

I think people get my point, but just disagree. Oh well, at least they all share my opinion on dogs!

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by return to the red

Sliver, I think you are confusing Discrimination vs Racism and thus people are having a hard time understanding what you are trying to suggest.

If he was clearly the best candidate for the job and lost it to a less qualified individual because of his odour from the ethnic food he eats then I would say there is a case of discrimination.

This has nothing to do with poor hygien and everything to do with cultural differences.

This was the exact situation.

[normtwofinger]

When I was working construction in the summer, and had Indian food the night before, I could smell the curry in my sweat. I can't imagine if I ate it 7 days a week.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Regardless IMO you are simply making a mountain out of a mole hole here looking for something that may or may not be there. Certainly something you can't prove without knowing whats going on in the head of the person making the ultimate decision.

This made me laugh because it describes almost all your posts on the FOI forum.

[comrade]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Well, straight up, you guys have shaken my confidence in my position. I do think this is racist, but I guess wouldn't be able to prove it. Also, maybe my nose isn't as sensitive as other people's, but I've never encountered a smell like this (apart from BO) that I find as off-putting as this person I know and some of you guys.

I still think you shouldn't deny a qualified candidate employment because they smell like different food than the stuff you eat, but I guess I'm in the minority on that one.

I don't think you can judge the guy from this one instance. If he says being in the same room for 20 minutes left him nauseous for the rest of the day, then who can argue? That his experience differs from your own doesn't necessarily mean he's lying.

However, you did sort of mention that the ethnic smelling fellow was the best person for the job. If this was truly the case why didn't he try to resolve the issue so they could hire him? There are other reasons but lacking another reason I think you could still file this under possible evidence but requiring further proof.

[Clarkey]

Why don't you just say it, it was a white guy and he smelled like hamburgers.

[Smartcar]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

As for nauseous smells, it may just be me but we cooked indian food at home a while ago and the curry doesn't bother me at all, but we used ghee and as soon as that stuff hit the hot pan the smell started to make me sick.

Ghee is just clarified butter. It must have been rancid, there's no way the smell of ghee would have made you sick.

WRT the OP question, it's hard to say. I love indian food, kimchi, foie gras, miso, blue cheese, raw oysters and lots more things that are an "acquired taste". If you're a steak and potatoes guy who has never tried/enjoyed them you may find a lot of these smells (and tastes/textures) completely offensive. It's not really racist, maybe a little uninformed.

[GGG]

I cleaned apartment buildings after people moved out one summer for work during highschool. One of the apartments reeked of curry. And when I say reeked I mean overpowering almost knock you out level. When cleaning the walls of the apartment yellow tar very similar to cleaning a smokers apartment was coming off the walls. I was in there for an hour and vomited and have to leave for a few hours. We let the place air out opening up the patio doors and all the windows for a few days and then came back. It was still nauseating but was tolerable. In the end all of the carpet needed to be ripped out and the entire place repainted. Even then I thought I could still smell trace amounts of it although it could have been just in my head at that point

So i understand the statement that the smell can make someone sick for an entire day and personally if the odor was bad i would not want to work around that person. But.. that doesn't mean it wasn't racially motivated. It could have been that he didn't smell bad and that was an excuse or it could have been legitimate. However not hiring based on odor I think is reasonable in severe cases.

(As a side note I really like curry so it isn't dislike of the food, just the concentrated smell)

[nik-]

I hate the smell of food on people, to the point where when I go to my mom's for christmas dinners, thanksgiving, etc. I make sure my jacket is in a room far from the kitchen so it doesn't transfer to it.

Even the smell of stuffing on my jacket makes me unhappy.

[Winsor_Pilates]

I'm Indian, and would have a hard time hiring an Indian who smelled like our food.

There are plenty of Indian people who take the necessary steps to eat great Indian food and not smell like it.

Always keep the hoodfan on high, close all bedroom doors in the house, put away all clothes, don't cook in the clothes you're gonna wear out, open windows, light candles/incense. There's a whole process that goes into to ensure you don't stink.
This man should be educated on it.

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Haha don't get me wrong, I'm not pursuing anything. I actually thought this was clear-cut racism, but this thread has educated me. I can see now it isn't as black and white as I thought.

I was looking at it as the smell being a part of the culture/race and denying somebody employment based solely on something that is inherent to their culture/race is racism. The majority disagrees.

Is it just me or does this post seem a bit racist. I read it as saying that Indian people inherantly smell bad. I don't know any East Indians who smell strongly of curry.

[nik-]

You think the interviewee is a CP member and just furious right now reading this?

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by Smartcar

Ghee is just clarified butter. It must have been rancid, there's no way the smell of ghee would have made you sick.

WRT the OP question, it's hard to say. I love indian food, kimchi, foie gras, miso, blue cheese, raw oysters and lots more things that are an "acquired taste". If you're a steak and potatoes guy who has never tried/enjoyed them you may find a lot of these smells (and tastes/textures) completely offensive. It's not really racist, maybe a little uninformed.

It could well be. I wonder if I have been avoiding a method of cooking for years because my first time the butter was rancid. I do quite like Indian food but now we just buy the premade sauces. I am not sure if I am brave enough to allow ghee back in my home though. I will have to think about it and maybe start out by melting some on a camp stove on the deck

[moon]

Originally Posted by Sliver

In my opinion it is, but I do understand where you guys are coming from, too.

Based on some of your posts in this thread it seems like there more be more evidence of this guy being racist that you would know from knowing him.

Because based on this one story it seems like a big stretch to say that it is racist.

Perhaps some of the issues you are having with posters disagreeing with you is that you have a lot more background on the guy than any of us do.

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

I'm Indian, and would have a hard time hiring an Indian who smelled like our food.

There are plenty of Indian people who take the necessary steps to eat great Indian food and not smell like it.

Always keep the hoodfan on high, close all bedroom doors in the house, put away all clothes, don't cook in the clothes you're gonna wear out, open windows, light candles/incense. There's a whole process that goes into to ensure you don't stink.
This man should be educated on it.

One of my best friends is east Indian, he has never in his life stunk of food. I had been to his parents house many times growing up and their place never stunk like some other houses I have been to.

My friend is a manager and would be the first one to show the guy from the OP the door. He complains about other peoples smell more than anyone I know, be it smoke, BO, or food smell.

I disagree with you Sliver, I think carrying around the smell of last nights dinner with you does show poor hygiene which is a perfectly acceptable reason to not hire a candidate. Especially with more and more offices going to perfume/cologne free zones.

[Wormius]

I'm of two frames of mind here. One, the interviewee should have taken better care to come to an interview smelling of, well, nothing. Maybe something happened, I mean, if the interview was after lunch and he had just eaten?

However, the interviewer, recognizing that the guy was well-qualified could have mentioned this to him, tried to judge whether thise was a one-off case, or if this would be a constant issue.

From the interviewee's perspective, I'd rather bit a little embarrassed and have the job, than the other way around. Hopefully though this was at least communicated to the guy afterwards so he would know what he can improve next time. One time I had an interview, and was a bit too casually dressed for the position. When the interviewer called me back, he at least told me that.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

I'm Indian, and would have a hard time hiring an Indian who smelled like our food.

There are plenty of Indian people who take the necessary steps to eat great Indian food and not smell like it.

Always keep the hoodfan on high, close all bedroom doors in the house, put away all clothes, don't cook in the clothes you're gonna wear out, open windows, light candles/incense. There's a whole process that goes into to ensure you don't stink.
This man should be educated on it.

This ^^^^

It really would be no different than me playing an early beer league game, or going for a 2 hour bike ride in 30 degree weather, then just patting my self down, throwing on a suit, and going into an interview smelling like balls, vinegar and chewed up corn chips and expecting to be hired. It is not realistic. If some Polish guy walked in reeking of Keilbasa, pickled herring and onions, it would be no different either.

An employer is under no obligation to hire or not hire you for any reason whatsoever. Regardless of if you are the best candidate or not. He could not hire you because he thinks your voice is too high, or because he doesn't like the color of your tie.

Is it wrong on a certain level? Sure it is superficial, just like the pink hair mattress dude. But where this is different, you are owed nothing, and have no rights to anything, until someone hires you, puts you on payroll and you complete your probation period.