Nothing says culture like weddings...

I must admit, it took me a while to figure out the appropriate way to start this blog, which I created for my Television, Minorities and Cultural Diversity web class, until I realized I had inspiration from my work. For the past four and a half years, I've been a waitress at a function hall and I have seen the best and worst of people of all races, ethnicities, orientations, etc. (frequently worst at weddings...) Usually, it is interesting and fun to learn about other cultures. For instance, learning about how Jewish couples always break glass during the ceremony and how many African Americans jump over a broom into married life. One that I remember distinctly was a traditional Ugandan wedding that had ceremonial introductions with dances and music which lasted for a little over two hours, which was before they even ate (but took place after cocktail hour). With these different cultures sometimes bring cultural differences. Problems I have faced in particular are inequalities between the treatment of women in certain cultures. I worked a christening once where a gentleman accused a female coworker of mine of taking his drink that he hadn't finished (the glass was completely empty) and then calling our female bartender a "dumb b*tch" for not automatically getting him a replacement drink free of charge. He refused to talk to any women, even our sales manager, and he only calmed down when a male coworker came over to resolve the situation. When he came over, the individual calmed down and spoke to my male coworker with respect, as if the situation was not a big deal. The male coworker had to make his drink because the female bartender was "sure to mess it up," even though he had no experience as a bartender! Incidents like that have happened quite a few times, and it is one of the most frustrating things to face- an individual who completely disregards my opinion based solely on my gender. I know that I am lucky to have been born where and when I have as many other people in this country face (and have faced) much more bigotry and ignorance, but I still occasionally face sexism and it is something that brings the spirit down. I have huge respect for individuals like Cornel West ("Race Matters") and the millions of others who have faced such blatant ignorance and racism in everyday life. Though this country has come a long way, ignorance is still rampant and needs to be stopped for the well being of all Americans.