Lisa Schwager
Muncie, IN
Many people automatically assume that I am a bad driver because I am a female. I have never been in an accident and have been driving for over 5 years.
I went to live in South Carolina this past summer with my sister and brother-in-law. I work in retail and was a cashier on this particular day… As I was helping a lady I always do my best to provide excellent customer service. At the end of the transaction she found out I wasn’t from the South and said, “Wow.. I didn’t think anyone from the North was so nice.” -umm thanks? I couldn’t exactly inform her of being prejudiced since she would have most likely complained to my manager, but it really surprised me that someone could be so narrow minded about people from different regions.
I have never felt like I was a minority until my family moved to New Jersey. That state is racially diverse (which is great to be able to experience), but I am shy so it is hard for me to meet people. I was able to land that job in retail, and I was the only white low entry level worker (the only other white employees were managers). The majority of people who worked there were Black. I was experiencing intergroup anxiety because I felt like most people wouldn’t like me and I was extremely nervous around them. Later on most people accepted me besides a few people who would ignore my greetings, but would talk to their own ethnicity, but that’s common.
