By skyforbes When I got hired my warehouse manager brought we around and introduced me to a few people. With my background in warehouse management I got hired as a team lead. As a non hispanic person and younger than almost everyone I stuck out allot. I didn't mind and knew they would get to like me, especially once I told them I was married into a hispanic family and had aunts and uncles who were hispanic. I was also excited to speak to them in spanish as it's my second language and I always enjoy being able to speak it.
Well during my tour of the place I got introduced to Jeff, Bill and other people I will be managing but before I got around to everyone there was side remarks from people saying in spanish after walking away about how it's stupid that some "Young white boy" is going to help manage a large group of hispanics.
Jeff and Bill, who were on the tour with Tom and myself, explained how they would be bullied at times for not speaking spanish and the others would constantly talk to them first in spanish and then say sorry and switch to english. Tom hired me specifically because of my past work with him and because he knew I understood spanish but also understands the majority of the people who work there are fluent in spanish as their 1st language and would not respect someone who doesn't understand it, which is why they bully Jeff and Bill at times.
I understood the situation and did not mind, it would make me mad too if someone got hired to run a team that mainly spoke spanish and he didn't speak any spanish. However they didn't even give me a chance to let them know I can before judging me.
After the tour Tom and I sat down in his office to go over the job and we spoke about me speaking spanish part and them automatically thinking I don't know it. He said that it's a typical warehouse where they will haze the new guy to make sure he's a good fit but they are all decent dudes who work hard. So we jokingly agreed we would joke with them back by not telling them I can speak spanish but only knew certain words to get by in the warehouse.
Well cut to about 9 months on the job. I've been doing a good job by this time leading my team. They respect and follow my lead for the most part. However they speak their minds in spanish about me to my face. At first I found it very disrespectful but after awhile I used it as a tool to help me manage them.
Well one day while a group of us were in the breakroom someone was telling a joke in spanish. I was busy eating my lunch by myself as usual not really paying attention to what was being said. The person was who was telling the joke is the usual class clown but at times his humor can be a little immature for the other guys but I found most of it funny.
Well during this particular joke no one got the punch line but I did, but not only did I get it but I laughed really hard and no one else was laughing but the guy who told the joke.
The entire room looked at me puzzled. I had nothing in front of me. No book, no phone, nothing. There is nothing I would be laughing at other than what he said. A few of them then started to crowed me and one started to talk to me in spanish asking me if I understood them. I pretended to be clueless till they got closer and closer till they had cornered me. He again, very close and tough like, asked me again if I understood them and if I lied and they found out later that I lied they would kick my ass.
I'm much smaller than him and the person who was threatening was a felon, not that all felons are dangerous and bad people as allot of the people working there were ex cons, but I knew him enough to understand he was serious. So I spoke to him back in spanish.
The room got crazy and they allot of them started to realize that they have been talking shit their superiors face for the past 9 months. After a long talk with them they calmed down and actually thought it was hilarious and I now have allot more respect from them and I now talk to them all in spanish.
TLDR: I did not tell the hispanic filled warehouse I spoke spanish until 9 months later I was the only one to laugh at a joke said in spanish and gave away my secret.