• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
'Old White' Neighbour Asks Woman Racist Question Despite Living In Same Building For 8 Years

Home> News

Updated 10:37 12 Jan 2022 GMTPublished 10:27 12 Jan 2022 GMT

'Old White' Neighbour Asks Woman Racist Question Despite Living In Same Building For 8 Years

Eileen Chong couldn't believe what she was hearing and says she is 'sick' of it

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

A woman was stunned when her neighbour asked her a racist question.

Eileen Chong, from Sydney, Australia, was leaving some Scottish tablet (a sweet treat made from sugar, condensed milk and butter) out for one of her neighbours in her apartment block, which she has lived in for eight years, when an 'old, white man' came up to her.

The poet, who was born in Singapore and is of Chinese descent, shared the hurtful encounter on social media, hitting out at the man for assuming she was a cleaner in what she says was a blatant example of racial stereotyping.

She wrote: "Racism means entering the building you’ve lived in for eight years and being asked by an old white neighbour how much you charge for cleaning.

"I have been brought up with such impeccable manners that I merely blinked and said, 'Oh, I’m not a cleaner, sorry', when really I should have said, 'That depends. How much do YOU charge?'

"It’s so tiring. I’m so tired.

"Some white people will really look at an Asian body & think ‘interchangeable person here to serve me’. No shade on cleaners. I’ve worked as a cleaner before, it’s real work. But it’s just a lot."

She added: "If you’re outraged that this casual racism happens, you should be outraged we have refugees in detention. You should be outraged Palestinians have to fight to stay in their own homes. You should be outraged at the systemic injustices Aboriginal people face on their own lands still.

"Anything less is hypocrisy."

Since Eileen posted her story, it has been liked more than 3,000 times.

One shocked user commented: "That’s awful. Except the bit where you did something lovely for your neighbour. That bit was lovely."

Echoing the compassion, another commented: "Love that you have the capacity to ignore racism and still be kind to an old Scot.

"As a long-term Advocate for refugees, Palestinean apartheid and Aboriginal deaths in custody, we have to keep those issues in the spotlight."

Eileen was appalled by the blatant racism.
Eileen Chong

A third said: "I used to give older people a bit of a pass on racism, a generational thing, I used to think. But now me, my siblings, cousins and friends ARE the older generation, and I know old people should know better."

Others shared their own stories of discrimination.

"Often used to be taken as my daughter's nanny. She was blonde with bright blue eyes as a child. I'm half Thai," recalled one.

While another added: "I was at our community trash dumpster and a hispanic resident came with her trash.

"Another (white) person congratulated her on getting a cleaning job."

Featured Image Credit: Eileen Chong

Topics: Australia, Twitter

Dominic Smithers
Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is LADbible's Editorial Lead. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

X

@SmithersDom

Choose your content:

6 hours ago
7 hours ago
8 hours ago
10 hours ago
  • 6 hours ago

    Elon Musk urges release of Epstein files weeks after accusing Trump of being involved in fiery X rant

    Musk made a bombshell claim about his former 'first buddy'

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    Arne Slot releases emotional statement after Diogo Jota tragically dies aged 28

    The Liverpool forward and his brother died this morning

    News
  • 8 hours ago

    Mum says picture of her son at nursery saved his life after camera flash revealed rare disease

    Laura Davies, from Wales, says she would have 'never known' without the photo

    News
  • 10 hours ago

    Brit, 29, who fell ill moments after getting tattoo on hen do fighting for life in coma

    Poppy-Mae Crutchley began to feel unwell 'instantly' after she got the inking in the Spanish party hotspot

    News