I am not a Filipino scam artist

I am not a Filipino scam artist

OUTspoken: Bright ideas from outsourcing leaders. This article is re-posted with the permission of  Ana Warren González at AWG Copy. Ana is a freelance content writer and proud Filipina.

 

Ok, I’ve calmed down.

A bit.

I don’t think I’ll ever calm down completely from the racism and microaggressions I experience every day.

But it is NOT OKAY.

Especially not in the eCommerce world where I work…

There are so many digital nomads and laptop warriors that have lowered the proverbial boundaries between countries.

Who’ve found success and acceptance from behind the anonymity of a computer screen.

Why is there still room for any racism?

The internet is full of color!

😠😠😠

Today, a customer was annoyed that the only time she could speak to me was late at night her time.

I told her that the time zones were a challenge because I was based in Manila.

Instead of asking for a compromise or a reschedule, she replied…

😮 “I hope I’m not being scammed!” 😮

🤬 EX F*CKING CUSE ME? 🤬

I sincerely hope I misunderstood her.

I sincerely hope she’s just a shitty communicator, and that our eventual face to face will clear the air.

But I couldn’t stop myself.

I replied snappily, “I assure you, I am not a Filipino scam artist.”

But you know what, it’s not just her.

It’s the guy a few months ago that demanded a refund because “I don’t want to speak to a Filipino.”

It’s clients who lowball prices because “hey, it’s not like you live in a 1st world country – your standard of living isn’t as high.”

It’s people who say, “Oh hey you earn pretty well – FOR A FILIPINO.” Why? Does my race automatically dictate my salary range? Funny, I thought my experience and knowledge did that, not my passport, the lottery of where I was born, or where I happen to plant my ass at this particular point in time.

🤦‍♀️

In my spare time, I mentor Filipino copywriters.

They ask me all the time how to level the playing field.

It’s a valid question.

An African American reached out to me online and asked where he might find a Filipino copywriter. The rate he gave was so abysmally low, I was actually embarrassed for him. He asked me, “how much do your writers charge, then?” I gave him the ballpark, and he replied, “I could hire an American for that price.” I shot back that I knew how much American copywriters charge, and my rate is still 50% of what an America-based writer would charge.

Why do I mention that he’s African American?

Because his name – at least from his social media account – was ethnic.

Beautiful, in fact.

He could have ostensibly been an immigrant himself, but here he is, lowballing other minorities as well.

😥

I’m speaking out.

I speak out against all would-be clients who say they want native English speaker copywriters – when my copywriters are the creme de la creme – and, yes, fluent in English.

(At the very least they know the difference between your and you’re, which is more than what I can say for many Westerners I encounter.)

I speak out against all narrow-minded people that judge capability from skin color, last name, or eye shape.

I speak out against all unfair practices in and out of the work place as they pertain to any type of discrimination – sex, nationality, sexual orientation, etc.

🙌

Am I racist? Am I bigoted? Am I prejudiced?

Heck, yeah.

I’m human.

But here’s what I do, when I find myself being prejudiced…

I CHECK MYSELF.

We all have a piece of this world. It don’t belong to nobody, it belongs to all of us.

👉“It is from numberless diverse acts of

courage and belief that human history is

shaped. Each time a man stands up for

an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of

others, or strikes out against injustice,

he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and

crossing each other from a million

different centers of energy and daring,

those ripples build a current that can

sweep down the mightiest walls of

oppression and resistance.”

Robert F. Kennedy 👈

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$39,913
$62,653
$81,994
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$46,669
$66,518
$78,007
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$31,174
$45,428
$75,823
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$58,479
$67,190
$72,923
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$52,088
$56,600
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$22,137
$29,717
$35,275
Virtual Assistance
$2,285
$39,066
$42,240
$31,797
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About Derek Gallimore

Derek Gallimore has been in business for 20 years, outsourcing for over eight years, and has been living in Manila (the heart of global outsourcing) since 2014. Derek is the founder and CEO of Outsource Accelerator, and is regarded as a leading expert on all things outsourcing.