Watercooler: when mixed nuts go wrong
by Carmen Van Kerckhove
Watercooler is the section of the blog in which we share with you real-life horror stories from the frontlines of race in the workplace. 
This week, we have a story from Incredulous White Woman:
Sitting at a break table with co-workers, and we are eating mixed nuts.
Now, I am from the East Coast, so I am constantly surprised by new phrases that seem to be unique to the Midwest, but this one was over the top.
I listened as my co-worker said, “My sister likes all types of nuts, too. She likes everything except the [African-American] toes“–only she didn’t say “African-American”, as you can imagine . . .
I was like, “Hello!!! You can’t say that!”, to which she replied, “There aren’t any black people around, so it’s okay.” I was like, “Hello, I’m offended . . . ”
A few minutes later, my East Coast self said something in jest about Iowa, to which this winning co-worker’s best friend replied, “I’m offended.”
She’s from Minnesota, not Iowa, but I have learned my lesson and will keep my mouth shut going forward.
Please email team@raceintheworkplace.com if you’d like to send in a story, put “watercooler” in the subject line, and let us know what name we should use for you. Pseudonyms and first names are totally fine. You can read more Watercooler stories here.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of 
Ottermatic wrote:
My husband is from NC and they use that term for Brazil nuts. I had never heard it until he told me that’s what his grandfather calls them.
Posted 14 Sep 2007 at 9:09 am ¶
Erica wrote:
I don’t know if it makes me feel better or worse that that person knew she should not say that in front of a black person. She can’t claim ignorance.
(I live in Minnesota, and I would say something in jest about “Idiots Out Wandering Around,” too.)
Posted 14 Sep 2007 at 9:54 am ¶
Wally Bock wrote:
I live in the South now. Where I live, that’s what people grew up calling Brazil nuts. It’s those things that we grow up with that can pop out and surprise and horrify us.
Frankly, I never thought much about the term “Mexican standoff” until I there was a Mexican that my daughter fell in love with. I had to think about how I would feel if it was a “German standoff.” For the record, my daughter married the man. They’ve been married for ten years now and have two marvelous boys who have children at school sometimes tell them that “brown is not as good.”
The thing that gets to me the most is that language from my past pops straight out through my mouth. I hear myself describing Brazil nuts (we called them that other name in New York, too) in a particular way and I have to question myself about what I really think. I don’t think that will every stop happening.
Posted 14 Sep 2007 at 5:28 pm ¶