I’m a little miffed and want to write this down.
My mother and I went to the local Giunta’s Meat Farms (it’s called MEAT FARMS, how can I not like that place?) and wanted to get a few bottles of wine. There’s a local wine and liquor shop on the other end of the same strip. We walked there to save time and a few miles.
This isn’t the place we normally buy wine at. Usually we go to a store on Old Country Road that is ran by a nice Korean American couple. They’re from Argentina and they speak Spanish perfectly. I’m ashamed of my 2 year-old level grammar when they speak. They’re nice and know their wine. Some of their recommendations have been very good.
The place we went today had a person who felt the need to educate my mother about wine and tried to convince her that she wanted a rosé. She doesn’t like that type of wine, said so and he continued his hard sell. She and I shortly told him “thanks, but we know what we’re looking for”.
Mom has been educated about wine well before he was born. I swear, he was mansplaining wine to her.
As we’re checking out, Mom asked him if the store carries Don Q rum. She pronounced it “don COO”. He looked at us weird and feigned that he didn’t know what we meant. Finally he says
Oh, you mean “dän CUE”. No, we don’t carry it.
To which I replied
We’re Puerto Rican, we pronounce it “don COO”.
No big deal, right? While we are finishing up paying for the wine, that’s when he explained.
In America it’s pronounced “CUE”. You can try stores in Brentwood or Wyandanch.
Oh. That’s how it is in “America”. Good to know.
A little background about Long Island. Both of those towns are considered “minority” places and not in a flattering way. You know when that Orange Racist, who’s also currently president, talks about MS-13? He’s usually using Brentwood as his example.
There’s nothing wrong with those places and yeah, we’ve been to both towns before. There are some amazing Hispanic restaurants in Brentwood.
As we’re walking out and I’m holding the door for Mom, she clearly says out loud:
We are never shopping in this store again.
Unless that person’s brain condition got to his ears, he received the message loud and clear. In America we can choose which stores we shop in. **** that guy and his racist attitude.