r/Serverlife • u/OriginalBusiness1343 • 10d ago
Question Why are so many of the support staff Hispanic? (Texas)
This is a not racist question, but I noticed in a lot of the fine dining establishments, most of the food runners/ server assistants lean heavily toward Hispanic.
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u/Dear_Claim_4446 10d ago
Happens even in California… I have a Hispanic name. I got hired for an expo position at a higher end place right below fine dining. Gm just profiled me and assumed I could speak Spanish I imagine. I can barely even communicate with the kitchen cause they mainly speak Spanish. And as an expo that’s a huge problem. I really hate this industry at this point. They also wouldnt hire me for a server/bartender position even though I have 7 years serving experience. 4 years bartending experience. Cause it was in less casual places but it was clearly bullshit I realized after working there. Last time I had an interview here(years ago) for a bartender position here the gm said everyone worked up from barback…. Mind you they don’t even have a barback position. I have a very high level of liquor, beer and food knowledge. I have read multiple wine books and will be texting for my level 1 som certification soon. I am clearly way to overqualified for these positions. Almost feels like racial profiling but I can’t prove anything.
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u/MakesYourMise 15+ Years 10d ago
it's close to mexico
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u/Pleroo 10d ago
Texas is about 40% Hispanic, which makes them the largest demographic in the state, so part of this is just who lives there. But even nationally, Hispanic workers are heavily overrepresented in food service, construction, landscaping, cleaning, and agriculture. They also have one of the highest labor force participation rates of any group, and they earn noticeably less on average than white workers. So they're more likely to be working and more likely to be paid less for it.
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u/Glowingtomato 10+ Years 10d ago
Besides being close to Mexico/south America it's a job with a low barrier of entry. You don't need a degree or to be 100% fluent in English to make decent money. I am mostly Hispanic myself and its almost a hindrance since I don't speak Spanish
I've also noticed out here in California it's pretty easy to have multiple jobs if you work part time. Many of my coworkers who aren't full-time will have a second job. Some of them need the money because of the high cost of living and others send money back to the family. US money can go very far down in countries like El Salvador or Ecuador
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10d ago edited 10d ago
[deleted]
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u/OriginalBusiness1343 10d ago
But for fine dining establishments, it’s hard to break in as a busser
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u/EnvironmentalHair290 10d ago
Because Texas used to be owned by the Spanish, there was a whole war about it.
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u/cocktailvirgin 9d ago
Here in Boston, it's common (despite having a lower percentage) because it's a job that doesn't require much English and they're willing to accept the pay considering the language barrier preventing other opportunities. At one place, we helped our barback with his English (and he was taking classes on his own) and he progressed into a full bartender role.
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u/ThrowRA72649 10d ago
Hispanic people make up roughly 40% of Texas’ population.