minority in the mexicano kitchen

I am a relatively new sous chef, just under a year in the position-- I am a 5'2" white woman, with a staff of 19- all spanish-speaking mexicanos. I love it, now, but it was tough to break in-- get the respect, establish authority, etc. Can anyone relate? The only other gringos in the house are the servers, and I think we may have already established on the previous pages that well, its easier to relate to my kitchen staff, language barriers and all.

[cookM]

Well, I am usually the only non-white person, so I can relate!! But usually, if you have heart, passion, work hard, pull your weight, the respect usually follows. Well, that's what I've experienced. Sounds like you've done well for yourself there. You know, I don't care what color, sex, etc., if a person works hard and pulls their weight. They got my respect.

[UniChef]

I find that trying to learn something about someone else's culture goes a long way. I have learned how to say hello in 15 different languages.

Another great thing about working with diverse cultures is the food. Who can teach you more about Mexican food than these folks? People love to share their culture. When I wanted to learn how to make ropa viega I got one of the FOH ladies from Cuba. I learned more about it from her than I could from any book. She gained my respect and I gained hers.