In the September issue of Texas Monthly, it was brought to our attention that there is a major problem with professionalism in Corpus Christi.
Jeff Winkler who wrote about Fiesta de la Flor in his article, “Amor Prohibido,” was seeking information regarding Selena.
Winkler had asked a question regarding previous efforts put forth by the city to commemorate the late Latino singer and was met by an unprofessional spokeswoman from the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).
The spokeswoman was unsure of an answer, so she called a co-worker. While waiting for the individual’s arrival, the “peppy” spokeswoman said, “She’s awesome. She’s our little Hispanic girl. We love her in the office.” The woman who appeared was an older WOMAN with years of experience.
These 13 words alone show the incompetence and lack of professionalism of the woman who is supposedly the voice of Corpus Christi.
The woman she was talking about is not a “girl.” The last time she was a girl was when she was 17 years old, and even then she had the physique to be classified as a young woman.
Referring to a woman as a little girl is demeaning and unprofessional in every sense of the word.
There was no need to refer to the woman’s ethnicity. The spokeswoman could have easily said, “I’m not too sure about this information, but this woman has lived here for years and can give you great information.”
By referring to the woman’s ethncity, it shows the underlying racism problem in Corpus Christi and the people running the city.
The use of the word “our” when referring to the woman gives the reader a sense of ownership of the “little Hispanic girl.”
After the article’s publication, the spokeswoman refused to apologize or step down from her position in the CVB.
Reason being was because the woman who should have been offended by the comments said that all the people in the office are friends, and that is the way they talk to each other.
If someone were to call me a girl, in any setting, I would be highly offended, and the fact that this woman wasn’t offended is offensive to me, as it should be to every woman.
When someone is working in a government office or any office for that matter, each individual should be treated with respect and in a professional manner.
The way the CVB handled this situation was completely unprofessional, and everybody in that office should be fired based on their lack of professionalism.
The fact that this woman (spokeswoman) is the face of Corpus Christi is ridiculous. She is not only unprofessional, but she isn’t even from Corpus Christi.
How can an individual from another state properly represent a city she has only been a citizen of for a few years?
The CVB should hire new, professional indivduals that will take their job seriously, and the city should enforce a professional atmosphere. This will ultimately change the way the city is run and make it a halfway decent place to live.
