Quiet as it's kept, there is a certain type of "upper…
““Quiet as it's kept, there is a certain type of "upper class" white folks who don't use "colored help" at all. In fact, household labor is a segregated occupation. A Lancashire-born (English) butler, asked if he had encountered many black men and women in his 20 years of service, said reflectively, "I can't think of one I worked with. On one job we had Italian cook, an Irish kitchen man, a French lady's maid, an English butler, and an English parlormaid." The upper echelon's household staff is 99-99/100% white.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Observation of racial homogeneity in elite household staff, exposing segregation in domestic labor.
In simple terms: Upper-class staff are overwhelmingly white.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge and address labor segregation.
Themes
race
class
labor
segregation
Mood
critical
informative
Type
Family:0
Maid:0
Men and women:0
Servant:0
Upper class:0
Years of service:0
Household Staff:0
English Butler:0
Segregated Occupation:0
Labor Segregated:0
When to use this quote
- historical research
- policy making
- diversity training
Key Concepts
sociology
history
economics
Questions to Reflect On
- Why is domestic labor so racially segregated?
- How can hiring practices become more inclusive?
A Different Perspective
May lack broader context of systemic factors.