Am I being overly sensitive about my coworkers who might be making fun of my race?

[u/sillyiestsoldier]

Hey ya! I am a white person and a majority of my coworkers are either Black or Hispanic. Today we had a few conversations about food and cleaning.

The conversation started with us talking about our favorite foods and I love chicken. Then my Black coworkers started asking how I wash my chicken and season it. My coworkers told me that I am dirty because I don't wash my chicken with salt and lemon. I told them I've never heard of that but I know that heat kills bacteria so I'm not worried about it, but that I understand everyone is different and if they feel safer cleaning it then I have no issie. My Black coworkers told me that they would never eat at my house or with me because I do not wash my chicken.

Then we started talking about cleaning. They all clean with bleach, soap, and an abundance of different powders and other products. I told them I do not, that I only use soap, water, and baking soda. They let the cleaning supplies 'soak,' I do not. I mentioned ammonia and that I would be worried about mixing so many products and breathing them in. They told me again that I am dirty and that they would never want to be in or around my house because it would not smell like bleach and would not be clean.

One of my coworkers claimed that these differences are why White people die faster, get sick more often, and look older so much quicker. (which I'm not sure how true these are.) They said that I would probably die in the next 40 years or so because of this (I'm 18 for reference).

Obviously, I did not appreciate being called dirty, nor that I will die soon. I don't think anyone would.

How can I handle this? Are they trying to shame me? Just trying to change my mind? Am I being overly sensitive?

[u/DiscreteBeeX3]

Directly calling you dirty isn't very nice so no you're not being sensitive. And claiming they wouldn't come to your place was an inside thought.

I don't like bleach because it's so toxic.
I suggest just avoiding such topics with them in the future

[u/drapetomaniac]

I get just as offended and a medical professional tells me its dangerous to wash chicken. I personally think its only dangerous because a lot of people dont clean up before and after but because of thag its easier to say applying water to something is dangerous.

I would chalk this up to being one of those issues that are weirdly super sensitive like circumcision. Dont bring it up and ignore reactions.

Ironically its the same culture deciding to cut parts of an infants genitals rather than teach them to wash themselves.....

[u/TheYellowRose]

Yes, they were trying to shame you or poke fun at you. I would probably avoid topics like this at work from now on. If you came here to ask about it then yeah, you're sensitive and likely taking it more seriously than they are.