I don't think I've ever hated a place as much as I do Cordova Mall. When I first got there, I thought it was your average run-of-the-mill mall. There were a lot of typical stores like Hot Topic, H&M, and a food court. Yet they lacked other stores that I normally see in other malls, like JCPenney and Forever 21. What I liked about it was that it seemed pretty clean to me. Parking sucked, especially after the holiday season ended and all the sales began.
It's a pretty small mall, so of course, the food court was small. It had a decent selection of food, but because there were only, what, six food places, the lines were insanely long. But seating wasn't a huge issue. There weren't huge crowds, and it wasn't terrible.
So what in the world warrants this place one star?
Well, let me tell you. I had never felt so much anti-Asian sentiment from one place. I'd never seen such blatant display of discrimination or racial microaggression. Or maybe it's focused towards any race that isn't Caucasian, since that's the primary demographic. Who knows? This is my experience:
1) At one of the stores, my aunt and I were brushed off by a worker who decided that we weren't worth his time. She tried to ask about the sales, and he just answered impatiently, like it was an obvious fact. I thought that he was just having a bad day until a group of white women entered, and his attitude took a 180. He plastered a smile on his face and treated them with respect and patience. I just--what the hell?
2) Here's the kicker. At another one of the stores, my aunt was mocked. Yes, she was mocked for being Asian. She went to look at the display at the counter and was debating what to buy. The male worker who helped her was indifferent to her as he waited. But the female worker at the cash register next to him? She talked down to my aunt, speaking to her like she was speaking to a child. She didn't act that way towards the other customers, but specifically pointed that attitude at my aunt, who had been in the states longer than her 30-year-old-looking ass has been alive. It was so condescending that I was dumbfounded. Absolutely disgusted and furious. Either my aunt was too busy looking at the display and didn't notice or she decided to ignore her, but she left happily with her purchases.
I'm normally pretty generous with my ratings. I'll overlook bad attitude if it's pointed towards everyone because everyone has bad days, and I feel that. However, this is the first time I wish I could give an establishment zero stars. The shameless display of discrimination and microaggression is crossing a line. No, it's not just crossing a line--it's stubbornly plowing through until a person can feel so uncomfortable and that they don't belong. The two experiences made me and my sister feel like we weren't welcome. Ever.
But hey, you know what?
That just makes it easier for us to never go back. read more