Here’s a newsflash: there’s a whole lotta discrimination in the world. Job seekers often face discrimination and so do people looking for housing. It’s not just landlords who discriminate — it’s also tenants looking for roommates.
If you’re a female looking to share your apartment with another female, that’s perfectly okay. But if you’re limiting yourself to roommates of a particular race, please allow me to point out the error of your ways.
Speaking from personal experience, the race of your roommate doesn't matter, because as you spend time with your roommate over a period of months, living in close quarters and sharing everything from cooking utensils to printer paper, you will only grow to hate them.
If your roommate is a mirror image of you, you are even more likely to hate them, because they will have all the disgusting habits you do. Even if you don't think your habits are disgusting, just wait till you see another person doing them.
Okay, perhaps you will not hate all your roommates. Perhaps you will even love one or two. But living together in close quarters does not lend itself to mutual affection. Trust me, many a marriage could have been saved if the couples did not live together.
I’ve had roommates who were white, black and brown, and it didn’t take me long to realize that the only race that really matters is the race to the bathroom in the morning. The person who gets there first doesn’t have to worry about the hot water running out. The person who gets there second has to worry about running out of four-letter words.
Even if you’re lucky enough to have your own bedroom and bathroom, there’s a good chance you’ll have to share the kitchen and living room. There’s plenty of opportunity for conflict, especially if one of you is like Russia and inclined to take things that don’t belong to you.
If you live with someone who’s different from you, at least you’ll learn something about their background or culture. You might be exposed to new cuisine, new music and new ways of getting under a roommate’s skin.
Even landlords can learn something from their tenants, but many of them think they’re better off renting to people of their own race, ethnicity or religion. For example, I’ve come across several subreddits (or threads) on Reddit in which prospective tenants in Canada have complained about discriminatory ads placed by people of Indian origin.
Here, for example, is the actual wording from an ad shared on Reddit for an $800 room in Calgary: “Room for rent for 1 person, pricing includes utilities. Laundry allowed 2 times a week and no cooking allowed. Close to Chalo Freshco, Dollarama, Tims, and Shoppers. Bus stop 5 min away. Parking space available if required. Preferably looking for Sikh boy.”
I showed this ad to an Indian friend and he was absolutely shocked. “I can’t believe the landlord is doing this,” he said. “How can they prevent people from cooking?”
“Didn’t you notice the blatant discrimination?”
“Yes, they are discriminating against people who eat.”
“No, I’m talking about the last line.”
“It is not discrimination. It is just stating a preference. The landlord is not saying Christians, Muslims and Hindus should not respond. The landlord is just saying that if Christians, Muslims and Hindus do not respond, it would be preferable.”
“But isn’t it illegal to have preferences like this?”
“Everyone has preferences. At least this landlord is open about it. Many Indian landlords are just like this.”
“You are giving them credit for openly stating their preference?”
“Yes, it is better to know people’s preferences ahead of time. That way, you can avoid landlords like this.”
“But there is a shortage of housing. People need places to stay. They can’t keep avoiding landlords.”
“I have avoided landlords all my life.”
“How have you done that?”
“By living in my parents’ basement.”
“But don’t they prefer that you move out?”
“Perhaps they do. But thankfully they don’t keep stating their preferences.”
This piece is one of my favorites of yours, Melvin. And, having been married for forty years, I now recognize the error of my ways in living with my wife that entire time.