The Foreign Service Journal, September 2003

tary considers a distinguished profes- sion. ... It quickly became obvious during my first tour that this was not the case in the State Department, where the title is viewed as some- where equivalent to ‘janitorial staff.’” Another IMS believes that, “Until the ambassador/DCM/MGT change their perspectives (e.g., stop referring to us as knuckle-dragging communicators), nothing will change.” A Financial Management Officer, who is also a CPA, remarks about FSO perceptions of specialists, “They see you as clerks. It’s bizarre, like the 19th century.” According to specialists’ accounts, these attitudes are displayed both professionally and socially. One IMS — who, by the way, says he has had great experiences in the Foreign Service — describes an incident at his first post. He was in line at the commissary, and was speaking with an FSO, who asked him what he did. He said, “I’m an IMS.” “Oh, a specialist,” she replied. “And then she wouldn’t talk to me anymore,” the IMS says. (Like most of the specialists who spoke or wrote to the Journal , this person spoke on condition of anonymity.) Another IMS tells the Journal , “I was never even for- mally introduced to our ambassador, although I have had conversations with him, obviously. No courtesy for me or my role.” An Unspoken Class Divide The more one listens to this category of complaints, the clearer it becomes that the underlying issue is class. Unfortunately, that’s a topic most Americans are still very uncomfortable discussing. We have learned how to talk about race and gender and even sexual orientation, but class remains an extraordinarily difficult topic — most likely because it appears to contradict American ideals of democracy and equality. This contradiction is especially sharp in the world of diplomacy, which until the mid-20th century was domi- nated by the “upper crust,” and which still retains traces of that social milieu. At the diplomatic receptions of yore, the coachmen and couriers were not invited to attend. But how does that play out in the 21st century, when the modern-day messengers have master’s degrees and expect to be treated equally? An example of how hard it is to talk about this topic appears in the director general’s response to an FSJ question. We asked what the Service could do about “perceptions of unequal treat- ment” by specialists, or about special- ists’ sense of being second-class citi- zens. Director General Davis responded by e-mail: “I cannot accept the premise of your questions. How many visas could we issue if our computer systems were down? How many démarches could we make if there were not adequate security at our embassies? Each of us, specialists no less than general- ists, has a vital role to play in the development and exe- cution of U.S. foreign policy. We are all interdependent. We are all members of the Secretary’s ‘One Team; One Mission.’” Nanette Krieger —who’s about to retire after 28 years as a DS specialist and who therefore is quite willing to speak her mind — laughed when asked whether there was a class system in the Foreign Service. “Of course there is,” she said. “Political and econ officers are the top class, then consular and admin, then specialists, then FSNs, then your household help at the bottom.” The difference between the two responses — Davis’ and Krieger’s — is instructive. One is forced to ask how the State Department can work on remedying a problem if it is not willing to acknowledge its existence. One indication of how pervasive the bias is is that even feminist activists — people working to change long- standing and unfair State Department practices — forgot the specialists. Krieger recalls that when the Women’s Action Organization filed a class action suit over what were perceived to be sexist State Department practices, they eventually won their case — but the class action relief pertained only to FSOs. Krieger asked one of the women who had initiated the suit why the complaint had not covered female specialists too. “We never thought of you,” she admitted. At the same time, Gloria Junge of HR emphasizes that Secretary Powell feels strongly that all State Department employees are worthy of respect. She cites a recent inci- dent in which the Secretary was scheduled to swear in a new cohort of specialists but was running late, so another official performed the ceremony. When Powell arrived, he insisted on personally swearing in the group a second F O C U S 24 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 3 While FS specialists have plenty of gripes, many also feel very pleased with aspects of the job.