logicician: So you are saying that there was nothing wrong with someone assuming their fellow co-workers wives or their relatives would like to clean toilets?
Many of your bubbies and Zadies were fit for menial labor when they first came to america, imagine if all employers had the same attitude as you, and lopped all Jews together, we would still be seamstress and working in sweatshops.
Just because there are piles of people from the same country willing to, does not mean it was right to ask in such a manner. Would you in a million years ask anyone else you worked with,if their spouse would like to clean your house?
There is definitely prejudicial assumption and talking down to over here.
The only proper way to ask is how you would ask anyone. Not to ask straight out does your wife want to do menial labor.
If a worker would then volunteer his wife or a relative fine but to ask straight out is not right. How do you think the worker might have felt if his wife actually had a decent job or at least something not menial? But now he thinks that the Jewish boss assumes that this is what my wife and cousins are good for.
P.S. my mexican cleaning lady came here together with her sister. Her sister more easily overcame the language barrier and is a nurse, who actually did menial labor for a while to support herself through school.