We're in America... Right?

[JOE who]

Heres the deal...
I went to Joey's Pizza in PCB last night to pick up last minute munchies (not the healthiest thing, but whatever). About five/ten minutes after placing my order a lady walked in and placed her order in English. After several minutes of speaking fluent English, she started speaking Spanish with the employee (the only employee out of six or seven that i could tell was Mexican-American).

If i went to Italy and new fluent Italian, I wouldn't speak with the only Italian speaking American there in English. I would consider that RUDE.

Maybe i should learn Spanish, but why... We're in America... Right?

Had to get that off my chest... Have a good MEMORIAL day weekend...

BTW, don't forget why theres a Memorial Day... Thanks to all the men and women who lost their lives fighting for this country - Home of the free BECAUSE of the brave!

 

[goofer]

I don't get the point of your gripe. But I agree about remembering the meaning of Memorial Day. Thank you.

 

[sunspotbaby]

I used to work in a Mfg. plant in Houston. Many times I was the only female there with 15-20 men and the only one who didn't speak Spanish. Even though I was friends with them all, it still made me uncomfortable when 2 or 3 guys would come into the lab and all of them speaking Spanish around me like I wasn't there. Then I'm thinking...WTF...speak English! You could all be talking about me and I'm standing right here!!!

 

[JOE who]

The point...? If the lady and the employee both knew fluent English, why speak Spanish... To speak to each other without letting everyone else know what they were talking about? In essence whispering. In America (and i ass/u/me most other cultures) whispering in most social settings is considered rude. If you and I were to live or visit somewhere the culture is completely different from the USA (or where we were originally from), wouldn't we want to abide by there cultural rules?

 

[NoHall]

The point...? If the lady and the employee both knew fluent English, why speak Spanish... To speak to each other without letting everyone else know what they were talking about? In essence whispering. In America (and i ass/u/me most other cultures) whispering in most social settings is considered rude. If you and I were to live or visit somewhere the culture is completely different from the USA (or where we were originally from), wouldn't we want to abide by there cultural rules?

I wasn't there, so I don't know. I agree that if you go to another country, you should be prepared to speak their language. When in Rome, you should speak Latin. (That was a joke.) We have a large Hispanic population in my town, and I think they only cripple themselves by refusing to speak English. The salutatorian at our school is Korean, and during his address he mentioned how hard it was when he came here 2 years ago--he actually separated himself from the other Korean students so he would learn better English. I was hoping that those students were listening--they insist upon speaking Korean to each other in class.

But...

I think that if I were in another country working in a pizza place, I would be grateful to have someone come in and speak English to me. Maybe it seemed rude to you, but I bet it felt like home to the employee.

 

[Jdarg]

I always find it completely hilarious that people complain about others speaking in another language- and how the complainers always think the non-Englsih speakers are talking about them. How arrogant!

My own mother pulled this one at a Japanese restaurant- the employees were speaking to each other in Japanese- wow imagine that! My mother said "What are they saying? Are they talking about us?"

And I replied, "Yes Mom. Everyone that speaks another language in your presence is probably talking about you. I am absolutely sure that they don't have anything more important to discuss, like their work or own lives.":roll:

 

[LuciferSam]

The point...? If the lady and the employee both knew fluent English, why speak Spanish... To speak to each other without letting everyone else know what they were talking about? In essence whispering. In America (and i ass/u/me most other cultures) whispering in most social settings is considered rude. If you and I were to live or visit somewhere the culture is completely different from the USA (or where we were originally from), wouldn't we want to abide by there cultural rules?

Maybe she just enjoys speaking Spanish. Maybe it's actually a better language than English. Quien sabe? Anyway what they were taking about was none if your concern. If I knew more languages I would make a point of rattling them off around people like you just to piss you off!

 

[Truffle Anne]

I always find it completely hilarious that people complain about others speaking in another language- and how the complainers always think the non-Englsih speakers are talking about them. How arrogant!

My own mother pulled this one at a Japanese restaurant- the employees were speaking to each other in Japanese- wow imagine that! My mother said "What are they saying? Are they talking about us?"

And I replied, "Yes Mom. Everyone that speaks another language in your presence is probably talking about you. I am absolutely sure that they don't have anything more important to discuss, like their work or own lives.":roll:

Ha! Try being in a place away from your home and culture, and you'll find that it is restorative, in a way, to speak your native language. It's like a little bit of home. Must one know what others are saying? Lay off. And thanks, jdarg.

 

[JOE who]

LuciferSam... What an attitude... You sound like a person with a lot of penned up frustration...

I don't believe i said it pissed me off, therefore you ("if you knew more languages") can speak as many languages around me as you want, i would just consider you rude which you've made clear already...

 

[Mermaid]

Heres the deal...
I went to Joey's Pizza in PCB last night to pick up last minute munchies (not the healthiest thing, but whatever). About five/ten minutes after placing my order a lady walked in and placed her order in English. After several minutes of speaking fluent English, she started speaking Spanish with the employee (the only employee out of six or seven that i could tell was Mexican-American).

If i went to Italy and new fluent Italian, I wouldn't speak with the only Italian speaking American there in English. I would consider that RUDE.

Maybe i should learn Spanish, but why... We're in America... Right?

Had to get that off my chest... Have a good MEMORIAL day weekend...

BTW, don't forget why theres a Memorial Day... Thanks to all the men and women who lost their lives fighting for this country - Home of the free BECAUSE of the brave!

America is a nation of immigrants. Home of the free and land of the brave. And do you know what? Many of the American men and women who lost their lives fighting for our freedom were immigrants or sons and daughters of immigrants...who came here speaking other languages than English. It is because of them and their sacrifices that American is as it is, a country that so many wish still wish to emigrate to. The employee you heard speaking Spanish, the woman customer that you heard speaking Spanish, they are part of the melting pot that America is. It is something to celebrate, not something to be irritated about. They've come to this country and learned our language, so think kindly when they laspse into their natives tongues. It's meant as no disrespect.