"Most Americans Don't Like Speaking Spanish."

[panamania79 2]

have a roman orgy?

Where's Caligula ?

[Craneman 2]

That's exactly what happened to me in Miami's airport back in '96. That look of whaaaaa you don't speak spanish?!?!?!

Now when I go through MIA I don't mind the Spanish as I see they speak Spanish to me 'cus they think it's easier for me, and 'cus they feel more comfortable, so I reply in whatever language I am spoken to.

I'm not going through MIA on my next trip though, so apart from San Juan am not expecting to be speaking Spanish much (except with hubby but I should be speaking Portuguese to get his ears accustomed to it again).

WHAT ???

Spanish is not the official language of Brasil, who would have thought????

My wife gets that all the time, Brasilians speak spanish, right?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I went to a new barber today - a Latina immigrant who struggled with English. She was amazed that I didn't mind speaking Spanish with her. "Most Americans don't like to hear, let alone speak Spanish!" she told me while she cut my hair. I hear this all of the time.

What are your opinions on this comment?

I think it is silly to isolate Spanish, but OK.

When people come to this country they will have the best opportunity to succeed if they learn to speak English proficiently, and it doesn't matter their native language. Personally I couldn't care less what two other people are speaking to each other.

That said, there is a concerted effort to cater to and accomodate Spanish speaking people in this country (which is why the Lowe's in Vermont has all signs in Spanish and English even though no one here speaks Spanish but a large population speaks French) The French speaking people also speak English. for example 93% of people in Quebec, just up the road, speak French as their native language but 87% also speak English. They have a higher percentage of French speaking people than we have English, yet most of them speak English also. They are not dumb. They are an isolated population of 7 million Francophones in a sea of 330 million English speaking people. If the people of Quebec wish to trade with anyone and have a propsperous economy (which they do) then they WILL speak English.

The reason we try to accomodate Spanish speakers is to keep a certain percentage of them oppressed and working for slave wages, the same reason we falied to educate black people after the end of slavery. I have no problem with Soanish people speaking Spanish, nor do I have a problem with my wife speaking Russian, but she also speaks English and can qualify for jobs or whatever based on this. I am all in favor of adults being able to speak more than one language or at least be comfortable with a second language. But if they live in this country and wish to be successful they will need to speak English well

[panamania79 2]

I think it is silly to isolate Spanish, but OK.

When people come to this country they will have the best opportunity to succeed if they learn to speak English proficiently, and it doesn't matter their native language. Personally I couldn't care less what two other people are speaking to each other.

That said, there is a concerted effort to cater to and accomodate Spanish speaking people in this country (which is why the Lowe's in Vermont has all signs in Spanish and English even though no one here speaks Spanish but a large population speaks French) The French speaking people also speak English. for example 93% of people in Quebec, just up the road, speak French as their native language but 87% also speak English. They have a higher percentage of French speaking people than we have English, yet most of them speak English also. They are not dumb. They are an isolated population of 7 million Francophones in a sea of 330 million English speaking people. If the people of Quebec wish to trade with anyone and have a propsperous economy (which they do) then they WILL speak English.

The reason we try to accomodate Spanish speakers is to keep a certain percentage of them oppressed and working for slave wages, the same reason we falied to educate black people after the end of slavery. I have no problem with Soanish people speaking Spanish, nor do I have a problem with my wife speaking Russian, but she also speaks English and can qualify for jobs or whatever based on this. I am all in favor of adults being able to speak more than one language or at least be comfortable with a second language. But if they live in this country and wish to be successful they will need to speak English well

You're not.I have lived in the USA for 34 years and had the opportunity of being around people of just about every ethnic background imaginable.They all at least made an attempt to learn and speak English.The only people I see who refuse to learn English are people from certain Latin American countries.I'm sorry,but I am just calling it as I see it.I always get called a racist and/or sell out for saying this also.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Most Americans don't like speaking anything else.I always run into this when I go to the cell phone place and speak my broken French to the owner.He says the same thing.

On the same token,I get very annoyed at people like my ex-best friend who are here for 25 friggin' years and refuse to learn English.And if anyone dares to suggest he learn English,he calls them a racist !

I speak fluent Spanish, but those are the types I won't speak Spanish with. I don't mind if they want to learn. Anyone who is against learning another language (I speak several) is an idiot, imo. I love languages. They tell a great deal about a culture.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

tu es muy caliente.

yo sé

[Sofiyya 1,687]

I just realized how old this thread is

[spookyturtle 9,465]

I speak fluent Spanish, but those are the types I won't speak Spanish with. I don't mind if they want to learn. Anyone who is against learning another language (I speak several) is an idiot, imo. I love languages. They tell a great deal about a culture.

Anyone who doesn't agree with you is an idiot.

[NickD 202]

I went to a new barber today - a Latina immigrant who struggled with English. She was amazed that I didn't mind speaking Spanish with her. "Most Americans don't like to hear, let alone speak Spanish!" she told me while she cut my hair. I hear this all of the time.

What are your opinions on this comment?

Wife is natural born in Colombia, we are going down there next month. She speaks both English and Spanish, but has the cutest accent I have as others ever heard. Everyone she meets, likes her, and has yet to have anyone pick on her. But they love her accent. Her daughter came here 13 years old without a word of English, but speaks some form of teenage talk just like any other American, she gets by very well.

But it does seem in our large melting pot, always meet prejudice people, just walk away.

[yogib37 3]

if she has a good rack, who cares what language she speaks while cutting hair.

Only from you or Bro Dean would that comment come out