Enough to Start a Fight?

[nuggethunting]

Hello All,

I probably shouldn't be posting this here since I encourage gold prospecting, but I couldn't resist. About a week ago at work a Hispanic Lady asked if I spoke Spanish. I told her very politely that I didn't and I was sorry I couldn't communicate with her. The very minute I told her I could speak Spanish she started cursing and carrying on that she couldn't believe I didn't speak Spanish.

As much as I wanted to say, "You mean you live in American, where English is the primary language and you're going to carry on that I don't speak Spanish?" As much as I wanted to, I walked away pretty upset.

Since when am I required to speak Spanish in America?

Go figure ...

Rob Allison

[scorpion]

Better yet Rob, why is it when we are confronted with situtations like this we feel the need to apologize for not speaking i.e. spanish.

My great grand mother on my Dad's side of the family was straight from Spain. My father didn't speak spanish, but my grand mother could, just like my mother's mom (my grand mother) could speak french!

While they could speak a different language, they didn't speak in that language in front of others who did not.

It was considered rude! And still should be considered rude! It really conderns me when I see teenage hispanics speaking spanish in the shopping malls and resturants etc. Adn I also see the parents of todays asian children sending them to country specific schools to learn the culture of the country their parents left to come to America. And that is part of the problem that this administration is not taking into consideration! Previous generation immigrants wanted very much to blend in. Today immigrants want to maintain their culture from their country of origin! Instead of seeing them assimulate in 2-3 generations..........I don't think they will ever assimulate!

The people from those generations wanted very much to fit in and not be regarded as second class citizens! And they learned English as soon as they could.

I have stopped apologizing for not speaking spanish! And I am at least 20% spanish, but from Spain, not mexico, or any other latin american country, which is actually a mixture of spanish ancestory and native indian ancestory!

My brother who is a doctor has a few hispanics working in his office. Last week he sat down with all of his staff and told them, " This is America! We speak English here! While you are working in this office you will not converse in spanish with each other. " It wasn't well received by one...the others didn't say anything. My brother's response to the one who protested was a very simple reply! You want to work here in this office you will speak English not spanish! The choice is yours to make! So far she hasn't left!

We are too tolerant here in America these days! From the stupid and vulgar Rap music, body pericing, to the press one for English and two for spanish recordings, the revolving door justice systems. billboards in spanish, etc. I think we have lost our collective backbones needed to stand up against the tide of mediocrity!

As too the woman who cussed you out, she is just an example of people who are being pandered by the government. They are trouble makers. If it was me, I would file a complaint against her, that she was making racial slurs towards you as well as being racially baised and making derogitory comments that were racial in nature, oh and descriminating against you because you weren't hispanic!

I think that it is high time we all started using the laws to our advantage.

There are times though that I wished I did know spanish. That way I would be able to know what they are saying yet still give them that dumb I don't understand what you are saying look that they give us when we speak English to them and they pretend they don't understand English!...........when in fact they do know what we are saying!

Have a great evening!

Regards

Karl

[grubstake]

Rob, just tell your boss to pay her in peso's instead of US DOLLARS. Then see how fast she speaks english! Grubstake PS another thing that makes me mad, is buying something electronic, and they have 15 different versions of the instructions, and you have to spend an hour just looking for the english version.

[pondmn]

Got an email the other day that said if You speak english press yes and it started to download and then if you pressed no it deleted the message automatically....I am anglo but my grandkids and nephews and nieces are 1/4 hispanic as well as many close and personal friends. My friends never speak spanish in front of me. I can understand helping out with spanish words if the person is attempting to speak english...way to go Grubstake. Jerry

[grubstake]

I can speak and understand some Mexican, some German, a little Vietnam, some french, I was once married to a french Canadian. A whole lot of OKIE! But most can't be used in mixed company Y'all. Grubstake

[Lamar]

Dear Rob;

I happen to be bilingual and I also happen to be an American, therefore I use English as my primary form of communication. Also, I just happen to be of Spanish ancestory on both sides, and I do not look to be Hispanic, because I'm not. This allows many people to assume that I don't understand Spanish. A few times people have made the error of speaking Spanish in front of me, assuming that I wasn't able to understand them. Generally, they don't make that mistake twice. Wherever you are living, you should at least try and communicate to the people of that country in their native tongue whenever and wherever possible. And in America that language is English. This is my first language and I still try to speak it as much as possible, even to the Bolivians with whom I work with. They are all trying to learn English as it so happens, and so I talk to them in English and encourage them to learn even more. If it would have been me in your position, I probably would have cussed that lady out in English.

Your friend;

LAMAR

[eodseal2000]

When I was in the Navy, we had a lot of Philipinos. They would speak Tagalog. I reported them onetime

and I was told it was their constitutional right to speak another language, nothing could be done.

I learned Tagalog and Thai, they watched it after that.

My wife is speaks english of course, Dutch and understands German, so now we have alot of bases covered.

My parents are from Austria and my Mother speaks 7 different languages. I never have heard her speak another language other than english unless she was working and she had a customer that had trouble with english who was trying to buy somthing.

What really gets my goat is last month I was in San Diego and I seen countless cars with Mexican flags on them!! If they love Mexico so much as to fly the flag, go back home!

[just-john]

Look lets get this straight were dumdown enought WE the citizens of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

SPEAK AMERICAN PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!They speak English in England-- thy speak spanish in spain

Mexicans speak Mexican Which is not spanish a form of spanish yup people from spain who hear people from mexico speak think of it as we would a hilbilly in kentucky or an uneducated person or compare french in canada to new orleans and the swamp to french from Paris IT not the same............If i was told i had to learn spanish from an employer if i had one .I would as much as i dislike having to call the aclu end explain that i was singled out to have to learn''Spanish''When in fact nobody speaks spanish where i'm employed

AZ CA NM are going back to Mexico or being taken over 15yrs on the outside. Funny thing about it is thy will all have to learn chinese 30yrs later//Have that woman at work write down in her language The United States Of America then go to bable fish on the web SEE what it says Our elected idiots better start doing something about this

[just-john]

here i go The country we live in is not America----- America The Beautful should never be our national song

Canada is part of america Mexico is part of america costa rica same thing chile ect ect ect ect ect ect

We live in the United States OF America=======Explorers discovered America or the Americas theres North America South America Central America//// We are THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA we live in Arizona part of the united states on the north american contenent ====HAWAII === part of the United States Of America =But not in America explain that to people

[Lamar]

Dear just-john;

You are correct with the statement that they don't REALLY speak Spanish in Latin America, rather a blend of languages and local sayings. I learned how to speak Castillian Spanish complete with the correct accents and it is quite different from the language spoken in Mexico, however with a bit of trying on my part I can generally be understood without much difficulty. A funny but true story. I was talking (in Spanish) to a person from Madrid Spain recently at a restuarant here in Bolivia, and a waitress asked us (in Spanish, naturally) what language we were speaking! She thought that was either Portuguese or French! Of course we thought that her question was absolutely hilarious!

Your friend;

LAMAR

[Guest sandtrap]

-----

Love this, pass it on...

GOOD MORNING,

WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA .

Press "1" for English.

Press "2" to disconnect until you have

learned to speak English.

[Guest Bandana Don]

RIGHT ON GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am sick and tired of this crap about being "politicall cirrect " and looking the other way from the millions of illegals. Like the quote says, "... In this country we have room for but one language and that is the English language" ... and, "In this country we have room for but one flag and that is the American Flag." Those who constantly jabber away in spanich are rude and disrespectul -- if not forced to learn to read, write and speak English they will continue to jabber in spanish and never ever learn English!!! All the while costing tax payers money to coddle em

Love it, suppoert it or leave it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don

[just-john]

example Tony Blair speaks English

and MR Bush does try his best at English

[grubstake]

Well at least we don't have to learn:EBONIC"S like they teach in schools up north.My mother is still living, and I would be getting my mouth washed out with soap,constantly if I had to learn that. An intercity way of speaking for the American African kids. I say American African, because if you live here in the good old usa, America should come first, instead of African American or Latin American and so forth. I'm an AMERICAN AMERICAN! Grubstake And yes just for the record, my ancestors came from Ireland, and England, and inter married into the Cherokee tribe, so that makes me mixed, but still an AMERICAN AMERICAN!

[scorpion]

Mr. Bush does a good job of speaking when he is in Texas! Where he gets in trouble is when he tries to speak Washington D.C. English! It makes him stumble cause it doesn't come naturally to him!

I'm not saying that I agree with what comes out of his mouth regardless of where he is speaking from. Even though I voted for him twice for President. For me it was the lesser of the two weavils thing! lol

He would do much better in speaking if he just talked with his natural manner of speech and not try to use words he isn't comfortable with! Of course that is usually words with more the four or five letters! lol

While away from Texas, he usually sounds like someone from Saturday Night Live doing an impression of G.W.

While in Texas he just sounds like a Texas good ole boy and that is his normal way of speaking!

Is it still hot over out west?

Still hot and humid here in Houston!

If Houston had palm trees, white sandy beaches with turquoise blue clear water and balmy breezes, Houston would really be a tropical paradise. In reality, we have the humidity of a tropical paradise, but none of the astethetic beauty of one! Oh well..........great place to earn a living except have to travel far and wide for prospecting!

Ya'll have a safe one!

Besides......................Isn't there a rule that after 50 you no longer are required to be "Politically Correct?"

Regards

Karl

[29prospector]

Rob, I swear you sure do like to get things going. So for what its worth here is my 2 cents worth.

1. Born in San Pedro, Ca.

2. Moved to desert in 1951.

3. Was considered a minority due to the fact that at that time the Mexicans and Indians were working in the mines.

4. Had a hard time learning english.

5. Flunked Spanish 101 4 times.

6. Can speak border roll due to the fact that I worked in the Coachella Valley and the farm workers are mostly hispinic.

7. Learn enough in Vietnam to get into trouble.

All that being said, as long as I can pronounce burrito, taco, konpo chicken, egg drop soup, hamburger and fries.....by god I will survive!!!!!

[nuggethunting]

Hello Bob,

This isn't the first time this has happened. I work with the public all day and have to deal with this crap. I just got to the point where I heard enough of this "You don't speak Spanish" crap I had to vent about it. I wish I could speak Spanish, but I never knew I was required to living here in the US.

Take care,

Rob Allison

[29prospector]

Rob,

I know how you feel. Growing up as a miniorty in a Mexican/Indian community, It felt strange but as the mines closed and people moved on, there were those who stayed and are friends to this day.

The one thing that I noticed was this: WHEN I WAS IN THERE PRESENCE AT THERE HOME OR THE PARK THEY ALL SPOKE ENGLISH. I asked one time why they did this, the answer: OUT OF RESPECT FOR YOU AND THE COUNTRY THAT HAS KEPT US GOING. I said but what if I want to learn spanish? That is what the school is for. Take a class there.

That respect is gone now except in a few very old timers. As for my friends, out of respect for their parents and their children, english is spoken.

This is a subject that has no quick fit. Sealing the borders is a start, taking all the undocumented people and getting them into a database program that will verify that they are not criminals, put them into nite school and make them learn english, file for citizenship and pass the test. Just like our forefathers did. It didn't hurt us.

Of course if we were going to get serious about the issue, MAYBE THE INDIANS SHOULD DOUCUMENT US, AFTER ALL, WE INVADED THEIR LAND TOO.

JUST MY OPPION AND BELIEVE YOU ME, I'VE BEEN KNOWN TO BE WRONG.!!!!!

Bob

[djui5]

These Spanish are getting a bit demanding if you ask me.

This lady was on TV a couple months ago, illegal immigrant, saying how she was an asset to this country and it would be a dis-service to the country to ship her home for being here illegally.

That's the trick, act like you own the place right?

I can't stand it when people in this country get pissy about us not speaking their language, it's immensly dis-respectful as posted above. I wouldn't go to Pakistan and get pissed when someone didn't know English. I'm out of my country, it's to be expected.

un-f'n-believable...

[Frosty]

What's worse our government is allowing it to happen & they won't seal the border It takes them forever in a month of sundays to accomplish anything other then vote themselves raises & time off which takes them 15 mins. to decide. Oooh yes, the wheels of gov. turn very slow.

You can't have a nation that speaks diff. languages it doesn't work.

Keep on beeping - Frosty