Why speaking Spanish is becoming dangerous in America

[Judi Lynn]

Reports of people being berated or attacked while communicating in the world’s second most spoken language are on the rise

Jose Fermoso
Tue 22 May 2018 12.10 EDT

Sandy was trying to communicate with a colleague. Although her presence was unusual as a Latinx lawyer at a top southern California non-profit, she was used to talking to people in any language she wanted to. After all, she’d graduated from a top law school and worked near her Los Angeles-area, Latin-centric hometown.

But this time was different. She was speaking to a member of the custodian staff in Spanish about a trivial matter when an older white female executive forcefully told her to stop. That she should not socialize in another language because “other people” might think they were talking trash about them.

“I thought, wait a second. I’m a lawyer, I wouldn’t speak badly about people [in any language] in a professional setting. I’m working, these are my peers, and yet this conversation was on my spare time,” she said. “At the same time, they were happy to ask me to speak to Spanish-speaking clients when they needed to. I felt abused.”

Nevertheless, she apologized and to this day deeply regrets doing so. That was two years ago, before the thirtysomething Mexican American lawyer left the firm in the wake of further HR incompetence and around the time Donald Trump began his ascent to the GOP. In the time since, Sandy has seen a rise in hateful rhetoric across the country and her family have personally experienced the brunt of it. But she hasn’t felt physically at risk yet, a common feeling among people I spoke with for this piece.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/22/speaking-spanish-dangerous-america-aaron-schlossberg-ice

[lapfog_1]

1. We are in the midst of a racist hate filled feedback loop

The more the pResident implements polices and makes hateful statements about immigrants, especially Latin immigrants, the more the like minded white people feel it is "OK" now to tell off people in Starbucks or at a restaurant who are speaking Spanish... the more ICE agents feel empowered to question American citizens who are speaking Spanish...

And I'm sure those stories about such incidents, filtered through the hate media, reach the pResident and he feels like "many people are on my side on this" and does more name calling... animals... not humans.

[demosincebirth]

2. Fifty percent of all waiters and waitresses in most restaurants in the Oakland area and subs speak

Spanish. I've never had a problem. Spanish was my first language and I order and converse with these employees in Spanish. I've never had a problem. If I did, I wouldn't hold back to anyone who complained, for sure. I'm a first generation 79 year old Mexican American Democrat since I could ever remember.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

3. I lived in San Francisco for years

It was not uncommon to hear Spanish in the Mission District, Russian (or other Slavic languages) on Russian Hill, Italian in North Beach, Chinese in Chinatown, Japanese in J-town and Irish Gaelic on Geary Street. It never ever bothered me. Why do people feel the need to TELL other people what they can or can't say and in what language they can or can't say it ? I just do not understand this. Unless someone is speaking directly to them, what business is it of theirs what someone speaks in a personal conversation to someone else ?

I grew up back east in an industrial town on the Great Lakes. That city was a melting pot of languages from Eastern European, Italy, Germany, Russia, Ireland and others. This was normal. What has changed ?

Whatever happened to mind your own FUCKING business ?

[demosincebirth]

4. what has changed? Trump and the "bad hombres" atmosphere.

[Judi Lynn]

5. Great post, so well expressed. Thanks. n/t

[dalton99a]

6. +1