Everyday life in FTL/WiMa -- Spanish unavoidable?

[ausguy]

This is the United States where the national language is English. I do speak some Spanish but I will never tolerate being "expected" to speak a foreign language while in the United States. When I am in France, I attempt to speak a little French. Same with Mexico, I respect the local culture of where I'm at and attempt to speak some Spanish.

That said, when I'm out and about in Miami, it really is not an issue. Only an occasional rude, servile, nasty waiter or service person. I'm just rude and nasty back or ask for the manager. Works fine for me.

I also work in a hospital in Miami. I will say, I am surrounded by Spanish and Creole speakers but nobody expects me to communicate in anything other than English. Also, most folks are really nice and I enjoy working with them.

[dedemoving]

Been in western Broward county 4 months & spanish is not any more common here than area of NJ where I am from. That being said, I have picked up food in stores where the entire box is labelled in spanish. And the coupons in the Sunday paper say "Ahora" , where in NJ coupons would be english one side the other spanish. These are very small things. My biggest pet peeve is that spanish is NOT taught in the elementary school! My kids were learning it in NJ but not here- give me a break- if we can help non native speakers learn english for FCAT (using the resources for people who choose to speak spanish in the home until Kindergarten), teach my kids a skill like spanish that will help them their whole life!

[sk071077]

Originally Posted by dedemoving

Been in western Broward county 4 months & spanish is not any more common here than area of NJ where I am from. That being said, I have picked up food in stores where the entire box is labelled in spanish. And the coupons in the Sunday paper say "Ahora" , where in NJ coupons would be english one side the other spanish. These are very small things. My biggest pet peeve is that spanish is NOT taught in the elementary school! My kids were learning it in NJ but not here- give me a break- if we can help non native speakers learn english for FCAT (using the resources for people who choose to speak spanish in the home until Kindergarten), teach my kids a skill like spanish that will help them their whole life!

Very good point. I think in areas like ours they should be teaching spainsh in elementary schools. I wish that would have been a part of my primary education.

Why do some spanish people yell so loud when they talk? Also how come they like to have big parties until 5 am blasting there music and parking in their neighbors yards without asking? And any given day of the year they light off fireworks.

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by sk071077

Very good point. I think in areas like ours they should be teaching spainsh in elementary schools. I wish that would have been a part of my primary education.

Why do some spanish people yell so loud when they talk? Also how come they like to have big parties until 5 am blasting there music and parking in their neighbors yards without asking? And any given day of the year they light off fireworks.

You make a good point in your first sentence and then you sound like a bigot in your next paragraph ..... "Spanish " people are no louder than the Italian Americans or Jewish people that I grew up with in NYC ... I lived in Weston for four years ...heavy Hispanic presence at least 45% of the population .. and I never saw any Hispanics lighting fireworks other than on the Fourth Of July or New Years ... in fact in Weston we had some white kids the sons of a BSO cop no less than used to put fire crackers in everyones maibloxes all through out the year .... so go figure ?

The only Hispanics that are known to be loud are Cubans and Puerto Ricans as they are Caribbean peoples ... spend some time with English speaking Jamaicans or Trinidadians and you will understand what I mean . By the way "Spanish " people are people born in Spain ... just as "English " people are those born in England . Thank You

[sk071077]

de nada Cmon it was a joke!

NO DISRESPECT but I live/ lived in neighborhoods that have a lot of hispanic and SOME hispanics ARE loud and blast there music and yell in spanish (or english) without regard to what there neighbors think of them. The people across from where I used to live had speakers like you would here in a club and about once a month they would have a huge party with about 20 cars parking all over the street and the other neighbors yards. The would blast music and light off fire crackers all night until the morning.

Where I live now I have a set of NY Ricans across from me whos "kids" (grown ups with kids of there own and still living with there parents)are obnoxious. Any time they walk out side they are yelling at each other or on the phone yelling, or hanging out out front just blasting Rap music. I just don't get why anyone wants to make such fools of themselves. The hispanics behind me blast there music all the time and have loud parties a at least twice a week and people get drunk and get up on the roof and they are looking right in my yard and waving to me.

So if I seem like a bigot Im sorry but Im telling it like I see it. Oh yea I do have spanish (Oh I mean hispanic) friends. I was just joking around in my other post.

I do not live in Weston however.

PEACE! Now hate on me.

[Swampbird]

Originally Posted by bostonguy1960

Living in Boston, I certainly hear Spanish spoken here and there, including the subway. However, I don't witness too many signs or billboards in Spanish, other than the nearby cities of Lynn, Chelsea and maybe Somerville, where some or many minorities reside. I'll notice the rare Spanish ad on the subway.

Frankly, as a 1st-generation American who speaks only English, I'd feel uncomfortable with too much Spanish within earshot or view (on signs). Is the FTL area almost like Miami, where receptionists and delivery drivers as well as fast food personnel would be expected to be bilingual? Is West Palm Beach much less Spanish than Miami & FTL? Is Tampa Bay much less Spanish influenced than S FLA?

Maybe it's my age of 50 that makes me resistant. Seems more twenty-somethings born in America also know Spanish.

I drive a cab in Boston, and have rarely been asked by fares if I know Spanish. Would a cabbie in Ft. Lauderdale be expected to know Spanish due to a possible large volume of Hispanic customers not speaking any ENGLISH?

South Florida is not the place for you. There is less in Broward County, but eventually that will change (there is actually more of a Brazilian enclave there, I heard more portugese than spanish when I lived there).

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by sk071077

de nada Cmon it was a joke!

NO DISRESPECT but I live/ lived in neighborhoods that have a lot of hispanic and SOME hispanics ARE loud and blast there music and yell in spanish (or english) without regard to what there neighbors think of them. The people across from where I used to live had speakers like you would here in a club and about once a month they would have a huge party with about 20 cars parking all over the street and the other neighbors yards. The would blast music and light off fire crackers all night until the morning.

Where I live now I have a set of NY Ricans across from me whos "kids" (grown ups with kids of there own and still living with there parents)are obnoxious. Any time they walk out side they are yelling at each other or on the phone yelling, or hanging out out front just blasting Rap music. I just don't get why anyone wants to make such fools of themselves. The hispanics behind me blast there music all the time and have loud parties a at least twice a week and people get drunk and get up on the roof and they are looking right in my yard and waving to me.

So if I seem like a bigot Im sorry but Im telling it like I see it. Oh yea I do have spanish (Oh I mean hispanic) friends. I was just joking around in my other post.

I do not live in Weston however.

PEACE! Now hate on me.

Ok .... cool .... it is really more an issue of class and not ethnicity ... our Hispanic neighbors in Weston were not loud and they were terrific people ... Hispanic neighbors in possibly a more working class area of Hollywood .. maybe ... and yes the Puerto Ricans , Cubans and Dominicans tend to be louder and more in your face than other Hispanics from my observations and my wifes .. who happens to be Cuban American .. no less .

[LeavingPA]

Originally Posted by Angel Calzadilla

Why so many americans ( specially the "anglo whites" ) have always a problem with hearing spanish language around them and there is no complaint or discomfort with any other language besides englsh and spanish in United States of America?
Spanish language is a european language as old as english, italian or french. Many masterpieces of the world literature have been written in spanish languaje. There is a Royal Academy of the Spanish Languaje in Spain while there is no academy for the english languaje in London, so it makes that any word in sapnish have to be approved by the Royal Academy, that in consequence it makes the spanish language much more rich and regulated and better spoken than the english language, so why that beautifull language bothers so much to anglo americans? Is not that a complex of inferiority and ignorance? Sorry if somebody feels discomfort with my opinion , but when anglo white americans visit the rest of the World , they only speak in english and it does not bother the rest of the world population. Is time for anglo whites to grow about world languages in USA.

The point I think is that it makes communication more difficult. Why would I want to be around people who I can't even understand or communicate with?

[yessykali]

Moderator cut: English only per tos Last time I checked one of our US territories that the US invaded in 1898 is a SPANISH SPEAKING country (Puerto Rico) that although does not pay federal taxes pays a high blood tax in American wars! Hispanics are the largest minority in the USA! If you are a taxi driver and want to move to South Florida, a little Spanish will help if you want to provide the upmost customer service to your clientele! People, have a little respect for other languages.

[yessykali]

Bostonguy, to answer your question, lots of SPANISH IN Pembroke Pines (Broward) and all of Dade! If it will make you uncomfortable because you don't understand it, etc. don't move to those areas, you will hate it. If you look Hispanic, some people will assume you speak Spanish and will talk to you in Spanish. Ft. Lauderdale, Coconut Creek, and coral springs may be better options for you. Good luck!!!!