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Fox Terrier, I think you made a very good point. I too worked with many Indians and a gentleman from Belgium and never once heard them speak anything but English. Why is that?
I grew up in the USA speaking English, in order to become a naturalized citizen you must pass the test to read, write and speak basic English. Traditionally in our culture, it was considered rude to speak when you could not be understood by others. I believe this is tradition in the Mexican culture as well because my mother and father-in-law will speak in Spanish to each other but when I am around they switch to English for my benefit because they do not want to be rude. My husband will speak to his parents on the phone in Spanish, when we are all in the same room everyone speaks English because they do not want to be rude. To me it is about courtesy. It has nothing to do with trying to listen in on a private conversation.
Because we have traditionally spoken English in this country and because you must know how to read, write and speak basic English to be a naturalized citizen, it becomes offensive to me when I call the pharmacy or our bank, for example, and have to press 1 to continue in English when English is the "national" language of this country. Therefore the assumption on my part, (I am trying very hard to speak only for myself and how I feel), is that since businesses are catering to Spanish speaking they are encouraging Spanish speaking not to become proficient in English. Since I feel English is what unifies us what does catering to another language do? Just look at these threads. There is no sarcasm in this post. I am just trying as honestly as I can attempt to make you understand why I feel the way I do. I am still entitled to my feelings without being called names I would hope, at least in a civil discourse.
I understand where you're coming from but once again, that is your personal opinion of what you find to be rude and polite. It is your personal interpretation of etiquette and common courtesy. I'm not sure why it would bother you so much that a business offers their services in multiple languages. In many circumstances this benefits the business as they are able to offer their products and services to more people, and people who don't speak English as their first language appreciate when this option is offered. If it offends you then I guess it comes down to the business's decision to weigh the positives with the negatives. Nothing seems to make everybody happy these days it seems.
I don't think there is any question it benefits the businesses. I think the question then becomes why would businesses who are not in the tourism category cater to Spanish speaking unless they wanted to keep Spanish speaking uncomfortable with English?
Last edited by SDBorn; 11-18-2009 at 12:46 PM..
Reason: clarity
I don't think there is any question it benefits the businesses. I think the question then becomes why would businesses who are not in the tourism category cater to Spanish speaking unless they wanted to keep Spanish speaking uncomfortable with English?
It's crazy but it seems that businesses have different goals than you. They look at demographic data and customer preferences to determine ways to increase their market reach. Reaching more people means increasing their potential for doing more business. A large portion of the people in this country, regardless of immigration status, are primarily Spanish speaking. By not making any attempt to cater to this population you are throwing away alot of potential business. I think it's extremely intelligent for any business that takes advantage of this opportunity.
It's crazy but it seems that businesses have different goals than you. They look at demographic data and customer preferences to determine ways to increase their market reach. Reaching more people means increasing their potential for doing more business. A large portion of the people in this country, regardless of immigration status, are primarily Spanish speaking. By not making any attempt to cater to this population you are throwing away alot of potential business. I think it's extremely intelligent for any business that takes advantage of this opportunity.
I take it you disagree that English is the unifying language of our country then?
Ok first you got a problem with illegal immigrants but have a problem with said illegal immigrants become legal residents too? Is that xenophobic, racist, or both? Hmmm...
I have a severe problem amnestying a bunch of criminal lawbreakers AKA illegal aliens.
If said illegals were willing to face the same punishiments up to and including prison that Americans would for ID theft, etc. then I would be OK with amnesty for a limited number of illegals.
Neither. It’s called opposition to rewarding those who flagrantly violate our laws. How is it racist or xenophobic? Oh, I keep forgetting, ALL opposition to illegal immigration is based on racism and xenophobia.
But if the person is trying to become a legal resident then what's the problem? How can I not draw the conclusion of racism or xenophobia when the whole violating the law part is being taken out of the equation? The problem is that it is too hard for someone who is an illegal immigrant to become a legal immigrant.
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