Do Predominantly hispanic Texas cities require you to know Spanish to be hired? (San Antonio: employers, Hispanics)

[pianote93]

For example, a job in Harlingen that requires a degree, would I need to know Spanish.

It's a social work job.

[Westerner92]

For a social work job in the Rio Grande Valley, you'd absolutely need to know Spanish. It would most likely be the only language most of your clients speak.

[gguerra]

The job posting will tell you. RGV residents of a newer generation all speak English. It's when you encounter some of the older folks that you may encounter people the don't speak English. What type of social work?

[NBTX11]

I get that they want to hire people who are bilingual, but how can they REQUIRE you to speak Spanish in the US to be hired. Especially if it is a job working for a government agency.

[Westerner92]

Originally Posted by NBTX11

I get that they want to hire people who are bilingual, but how can they REQUIRE you to speak Spanish in the US to be hired. Especially if it is a job working for a government agency.

Fun fact: Neither the US nor Texas has an official language.

[Mark Senior]

Originally Posted by NBTX11

I get that they want to hire people who are bilingual, but how can they REQUIRE you to speak Spanish in the US to be hired. Especially if it is a job working for a government agency.

People can always not hire you, and never tell you the real reason.

You know all the examples:

Your a single man. Employer wants to hire a married man with children. Yes, you want know ANY of this. So yes employers can still discriminate without you knowing it, of course.

[thenewtexan]

I'm a transplanted M******* to San Antonio, which is 62% Hispanic. The short answer is NO. There are plenty of people in San Antonio who are Hispanic and don't even know Spanish. However, what the previous posters have said, it depends on your field. Harlingen is probably the least Hispanic of the cities in the RGV (about 75%, give or take) due to the high percentage of snowbirds. In social work, I would that you would need to know it. I'm surprised that they did not specify.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by NBTX11

I get that they want to hire people who are bilingual, but how can they REQUIRE you to speak Spanish in the US to be hired. Especially if it is a job working for a government agency.

That could also require you to know French, German, Fortran, or Java. They could require just about anything other than you age, gender, race, or religion (I think that is essentially all?). Not really all that odd.....

[NBTX11]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

That could also require you to know French, German, Fortran, or Java. They could require just about anything other than you age, gender, race, or religion (I think that is essentially all?). Not really all that odd.....

I get a private company can require whatever they want. I am talking about a US governmental agency. To require someone to speak Spanish in the US of A, seems odd at best, discrimination at worst.

[NBTX11]

Originally Posted by thenewtexan

I'm a transplanted M******* to San Antonio, which is 62% Hispanic. The short answer is NO. There are plenty of people in San Antonio who are Hispanic and don't even know Spanish. However, what the previous posters have said, it depends on your field. Harlingen is probably the least Hispanic of the cities in the RGV (about 75%, give or take) due to the high percentage of snowbirds. In social work, I would that you would need to know it. I'm surprised that they did not specify.

You are correct. Half of that 62% of SA Hispanics don't even know Spanish, or at the very least are not fluent in it.