Must One Know Spanish To Survive In South Or West Texas?

[catman]

I would think Lithuanian would be a difficult language to learn, as it is far removed from Western languages.

I wish I were fluent in Spanish. Even here in DFW, it would be a great help. The further south you go, the more helpful it is.

(Do you know what a person who speaks only one language is called?
An American.)

[ManzaMex]

This is the general rule: The closer you are to the border, the more Spanish you will need, some places more than others. Call the Chamber of Commerce of all the cities you think you would be interested in, they can tell you the percentage of Whites (or others) and Mexicans. This is what I did when I wanted to relocate. Why don't you be more specific, for example you are asking about Western Texas and Southern Texas. Do you realize how many miles you are talking about? Do you want it hot or cold? State what type of job you will be looking for. It depends on what profession you have. Brownsville, Texas has 91% Mexicans and is a VERY Mexican city. If you would work there as a nurse's aid, how are you going to ask the patients to brush their teeth? Comb their hair? "It's time to go to bed and let's take your dentures out." You will NOT be able to work in a field like this without knowing Spanish. I lived in Brownsville for 2 years and 4 months as a registered nurse, and believe me, I know! All grocery stores, insurance companies, taco stands, and bars, everyone spoke Spanish. I am a White girl from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and lived in Southern, New Mexico (Las Cruces)for 30 years. Since then I have learned Spanish, I'm bilingual and can read and write it. You will NEVER learn Spanish if you only associate with English-speaking people. I learned only because almost the only people I hang around with are Mexicans, and I was going to learn Spanish if it killed me, because I said so. Also all I listen to is Mexican music. These are all things to take in consideration. I live close to El Paso and I think they have about 80% Mexicans. You might get by with only English there, but Spanish is highly recommended and preferred. There is more English-speaking in Harlingen and McCallen, Texas. You would be totally lost in Brownsville.

[case44]

Originally Posted by ManzaMex

This is the general rule: The closer you are to the border, the more Spanish you will need, some places more than others. Call the Chamber of Commerce of all the cities you think you would be interested in, they can tell you the percentage of Whites (or others) and Mexicans. This is what I did when I wanted to relocate. Why don't you be more specific, for example you are asking about Western Texas and Southern Texas. Do you realize how many miles you are talking about? Do you want it hot or cold? State what type of job you will be looking for. It depends on what profession you have. Brownsville, Texas has 91% Mexicans and is a VERY Mexican city. If you would work there as a nurse's aid, how are you going to ask the patients to brush their teeth? Comb their hair? "It's time to go to bed and let's take your dentures out." You will NOT be able to work in a field like this without knowing Spanish. I lived in Brownsville for 2 years and 4 months as a registered nurse, and believe me, I know! All grocery stores, insurance companies, taco stands, and bars, everyone spoke Spanish. I am a White girl from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and lived in Southern, New Mexico (Las Cruces)for 30 years. Since then I have learned Spanish, I'm bilingual and can read and write it. You will NEVER learn Spanish if you only associate with English-speaking people. I learned only because almost the only people I hang around with are Mexicans, and I was going to learn Spanish if it killed me, because I said so. Also all I listen to is Mexican music. These are all things to take in consideration. I live close to El Paso and I think they have about 80% Mexicans. You might get by with only English there, but Spanish is highly recommended and preferred. There is more English-speaking in Harlingen and Mcallen, Texas. You would be totally lost in Brownsville.

So true. Good post, and welcome to the forum.

[ManzaMex]

Thanks. I plan to relocate back to Brownsville, because I really loved it there, and I'm fluent in Spanish. I am so sick of living in Southern, New Mexico. I can't use my bilingul abilities here too much. I prefer it tropical, hot, and humid. El Paso is so dry. One must consider if they want humidity or not when making a choice of where to move.

[ziptree]

Originally Posted by ManzaMex

This is the general rule: The closer you are to the border, the more Spanish you will need, some places more than others. Call the Chamber of Commerce of all the cities you think you would be interested in, they can tell you the percentage of Whites (or others) and Mexicans. This is what I did when I wanted to relocate. Why don't you be more specific, for example you are asking about Western Texas and Southern Texas. Do you realize how many miles you are talking about? Do you want it hot or cold? State what type of job you will be looking for. It depends on what profession you have. Brownsville, Texas has 91% Mexicans and is a VERY Mexican city. If you would work there as a nurse's aid, how are you going to ask the patients to brush their teeth? Comb their hair? "It's time to go to bed and let's take your dentures out." You will NOT be able to work in a field like this without knowing Spanish. I lived in Brownsville for 2 years and 4 months as a registered nurse, and believe me, I know! All grocery stores, insurance companies, taco stands, and bars, everyone spoke Spanish. I am a White girl from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and lived in Southern, New Mexico (Las Cruces)for 30 years. Since then I have learned Spanish, I'm bilingual and can read and write it. You will NEVER learn Spanish if you only associate with English-speaking people. I learned only because almost the only people I hang around with are Mexicans, and I was going to learn Spanish if it killed me, because I said so. Also all I listen to is Mexican music. These are all things to take in consideration. I live close to El Paso and I think they have about 80% Mexicans. You might get by with only English there, but Spanish is highly recommended and preferred. There is more English-speaking in Harlingen and McCallen, Texas. You would be totally lost in Brownsville.

^^

Thanks for the helpful post. I'll be relocating to the McAllen area but I can definitely see how Spanish would be helpful to learn.

[Cupcake77]

My family ( through marriage) is from El Paso and Cuba ( it's a HUGE family). Only one uses spanish for her job, she is a translator. My mother in law was Miss Jaurez a long time ago and I am not even sure if she even speaks a lot of spanish.