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It's possible. I have lived in both Montreal and Toronto and one thing I noticed in Toronto is when I met Latinos they were more likely to speak to me in English. In montreal 98% of the time my interactions with other Latinos was in Spanish.
I've noticed this as well, and have also observed it's not just Latinos. (My wife speaks passable Italian, and reports the same thing. So it's not just me!)
For some reason, people from non-official language groups are much more likely to want to speak to you in their language (if you can speak it) in Montreal than in Toronto.
In Toronto it seems like if you try out your Spanish or Italian or whatever with people who speak those languages, they will generally answer back in English. (I am actually quite surprised that they will even do this to a fellow Latino who obviously has way better Spanish than someone like me.)
In Montreal, they're much more likely to play along and let you practice. Even have a full conversation - which is probably a bit grating when talking to me in Spanish.
Some people (again, not just Latinos) in Toronto and also Ottawa often seem insulted by attempts to speak anything other than English to them. It's almost as if they think you're insinuating that they're not really Canadian by doing so.
Montreal has lots of hangups when it comes to language, but this is one hangup that people there don't seem to have.
I've noticed this as well, and have also observed it's not just Latinos. (My wife speaks passable Italian, and reports the same thing. So it's not just me!)
For some reason, people from non-official language groups are much more likely to want to speak to you in their language (if you can speak it) in Montreal than in Toronto.
In Toronto it seems like if you try out your Spanish or Italian or whatever with people who speak those languages, they will generally answer back in English. (I am actually quite surprised that they will even do this to a fellow Latino who obviously has way better Spanish than someone like me.)
In Montreal, they're much more likely to play along and let you practice. Even have a full conversation - which is probably a bit grating when talking to me in Spanish.
Some people (again, not just Latinos) in Toronto and also Ottawa often seem insulted by attempts to speak anything other than English to them. It's almost as if they think you're insinuating that they're not really Canadian by doing so.
Montreal has lots of hangups when it comes to language, but this is one hangup that people there don't seem to have.
I am not really 100% sure what is up with this in my city, but I think it might depend. When I am at Latin events people always start speaking to me in Spanish (and I don't speak Spanish). I have had certain freinds or co-workers that slip back in to their first language every second they get a chance to, which can be really rude especailly in you are in a mixed group of people. I wonder if it highly dependent on who they associate with.
At most places I work they have actually even posted notices that people MUST be speaking English at work, unless dealing with a patient or their famies that don't speak English. Also if you have a diverse group of freinds it is pretty rude to start speaking in the group to one or two select people that speak the same language and to exclude everyone else. I use to have several people I use to hang around with in my late teens and early 20s that did this and in some cases I almost thought is was done to be intentionally rude. I can understand if there is a certain phrase or term you don't know how to explain, but other wise it is just bad manners.
I honestly wonder sometimes if it is matter of social class ( sorry I hate to use this term, but can't think of f better was to put it). For example my freind from Costa Rica came to Canada as a teen, but always speaks English when in a mixed group and if there is something she can't explain in English or does forget and start speaking Spanish she will explan what she said. Her parents are the same. She comes from a more cultured family backgroud. Then there are some other people I use to be freinds with both born and raised in Toronto. One has 1 parent from El Salvador and the other Canadian and the other one who has 1 parent from Ecuador and 1 from Guyana both coming from lower income families ALWAYS use to be the first ones to start speaking Spanish if there was anyone else that spoke Spanish in the group. It use to drive me nuts because it almost felt like a desperate plea to be accepted. In those 2 cases it almost felt like were trying harder to be "Latina" to fit in. I have also had freinds living in Toronto who came here as teens and who had parents living here that did not speak English and in their cases I could understand the quick slip to speaking Spanish.
I think it depends on the group of people. For example if a group of freinds are all Spanish speaking and born outside of Canada when together I notice they will still speak Spanish. If they tend to hang out with a mixed group of people they are more likely going to speak in English.
I sort of wonder if the person who speak English as a second language is more willing to speak English as for them this is an accomplishment and something to be proud of, just as someone who speaks English as a first language might want to go out of their way to try and speak Spanish if they speak it as a second language because they are proud that they have that skill?
I am not really 100% sure what is up with this in my city, but I think it might depend. When I am at Latin events people always start speaking to me in Spanish (and I don't speak Spanish). I have had certain freinds or co-workers that slip back in to their first language every second they get a chance to, which can be really rude especailly in you are in a mixed group of people. I wonder if it highly dependent on who they associate with.
At most places I work they have actually even posted notices that people MUST be speaking English at work, unless dealing with a patient or their famies that don't speak English. Also if you have a diverse group of freinds it is pretty rude to start speaking in the group to one or two select people that speak the same language and to exclude everyone else. I use to have several people I use to hang around with in my late teens and early 20s that did this and in some cases I almost thought is was done to be intentionally rude. I can understand if there is a certain phrase or term you don't know how to explain, but other wise it is just bad manners.
I honestly wonder sometimes if it is matter of social class ( sorry I hate to use this term, but can't think of f better was to put it). For example my freind from Costa Rica came to Canada as a teen, but always speaks English when in a mixed group and if there is something she can't explain in English or does forget and start speaking Spanish she will explan what she said. Her parents are the same. She comes from a more cultured family backgroud. Then there are some other people I use to be freinds with both born and raised in Toronto. One has 1 parent from El Salvador and the other Canadian and the other one who has 1 parent from Ecuador and 1 from Guyana both coming from lower income families ALWAYS use to be the first ones to start speaking Spanish if there was anyone else that spoke Spanish in the group. It use to drive me nuts because it almost felt like a desperate plea to be accepted. In those 2 cases it almost felt like were trying harder to be "Latina" to fit in. I have also had freinds living in Toronto who came here as teens and who had parents living here that did not speak English and in their cases I could understand the quick slip to speaking Spanish.
I think it depends on the group of people. For example if a group of freinds are all Spanish speaking and born outside of Canada when together I notice they will still speak Spanish. If they tend to hang out with a mixed group of people they are more likely going to speak in English.
I sort of wonder if the person who speak English as a second language is more willing to speak English as for them this is an accomplishment and something to be proud of, just as someone who speaks English as a first language might want to go out of their way to try and speak Spanish if they speak it as a second language because they are proud that they have that skill?
This is a very interesting post. You reminded me of how it can be considered "rude" in much of North America to (dare) speak a language in the presence of someone who does not speak it. Note that I grew up in parts of Canada that were primarily English-speaking. There, things were as you describe when it comes to rudeness and language use. My family was French-speaking and we'd speak French between us but we would switch to English only as soon as someone anglophone was basically within earshot. And most certainly if they were part of any group we were in. Even if we weren't speaking directly to them. These days French-speaking Canadians are more uppity and may speak in French to each other even if you're there and they know you don't speak it. (In Quebec this is now par for the course most of the time, although outside Quebec francophones are still more likely to switch to English in the mere presence of anglos.)
I'd also mention that the perception of rudeness for this does not really exist much in Montreal and Ottawa-Gatineau which are demographically mixed and relatively linguistically loose in everyday practice.
Here (and in Montreal), someone who is speaking another language in your presence isn't being rude. They're just... um... speaking another language.
It's kinda like much of continental Europe in that way, if I may say so without getting flamed.
It doesn't have negative connotations. Its basically the equivalent of mimes painting their faces white.
Did blacks in those countries tell you that? In fact often these characters are portrayed using negative stereotypes, beyond mere black face. Basically a Latin American version of Stepin Fetchit.
And then we consider that there are not that many images of blacks to begin with.
Latin American media is scarcely beyond that of 1950s US media in its portrayal of blacks.
Negative connotations or not, this sort of thing is in very poor taste.
you're an anglified Canadian with anglo views
here in my country where a large number of people are black.... a black face doesn't even remotely create an association with black people in people's heads! (I will not speak for Latin America as I know nothing of other countries).
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