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In reply to you all, I was referring to MEXICO CITY and my 1st experience of trying to get a order and NOT KNOWING any SPANISH. Today I speak some with no problem. My point was to illustrate a person with NO knowledge getting by every day. While there, very rarely did someone speak English and when I did bump into a salesperson they would ask me to return in order to practice their limited ENGLISH. Calif and many southern states close to the border have a lrge hispanic population so there is an abundance of Spanish speakers to work in fast food etc. Buying at McDonalds,KFC in those countries you mention is no big deal in my opinion as I spent 1 yr in JAPAN and got along just fine ARIGATO.(thank you). Shrugging the shoulders,smiling opens a lot of doors and is contagious. Stefhen
And I would go out at 4am in Tokyo and go to the fish market and have breakfast. If you have been there you know what that place is like. And I got fed just fine. That is a situation where there is no language joining at all. Neither party can make heads or tales of the others language. But you can work it out. If you deal with it every day you get better at it of course. But you service even at first. And the availability of english anywhere in Mexico is so total as to remove any real need for Spanish. Maybe in some of the real back woods places...but there they don't speak Spanish either. And any place with even a tiny gringo population will have full language skills available virtually anywhere. No Mexican store owner ever missed a chance to recruit a well off customer. One of the places we would regularly eat was a restaurant set in the big trees in someones backyard. Spectacular English...nope. Reasonable functional english? You better believe it. One goes bi-lingual to appeal to the customer base.
Ah, yes, the Ugly American, thinking everyone should accomodate him. It's the reason people have different experiences -- it's all about respect for others, even those guys lugging water to your boat!
Now that's kind of funny. You really do hate Americans -- those tourists that spend loads of money and often do try to speak some of the lingo but of course don't get fluent in just a one week vacation yet you seem to justify the millions of Mexicans living here who do think we must all accomodate them and they never expect they'll have to learn a single word of our language.
Mexicans should learn English, especially if they want to get better jobs and have a better life in general.
My illegal friends have figured this out and have taken classes, some as adults, to be proficient in English. Some of my illegal friends, came here proficient in English. The ones who are proficient in English make well above minimum wage, though I am sure they could make even more with papers.
I told my friend Laura who is here from Jalisco for the past 7 years and learned English since she came that I expect some sort of resolution where we fine illegals here $5-10M and then grant them citizenship, which is a solution she supports. She would like her papers so that she can get an even better job and better provide for her daughter.
Most illegals come here with not even rudimentary knowledge of English and thus struggle. They move to areas with other illegals where I are not forced to speak English and they never get ahead. My neighbor works in construction and is from Mexico. He would like to get a better job and is working hard to improve his English. I teach him English as he teaches me Spanish, and I think it is a fair trade. Carlos wants to get ahead and will because he has drive, unlike those who are not willing to learn English. My biggest pet peeve is when the parents use the kids as translators, not bothering to learn the language. What is that about?
Mexicans who don't bother to learn the language are holding themselves back. The best jobs in America will be in English so long as English is our preferred language. I have no opposition to making English our official language.
I will never understand a guy I know who has been here 18 years and doesn't know any English. He works as a day laborer and will never get beyond that level so long as he does not learn English. He is holding himself back.
I think if they're illegals, they really shouldn't be expected to learn English because they need to keep their Spanish skills for when they return.
I don't think they should be able to break our laws and then buy their way to the front of the line. They have no right at all to be moved to the front of the line but if they wish to become American, they should go home and start over the right way.
Why would breaking the law get them some kind of reward? Especially a reward of citizenship ahead of those people who respected our laws and tried to follow them. What a slap on the face for them. Punish the law abiding, reward the law breaking.
Now that's kind of funny. You really do hate Americans -- those tourists that spend loads of money and often do try to speak some of the lingo but of course don't get fluent in just a one week vacation yet you seem to justify the millions of Mexicans living here who do think we must all accomodate them and they never expect they'll have to learn a single word of our language.
Hate Americans? That's really laughable. Anyone who makes the slighest attempt to speak Spanish here gets high marks by the locals -- fluent? not necessary to be polite and show respect. Ugly Americans -- maybe you don't know the term; it does NOT mean every American. Just the UGLY ones, the ones who have little, if any, respect. The ones who ridicule someone's old car, or a bit run down home, the fact that they may be a street vendor, etc. etc. The ones who throw their "wealth" into the faces of those they meet.
You know, kind of like when Steve wrote that his bathroom was BIGGER than my bedroom! (he lives just south of me) Of, course, he's never been to my home, but even if his statement were true, it is one of an eliteist over someone not as good as them.
I have never met an immigrant who didn't know basic English.
HA! Move to Southern California!! I have customers everyday who get irritated with me because I speak English. So Cal is horrible when it comes to illegals. San Bernardino County ALONE spent 24 million dollars on illegals. It's ridiculous!
Hate Americans? That's really laughable. Anyone who makes the slighest attempt to speak Spanish here gets high marks by the locals -- fluent? not necessary to be polite and show respect. Ugly Americans -- maybe you don't know the term; it does NOT mean every American. Just the UGLY ones, the ones who have little, if any, respect. The ones who ridicule someone's old car, or a bit run down home, the fact that they may be a street vendor, etc. etc. The ones who throw their "wealth" into the faces of those they meet.
You know, kind of like when Steve wrote that his bathroom was BIGGER than my bedroom! (he lives just south of me) Of, course, he's never been to my home, but even if his statement were true, it is one of an eliteist over someone not as good as them.
I dont get why you think we should be held at gunpoint to learn spanish. Yeah, if I moved to Mexico, you bet I would learn spanish (even though I already know it) but to shout ignorance because someone doesnt know spanish is lame........this is the US. I think you are backwards. Why dont you think SOB's need to learn english? You always mention American "pigs" learning spanish, but never mention SOB's learning english. I think your a bit backwards, or arent aware of the country your in.
HA! Move to Southern California!! I have customers everyday who get irritated with me because I speak English. So Cal is horrible when it comes to illegals. San Bernardino County ALONE spent 24 million dollars on illegals. It's ridiculous!
You are SO RIGHT!!!! My coworkers are treated like total Mod Cut because they only know english by our "clients" (aka welfare families). I get a little respect because I know spanish, but I think I get some hate from them because I am white.
Its amazing, because we work at a place that BENEFITS low income families and they treat us like crap. As if it is our obligation to give them affordable homes. They sure act like it is.
Last edited by madicarus2000; 04-16-2008 at 08:05 PM..
Reason: language
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
26,700 posts, read 41,763,058 times
Reputation: 41381
Quote:
Originally Posted by ocexpo
You are SO RIGHT!!!! My coworkers are treated like total s**t because they only know english by our "clients" (aka welfare families). I get a little respect because I know spanish, but I think I get some hate from them because I am white.
Its amazing, because we work at a place that BENEFITS low income families and they treat us like crap. As if it is our obligation to give them affordable homes. They sure act like it is.
If you think being white gets you hate from illegals try being black. I worked in a bank branch temporarily in a part of Alexandria which is filled with illegals. These folks refused to come to my window or they got PO'd when they found out i didnt speak spanish. They stuck with our hispanic tellers. I can not tell you what a slap in the face that is. I've worked all the branches in my city and this branch was the only one which ive gotten a blazing amount of disrespect. I'm thankful to God now i'm permanently at a branch that dont have that amount of racism from illegals to blacks going on.
If you think being white gets you hate from illegals try being black. I worked in a bank branch temporarily in a part of Alexandria which is filled with illegals. These folks refused to come to my window or they got PO'd when they found out i didnt speak spanish. They stuck with our hispanic tellers. I can not tell you what a slap in the face that is. I've worked all the branches in my city and this branch was the only one which ive gotten a blazing amount of disrespect. I'm thankful to God now i'm permanently at a branch that dont have that amount of racism from illegals to blacks going on.
I actually know exactly what you are feeling. It makes you feel like total crap....in your own country by foreigners. Its awful.
I actually know exactly what you are feeling. It makes you feel like total crap....in your own country by foreigners. Its awful.
Dude you live in Newport Beach (the home of 1.2+ million houses) when if ever do you see illegals unless they are mowing your lawn? I just don't see how you can complain about illegals when you live in a city that I know for a fact they cannot live in, you don't even see them.
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