The truth about Spanish language dominance in Miami (public schools, store)

[FlyMIA]

Originally Posted by n2da2nd

In Miami, some people just need Spanish to get a minimum wage jobs, that's why they arent bothering to learn English while living in Miami. We, Asian, have a saying that "you're to follow the owner's rules when you're in his/her resident." I didn't come to this country and expect others to speak my language lol.

Bingo! Again this isn't the majority but there are plenty of people here, especially newer immigrants who feel this way. They feel there is no need to learn English. That is just wrong IMO.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by GioLM

I would like a rational and non emotional answer to this question. Far too often do I hear people complain about the supposed dominance of Spanish within Miami city limits, to the point where it is suggested that if you do not speak Spanish then you are somewhat outcasted in every day life.

Outcasted?!? Is that the new way of saying cast out?

Funny, first we cast someone out, cast being a verb. Then the cast out person is an outcast, outcast being a noun. But here, to describe the action, instead of going back to the original "cast out" a new back formation verb was made from the noun which was made from the verb; outcasting. Odd.

[miamihurricane555]

Originally Posted by FlyMIA

Bingo! Again this isn't the majority but there are plenty of people here, especially newer immigrants who feel this way. They feel there is no need to learn English. That is just wrong IMO.

I was born here and see no reason why I should be forced to speak english. yes every student should learn english but that don't need to speak it with friends,family and even with strangers. I'm all for having immigrants learning english. what I'm against is the shunning of spanish which is what you are doing. If you have a problem with me making the waiter in a restaurant speak to me in nothing other than spanish than you have learn not to stick you nose where it don't belong.

[FlyMIA]

Originally Posted by miamihurricane555

I was born here and see no reason why I should be forced to speak english. yes every student should learn english but that don't need to speak it with friends,family and even with strangers. I'm all for having immigrants learning english. what I'm against is the shunning of spanish which is what you are doing. If you have a problem with me making the waiter in a restaurant speak to me in nothing other than spanish than you have learn not to stick you nose where it don't belong.

You clearly did not read all my responses very well, or read them at all. I am not "shunning" Spanish. Like I said in an earlier post I enjoy living in a multilingual community. People can speak all the Spanish they want! Speak it at home, speak it with your friends, speak it when ordering food I don't care. What I do care about is that the people who are hired to serve people in areas which are not 90% Spanish speakers, those people should know how to speak English fairly well. What I "shun" is immigrants feeling that because this is Miami everyone should speak Spanish and if they don't the non-Spanish speaker should be "shunned."

I have no idea where you got this idea where I am forcing people to speak English with friends and family. So don't just make things up.

You can speak Spanish to a waiter all YOU want. But when I go into a restaurant in Miami Beach or Brickell, I want to speak English. I think that is a normal request to have in the United States of America.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Outcasted?!? Is that the new way of saying cast out?

Funny, first we cast someone out, cast being a verb. Then the cast out person is an outcast, outcast being a noun. But here, to describe the action, instead of going back to the original "cast out" a new back formation verb was made from the noun which was made from the verb; outcasting. Odd.

If you teach conversational English as well as English grammar, perhaps you can get a job in Miami at the high school night schools....

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by miamihurricane555

I was born here and see no reason why I should be forced to speak english. yes every student should learn english but that don't need to speak it with friends,family and even with strangers. I'm all for having immigrants learning english. what I'm against is the shunning of spanish which is what you are doing. If you have a problem with me making the waiter in a restaurant speak to me in nothing other than spanish than you have learn not to stick you nose where it don't belong.

Sounds like you may be one of those folks of whom the conversations were about- one who believes that Spanish should be spoken in Miami and shame on anyone who doesn't speak it....

No reason to "shun" any language, each one has its place and time. But being unable to speak that language ( especially in a country in which this language is not native) and preferring not to be addressed or excluded from relevant conversation because one doesn't speak that language is hardly shunning it...

[OptimusPrime69]

Miami is a very international city with many many languages spoken. English, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, French, German, various Creoles, etc etc.
To say u absolutely need to know Spanish in is Miami actually laughable.
I speak no Spanish yet work day in and day out in the city of Miami. I've never encountered an issue not knowing Spanish. Millions of American tourists visit Miami every year...do u think they know Spanish? No. Lots of immigrnats from the caribbean live in Miami....who are from Jamaica, Bahamas, Barbados, Turks & Caicos...... all speak English. Lots of Russians are moving to Miami....they speak Russian...and then English. I dont see Russians learning Spanish...or even quite frankly even wanting to learn Spanish.

Latinos in Miami are pretty much the only ones who speak Spanish...everyone else speaks either English, french, Creole, or Russian and Hebrew. . . .
While Miami is a majority Hispanic city.... it's also diverse in the sense that there's plenty of non-Spanish speakers and to be honest.... Spanish really isn't all that useful outside of dade county. . . it's like a little bubble in Miami....once u leave u realize Spanish is not even that important. So, if one ever wants to venture outside of the rather small city of Miami....they best know English...plain and simple. Otherwise, stay in Miami...and never leave ur little bubble.

[n2da2nd]

Originally Posted by miamihurricane555

I was born here and see no reason why I should be forced to speak english. yes every student should learn english but that don't need to speak it with friends,family and even with strangers. I'm all for having immigrants learning english. what I'm against is the shunning of spanish which is what you are doing. If you have a problem with me making the waiter in a restaurant speak to me in nothing other than spanish than you have learn not to stick you nose where it don't belong.

Sure you can do that as well as I can ask the waiter to speak to me in English. After all, I live in North America's country, not Mexico, not one of those South America's countries nor Spain. Just because you live in Miami doesn't mean that you don't have to learn English.

[Kgreenel]

After reading all these threads I expected Miami to be a complete language immersion for me. Like a living Rosetta Stone. I was very disappointed. I used to be fluent then lost most of it in college and and while living in Atlanta.
The only place where everything was 100% Spanish was in a restaurant in Little Havana called La Carreta. The waitress asked if I wanted an English menu but she asked me in Spanish
I got cursed out in Spanish by a taxi driver. He assumed I couldn't understand him. He got the last laugh when I cursed back at him in Spanish and didn't tip (I always tip but if your cursing at me. I'm not tipping you.)
I hung out with some friends and they spoke Spanglish and switched back and forth. They knew I understood them so I didn't find it rude or feel left out.
I did need it at the airport when I desaparatley needed to find an ATM quickly because the Haitian cab driver was holding my luggage hostage because he didn't have a credit card thing in his taxi in 2013! The first person I saw that worked in the airport didn't understand "Excuse, me where is the ATM?" I found that odd because "where is the ATM, is super basic English but I was able to ask him in Spanish and understand his directions. I'm sure it would of taken 5 secs to find someone else to ask.
I think I read almost every single CD thread about Miami and my experience was nothing like that in the threads, but I don't live there. I'm only a visitor. I do plan on moving down there in 2014.
I grew up in a Hispanic neighborhood. I feel comfortable surrounded by Latin culture, music and food, and I miss it. In three trips I fell in love with a crazy city.

[VictrolaII]

I guess it depends on the market.....don't pretend to speak English to a guy scratching the menu with a chalk over a bodega's blackboard...or in a sedano supermarket with a long line of abuelas skinning alive their neighbors, or a gas station attended by somebody just arrived from Luyanó earning the minimum wage.

But it's not a Cuban thing, I remember there were Chinese and Korean restaurants in the downtown area that had no notion of English....or Jewish supermarkets in Miami Beach were Yiddish was the manin language..and their English was beyond limits...

Happens in all cities.