Racism in NEPA---A Growing Epidemic. When Will it End? (Wilkes-Barre: houses, friendly)

[NYRangers 2008]

When wanneroo speaks about Miami, he is right. I don't know first hand, but I have a friend who lived there for years and says that Miami is filled with Cubans speaking Spanish that have never assimilated to the ways of the USA. He said that you have to learn Spanish down there to work at a K-Mart. He also said that if you go to downtown Miami, you would swear that you were in Cuba. It seems to me that Miami shouldn't even be part of this country, sounds like it should be an extension of the Cuban government.

[MermanMike]

I wonder what is really at the heart of the fear people have about a new group of people coming to settle where they live. What is the worst thing that could happen? Is it a scarcity thing, like there is not enough here for us, and now you're coming too? Or is it the centuries-old pleasure of being against groups of people that are somehow different from you? What does America truly owe you that it doesn't owe someone not born here and why?

I have heard that many contractors find a harder working staff in the new crop of Hispanic workers...maybe that is frustrating for someone who thinks he is owed a job...a good salary...a life where he doesn't have to try hard to understand people different than himself.

Well, for anyone who is feeling like they are sick of dealing with people who are different than you...I think you will find that life is entirely more fulfilling...uplifting...beautiful even, when you just show love and compassion to everyone you encounter, regardless of where they were born on the planet, or the other variety of circumstances that may bring up a sense of bother in you...we are all here together, like it or not, and the more you grow to like it, the better everything gets for all of us, and most of all you.

Compassion...such a great word...when we break the English down we get "com", meaning together; and "passion", meaning a strong feeling....a strong feeling of togetherness...this is the heart of living a purposeful life, I think.

[sues1]

Originally Posted by NYRangers 2008

When wanneroo speaks about Miami, he is right. I don't know first hand, but I have a friend who lived there for years and says that Miami is filled with Cubans speaking Spanish that have never assimilated to the ways of the USA. He said that you have to learn Spanish down there to work at a K-Mart. He also said that if you go to downtown Miami, you would swear that you were in Cuba. It seems to me that Miami shouldn't even be part of this country, sounds like it should be an extension of the Cuban government.

That's what get me annoyed, i don't live in Cuba, Mexico, etc. I want to live right here in the USA. Why on earth would i have to learn Spanish to work in this country???? I don't want to feel like i'm not in America when i go somewhere in my country. If i want to feel like that, then i will move to another country, it's that simple. I would be infuriated if i went for a job at the Wal-Mart in Dickson City and was told i had to learn Spanish to work there.

[CosmicWizard]

wanneroo wrote:

I was recently denied a contract/job because I was not BILINGUAL in spanish. In my own country I'm denied a job because I don't speak a foreign language.

First, I'd like to say that I'm a big fan of everyone living in America learning English. I'm not in favor of making the USA a bilingual country. Up until recently, most immigrants speaking a language other than English eventually learned English, or at least the next generation did so. It does take some time however.

When I was looking for my first programming job, I didn't get the job because I had no experience with Visual Basic which was the language required for THAT job. I really wanted a programming job with that company, so I taught myself how to program using Visual Basic. A year later I got an even better position with the same company that turned down my initial application. Perhaps you could consider learning Spanish IF YOU REALLY WANT THE JOB. It seems to me like you prefer to b*tch, moan, gripe, and complain rather than doing something to make yourself a better qualified candidate for THAT job.

[The Commish]

Incredible posts, MermanMike and NewAgeRedneck.

Originally Posted by sues1

I would be infuriated if i went for a job at the Wal-Mart in Dickson City and was told i had to learn Spanish to work there.

That's a pretty lame counterfactual.

NEPA doesn't have nearly the number of immigrants for business to require bilingualism among its employees. But in certain areas of this country, particularly Florida, the Southwest, and California, speaking Spanish would be a bona fide occupational qualification that companies could use to select its workforce. And why shouldn't they? Business are there to make money. They would be missing out on a large piece of the pie if their workers couldn't converse in the language of its potential customers.

[NYRangers 2008]

Originally Posted by sues1

That's what get me annoyed, i don't live in Cuba, Mexico, etc. I want to live right here in the USA. Why on earth would i have to learn Spanish to work in this country???? I don't want to feel like i'm not in America when i go somewhere in my country. If i want to feel like that, then i will move to another country, it's that simple. I would be infuriated if i went for a job at the Wal-Mart in Dickson City and was told i had to learn Spanish to work there.

My sentiments exactly. But since we feel this way, we're bigots, racists and don't have compassion for our fellow man. Which is all untrue. We're hard working people that earned what we have, right? Nothing was handed to us. If they want to come here, do it legally, learn English and work hard, then I have no problem. But don't expect me to have tolerance for an illegal immigrant jabbering loudly in Spanish when I'm trying to shop. That's ignorance right there.

[The Commish]

Originally Posted by NYRangers 2008

But don't expect me to have tolerance for an illegal immigrant jabbering loudly in Spanish when I'm trying to shop. That's ignorance right there.

This is the part that I don't get.

It's rude for anyone to use louder-than-conversational voices in public places. Why should it matter what language someone is speaking to their friends or family members? Say if you merely overheard a conversation in conversational tones between a Hispanic, Indian, Asian, French, etc family. That's probably not the same thing, right?

[CosmicWizard]

sues1 wrote:

I would be infuriated if i went for a job at the Wal-Mart in Dickson City and was told i had to learn Spanish to work there.

Most jobs have specific requirements. That's not unusual. If someone wants THAT job specifically, then that person needs to be qualified or get qualified. Many job requirements are far more difficult than learning another language. Rather than wasting energy getting infuriated, use that same energy to find a job that you are qualified for. Best wishes in your job search.

[Jungle George]

Originally Posted by NYRangers 2008

When wanneroo speaks about Miami, he is right. I don't know first hand, but I have a friend who lived there for years and says that Miami is filled with Cubans speaking Spanish that have never assimilated to the ways of the USA. He said that you have to learn Spanish down there to work at a K-Mart. He also said that if you go to downtown Miami, you would swear that you were in Cuba. It seems to me that Miami shouldn't even be part of this country, sounds like it should be an extension of the Cuban government.

I live in South Florida & have been to Miami many times. Yes, there are some Hispanic neighborhoods where a large percentage speak mainly Spanish, and there is a large Cuban population there, BUT that does not mean Miami is a city full of illegal immigrants or that Miami does not speak English!! How can someone generalize a city population based on heresay???

I grew up in Manhattan in a German/Czech neighborhood. Back then the main languages I heard were German & Czech, NOT English!! There were Italian & Polish neighborhoods where THOSE languages were used more than or instead of English!! Does that mean that those people were illegals & were refusing to learn the English language??

NO!!!

It meant that their neighborhood was their HOME and they spoke amongst themselves in their native tongue & slowly mastered the English language!!

Working at K-Mart or WalMart does not involve learning Spanish, although there ARE some jobs out there that DO require an applicant to be bi-lingual because there ARE still some people that do not speak fluent English yet & these job situations involve interaction with those people.

[NYRangers 2008]

Originally Posted by NewAgeRedneck

sues1 wrote:

I would be infuriated if i went for a job at the Wal-Mart in Dickson City and was told i had to learn Spanish to work there.

Most jobs have specific requirements. That's not unusual. If someone wants THAT job specifically, then that person needs to be qualified or get qualified. Many job requirements are far more difficult than learning another language. Rather than wasting energy getting infuriated, use that same energy to find a job that you are qualified for. Best wishes in your job search.

Agreed. But what sues1 was saying was, learning to speak Spanish should not and never be a requirement to get a job at a Wal-Mart in Dickson City, PA. I understand there would be some, but that shouldn't be one of them and I believe it is not.