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Who's they? I would never expect a tourist in our country to know English. I can't speak for "some" rude Americans either. I just know that I don't have a double standard. The topic is about people residing in a country but refusing to learn and speak the language of the country that they decided to move to.
NO that is not your rage. Your rage is against people living here and speaking Spanish in public when you feel that it is rude if they know how to speak English.
That poster is correct. Many Americans travel and flip out when the native people dont speak English. It is a fact and Americans are known for it.
The thread title. Triggered from strangers speaking Spanish.
If this is going to bother you so much perhaps you need to relocate to a place with a lower population of Spanish speakers.
I can normally find common ground with you, but on this topic it is impossible. I believe in freedom of speech, that includes the freedom to speak any language you like in a private conversation. That includes co-workers in a place of business.
I had hispanic co-workers who spoke Spanish in the break room. Yes there were people irate about it. They said the same thing as you. "It is rude." They wanted me to order the Spanish speakers to stop the behavior. I naturally declined to do so.
There was no policy against speaking Spanish while on break, or to one another on the floor. There was however a policy against talking politics, off color humor, as in jokes about sex, minorities or women. The 3 complainers like to violate those policies constantly. The irony right?
You're entitled to your opinion but I disagree with you. If you know English you should speak it in public, IMO. If you just have to speak a foreign language then don't do it loudly and surrounded by native English speakers. You're confusing freedom with rudeness and disrespect.
Yes, I do live in an area with a large Hispanic population but does that automatically mean they have to speak Spanish? Most Hispanic legal residents and citizens are bi-lingual so they know how to speak English. It's irritating when they refuse to. It's also pouring salt into the would when you hear more and more Spanish being spoken because of the illegal invasion from south of our border. One gets to feeling that they are living in a foreign country just to out to the grocery store.
I seriously doubt that these conversations in Spanish I'm hearing are among expats. They are of the above.
"If you know English then you should speak it in public." According to who?
Now your being silly.. Define loudly? Sometimes people get excited in their conversations. Is speaking Spanish "loudly" any more rude than speaking English "loudly"?
It isn't rude to anyone but those who just don't like hearing Spanish. I served in United States military. We had about 20% of my department was hispanic. Puerto Rican, or Texmex and others. They were constantly speaking Spanish, and yes they could be loud. No one cared.
It isn't disrespectful to speak a foreign language, nor is it rude. I mean no more so than laughing out loud when you hear a funny joke.
Last edited by boneyard1962; 07-15-2019 at 07:51 PM..
So two wrongs make a right? I don't hold a double standard for Americans when they are living abroad. It's not irrational to be irritated about this. Please read my prior post if you can't understand where I'm coming from then so be it and just don't respond to me anymore then.
You are free to block me, but on this forum we can respond to any post we like. Im sorry that you are taking this so personally. It really isn't personal. I am well traveled and I know the realities. I am an ex-pat and I know the realities. A 70 yearly ex-pat will struggle to learn a new language. It's a physical issue. The part of the brain that can learn new languages is all but done developing. Most expats dont speak the language of their host nation. They may know a few polite words, or to ask how much does it cost? Most can't even count to 10.
Ill always stand by freedom of speech. It is one of America's greatest freedoms.
You are free to block me, but on this forum we can respond to any post we like. Im sorry that you are taking this so personally. It really isn't personal. I am well traveled and I know the realities. I am an ex-pat and I know the realities. A 70 yearly ex-pat will struggle to learn a new language. It's a physical issue. The part of the brain that can learn new languages is all but done developing. Most expats dont speak the language of their host nation. They may know a few polite words, or to ask how much does it cost? Most can't even count to 10.
Ill always stand by freedom of speech. It is one of America's greatest freedoms.
This (bolded) is very important to understand in these conversations about assimilation, and (deliberately?) overlooked or minimized by those who have difficulty tolerating listening to another language. It is not rational to expect an older person to easily and quickly learn a new language so as not to offend the speshul snoeflaykes in their new country. Their brain simply cannot do what a young brain can do.
I'm currently learning Polish. I can tell you now, that at age 56, it's a lot harder than it was to learn Spanish, French, ASL, Braille, etc. when I was in my teens and 20s. My husband's grandparents (all 4 of them) came to the US and never really learned much English. Their children, like pretty much all first generation, were bilingual. My husband and his brother only seem to remember the curse words, lol. Though husband does recognize some words (cookies, coffee, dog) that he heard a lot from his grandmas as a small child.
It is simply the way it works, like sky is blue and water is wet.
I love how you people keep throwing out scenarios because you think you have a "gotcha" moment with me. If you are speaking to a relative that doesn't know English then by all means communicate with them in your shared common language but not loudly and being surrounded by native English speakers. Use some tact for God's sake!
See my prior post where some Spanish speakers did know English but chose Spanish instead so your point is moot. I never once said that anyone speaking a foreign language does not know English. WTH are you getting that? In fact those that are bi-lingual English speakers are the most irritating because they do know English but refuse to speak it.
Keep Trump out of this and quit deflecting from the topic at hand.
Yeah, when I’m talking to my Greek mother in Greek, we are normally surrounded by native English speakers. So? They don’t have to listen to us. It’s none of their business and we can speak whatever language we want. You are too much - give it up. Enjoy America’s changing demographics
You are free to block me, but on this forum we can respond to any post we like. Im sorry that you are taking this so personally. It really isn't personal. I am well traveled and I know the realities. I am an ex-pat and I know the realities. A 70 yearly ex-pat will struggle to learn a new language. It's a physical issue. The part of the brain that can learn new languages is all but done developing. Most expats dont speak the language of their host nation. They may know a few polite words, or to ask how much does it cost? Most can't even count to 10.
Ill always stand by freedom of speech. It is one of America's greatest freedoms.
I didn't say I was blocking you but if you are so bothered by my opinion then feel free to not respond to me. I stand by what I said in every post I have made on this subject and no, it's not irrational based on the explanations I have given. These aren't mostly 70 year olds that are babbling in Spanish all the time but young and middle aged adults who do know how to speak English and I'm sure many of them are illegal aliens that don't know how to also. I have also provided examples of when I feel it's not rude and disrespectful but I guess that just got ignored.
I also have an example of rudeness by Spanish speakers where my wife used to work. There was a company policy to speak English on the job unless you were on a break or lunch. The memo was up on the bulletin board. Some arrogant Hispanic worker ripped it off the board an threw it into the trash and they continued to speak Spanish whenever they damned well pleased. The company was to chicken to enforce their own rule. I'd move somewhere else with fewer illegals and Spanish speakers in general but my health nor my age will allow it and believe I would if I could. I don't like feeling like I'm living in Mexico. I fought for our country in the military and not to have it turn into some banana republic by illegal aliens and other unassimilating Spanish speakers.
Yes, we are free to be rude but choosing not to be makes for a better and cohesive society. If you like feeling like you're living in a foreign country then so be it. But if you are opposed to illegal immigration then it should bother you to be hearing so much Spanish being spoken today which much is due to illegal immigration. It's an unlawful and unnatural demographic, cultural change. I'm done with this topic. There has only been one or two posters who have admitted they at least understand where I am coming from and I do thank them for that. As for the rest of you, buh, bye.
Yeah, in context of this issue, it would align more with the social conservatives since they are usually the ones more concerned about immigration, want English as official and only language, etc. I really can't see those who are more liberal about immigration caring about hearing a foreign language, in general.
I don't think either party truly cares about being fiscally responsible any more, even if they have paid lip service to it in the past.
You can't escape it many times. I was in a restaurant one time and a group of Spanish speakers were at a table right near me no other tables were available. They were speaking it very loudly but when the waiter showed up they all switched to English to order because he obviously didn't speak Spanish so it's not like they couldn't speak English! Non-assimilation and rudeness 101.
OMG. They switched to English to order their food, which means there is assimilation. Prior to that they were chit chatting in Spanish among themselves. And you were bothered by this? Would you be equally bothered if a group of people were speaking Swedish with each other and then ordered their food in English? Or is this just a Spanish thing with you?
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If you are speaking to a relative that doesn't know English then by all means communicate with them in your shared common language but not loudly and being surrounded by native English speakers. Use some tact for God's sake! 
