Why is it acceptable for Spanish -Americans not to learn English?

Question

I don't mean this in any type of derragtory way, but I was in the food court of a mall and I asked one of the custodians where I could find the closests ATM. She was of spanish descent and told me that she didn't speak english. It caught me by surprise because she is an American citizen who pays taxes by having a job here, but she was able to obtain employment without learning english. Everywhere I go now there are english instructions and spanish instructions, but living in America where all races, ethnicities and backgrounds are welcomed why is there such a strain for other immigrants to learn english and not Spanish Americans? Again I don't mean for this to offend any one I just want answers.

Answer 1

It isn't acceptable!!!!

Answer 2

I believe that anyone who wishes to permanently live in a country should learn the language, not for other people but for their own sake. I would not want to be somewhere where I didn't speak the language for a length of time because there are many ways you can get tricked or sign something you don't understand. Anyway, when you first go to live in a place you might not speak the language fluently enough to answer someone's question but you need a job to survive. The custodian was not doing a customer service job (i can see you being upset if the person was manning the register and you couldnt communicate with them to place the order). Also you don't know that the person has lived here for years and never bothered to learn english. It is true however that people do go their whole lives without learning it. My paternal grandfather died only speaking portuguese and my father speaks broken english. I didn't know my father very well and I grew up only speaking english.

Incidentally I moved to Georgia recently from Rhode Island (where i grew up) and I'm still trying to learn the language out here its so different!

Answer 3

The reason many Spanish-speaking immigrants as well as other immigrants can get away with being a citizen and not speak English is because the United States never actually dubbed English the official language of the nation. While it is considered to be the national language of the country, they cannot force but only strongly encourage foreigners to learn the language. Hope this has helped!

Answer 4

This opens up a good larger question. Why Spanish? there's a house Depot in my area that makes all bulletins in English and Spanish. The self examine-out kiosks have a decision of English and Spanish. the project is, there are purely approximately no Spanish conversing human beings contained in the shop. the shop is placed in a basically chinese language American area. maximum all the consumers talk English or chinese language. yet not one chinese language observe looks on any label or any sign or is provided as an decision on the examine-out. It purely approximately seems that there is a conspiracy to make usa a 2 language united states, English and Spanish. Why? -

Answer 5

i don't believe they can become permanent residents if they cannot speak english. By the way i am having to learn spanish because i run into them a lot at work and i waste so much time trying to track down an interpreter and then having to say everything twice. It is such a hassle and i don't know why they think it's ok to move into a country, not integrate with it but expect to be integrated into the country (ie amnesty, jobs, the american dream etc) it is just so unreasonable

susanita: it wasn't nice of people to make fun of your parents but it was great of your parents to make the effort to learn the language. I think the question is not referring to the immigrants learning the language but to those that do not feel the need to learn it

the only solorose: english speaking is not synonymous with educated. I am making this distinction because people make this mistake all the time. You can be an educated non-english speaker. I know anyone reading this will be like, "well duh" but alot of americans make this stereotyping mistake or more correctly, incorrect association and it is obviously faulty

Answer 6

It doesn't have much to do with cheap labor, I know a lot of American-born citizens who would rather work at say, Wal-mart because it's not such a tough job as construction which pays more.
The fact that people get job application in Spanish language is because companies need'em to help other non-english speakers.

Answer 7

Many countries require that immigrants speak the local language prior to obtaining citizenship. The US does not. It would take action by Congress to change this and every few years there is some talk about it, but it never gets any further than that.

Answer 8

I understand your question but don´t want and can´t give an answer to that. On the other hand I have a question to you, why do you think or believe that in whichever country you or your friends are visiting, most of you expect the natives to speak your language??. ( Well I have to say that a lot of people really at least try to speak English, but do you think English is spoken all over the globe, hope you don´t think so!) There are lots of languages in the world, and in a lots of countries English is not spoken. Just wanted to send this as a reminder, with kind regards.

Answer 9

I don't know where you are writing from, but here in New Mexico we have been speaking Spanish for centuries, before any English speakers ever showed up. In fact, there are various regions in the Southwestern United States where English, not Spanish, is the more recent immigrant language. Several families in this state (including my own family, for example) have been here for over 300 years - long before the U.S. even existed.

You claim that your question is not meant to be derogatory but I wonder if you would find it derogatory if I were to ask, "Why is it acceptable for Anglo-Americans not to learn Spanish if they move to New Mexico?" In fact, my grandparents lived their entire lives here without ever speaking a word of English; I personally couldn't care less whether or not you find that "acceptable".

Answer 10

You know many things about the custodian. Where did you learn them ?
About your question, I think it is not very realistic. Depends on several things.
In certain areas of the USA, Spanish is SO COMMON that you practically need not know english to get some jobs, but those jobs usually are not very well paid.
Besides, Spanish is becoming more and more common. So much that in some areas you NEED to know Spanish to get a job.
Allow me to say that we are becoming the largest "minority" in the USA. Thus, Spanish is becoming the most used language in the USA, after english.
Welcome to the real world !

Answer 11

No, I completely get you, your just curiouse, I understand what you mean. I say that there are Spanish forms as well bcoz, there is a large population now of Hispanics living here. Most of them don't know English, for many reasons, 1)They are illegally 2) Another family member has immigrated them or 3) Simply that bcoz since Spanish, is there first language they understand it better, that is why now is days they make Spanish form or they have interpreters.. I myself am a Mexican-American, but I know English very well bcoz, I am from here. But if you notice there are as well Chinese or Japanese or even maybe Arabic, form as well, or interrupters in some place. I hope this helps you understand.. :}Ciao*