THE WHOLE ENGLISH - SPANISH SPEAKING THING: Things are changing fast... in Texas and Florida ( and no doubt others places too) you are asked to press 2 for English... and it's with a Spanish accent… it’s not even “press 1 for English anymore… Arggg!!! Signs in the stores are in Spanish & English (yes, in that order)... some only in Spanish. When did the stores (especially the BIG one's) get more interested in attracting & helping Spanish speaking people then helping the English speaking people of different descents... Italian, Greek, German, Dutch, French, and all the others? It's gotten to the point where most of the help in the stores (that is Latino) seem to go out of their way to help other Latinos and seem to use the language barrier as a way to not understand and help others. Like with everything else... if you give respect, you should be able to expect it in return... the reverse is also true... don't expect it, if you don't give it. Working here in Texas... some guests will actually get upset with us because we do not speak Spanish... they speak only some English... understand Spanish better... and get upset and irritated with us because we don't speak Spanish.... here in Texas... which if memory serves me well, is still a part of the United States... I think! It's all getting a bit, for lack of a better more intelligent phrase... "out of wack"... and there's no end in sight... except to learn how to speak Spanish... not going there... and shouldn't have to. I’m all for helping others, even to the point of should a bit of favoritism, for a while, as in a determined length of time that has an ending point, until an language adjustment is made… but there is not ending time until we all have to learn to speak Spanish. It’s even in the early stages of discrimination… to certain a degree if you don’t speak Spanish. Many employers see it as a plus if you can speak English and Spanish, and some one who can speak both languages will get hired first before the only English speaking person. Maybe to say that things are “out of wack” is not nearly as clear to demonstrate the severity of the situation and where it’s all heading. So I guess it’s great if you speak Spanish and English… but for the majority that don’t… it seems like a slap in the face, and as with historical situations & references from the past… this situation only leads to more discontent and discrimination rather than less. Sad situation that we are all sliding into… bit by bit… without realizing the pit we are all falling into… and all the possible negative consequences. A rational person might reason that this is not really the case, and that the issue is not like this at all… but a person that sees and listens to what’s happening all around them… how many people are acting and reacting to all the English/Spanish Language Issues… well… being rational usually has little to do with peoples emotions. Emotions coupled with the the feeling that something is unjustly being forced upon you that you shouldn’t have to deal with… well… that’s how resentment and discrimination starts… and it usually only gets bigger. Yep… a sad situation indeed… especially since this country has much bigger and important issues to deal with that effect us all much more than the whole language thing.
