Some bosses don't want to hear Spanish

Houston Chronicle ^ | JAMES PINKERTON

[getarope]

How about we apply this to what they listen to on the radio if it is allowed in the workplace? The station should be an English-language station only-preferably some kind of non-offensive music: NO rap, hip-hop or techno.

[ARE SOLE]

Where I worked Mexicans who spoke perfect English would carry on conversations in Spanish in rooms with English speakers. Quite rude.

The ones I worked with made a point of it. They also refuse to address people properly, Robert became Roberto, Charlie became Carlos. It was entertaining to these clowns to tweak the Americans they worked with. They constantly talked loudly about how lazy Americans are. I told them "my people were building space shuttles and his were cleaning terlets. Ha ha.

By the way, Charlie was 260 lbs and didn't want to be Carlos so that ended quick like.

Regards

[USMCVet]

It's only a matter of time until learning Spanish will be mandatory..

We have a choice - but we better not wait too long.

Vote for the people that support keeping America English-speaking!

[Dubya]

I agree completely.
Semper Fi

[gubamyster]

ping

[timm22]

Not rude at all. They didn't want you to know what they were talking about. When people speak another language in front of you assuming that you can't understand them they very often do it on purpose.

I hope I'm not missing any sarcasm here, but isn't the intentional use of another language to exclude others even WORSE than inadvertently speaking another language?

To me that kind of behavior is the equivalent of whispering behind cupped hands when someone else is in the room. In a business setting, I would take that kind of behavior as very rude. If you want to keep a conversation private, you should find a secluded area or wait to continue the conversation when you are alone.

I don't consider it rude if people are speaking in another language simply because it's much easier for them. But if it's done to keep other people out of the conversation, I think it is very rude. Of course, since I'm not bilingual I guess I'll never really know if I should be offended :)

[dalereed]

The union anf the contractors should be reported to ICE.

[Balding_Eagle]

Has it ever occured to you that she might NOT have understood spanish, and was instead working on instinct?

That would have even been funnier.

[Titan Magroyne]

...My friend and his buddy started making fun of her in spanish. I don’t know spanish so I didn’t know what was going on or what exactly they said. But it must’ve been pretty raunchy because the muscle chick turned around and said “ I know spanish” plus a few other things in spanish that I don’t know what it was, and then beat the hell out of him right there in the bar. I mean she thrashed him really good... Undoubtedly proving them at least partially right in what they'd speculated about her. LOL!

[Jeff Chandler]

They also refuse to address people properly, Robert became Roberto, Charlie became Carlos.

When they called me "Jeff", I told them it was "Jefe".

[mamelukesabre]

You got a point there!

[zeugma]

The EEOC has brought 29 English-only suits the last 11 years, according to agency records, while worker complaints have dropped from a high of 236 in 2002 to 125 last year, officials said.

Yet another reason to just disband this group of nanny-state ninnies. 

[zeugma]

The solution to this is simple. An English-only speaker needs to file a EEOC suit claiming a “hostile work environment” and from Spanish speakers.

That would be a great idea except for one thing. The EEOC, would throw a complaint like that straight into the trash. 

[Grizzled Bear]

It’s legal not to hire someone that doesn’t speak Spanish.

---

Good Lord man! Is that even English???!!!

[Politicalmom]

My children are rebelling. My daughter plans on taking German, and my son is going to take Latin. :)

[bannie]

Certainly, a business owner should be able to dictate the language used by his employees ON HIS TIME!!!!

Today, while shopping, all I heard was a cacophony of spanish.

[chicagolady]

I second the motion and I am of Mexican decent. It is my parents first language and it enrages me when I hear it.

[Kenny Bunk]

This is a perfect issue for the Congressional Black Caucus. It is the very issue that is helping to keep Blacks unemployed in Miami, El Paso, L.A., Little Rock,etc.etc.

[Gritty]

...Dale Wortham, president of the AFL-CIO council in Harris County. ''That's because you're going to have at least 50 percent of your labor force that doesn't speak English."

To be an American citizen, one must be able to speak English. I also seriously doubt if these 50% possess legitimate Green Cards. What is going on here is blatantly illegal and ICE needs to get involved!

Also, Liberals don't see any problem with employers denying me my Second Amendment rights in their workplace. So, what's the problem with denying something much less draconian and more reasonable - like the employees speaking a foreign language at work?

[inkling]

I second the motion and I am of Mexican decent. It is my parents first language and it enrages me when I hear it.

I grew up here in Arizona and adore Mexican culture (music, food, language -- everything). And if I was shopping in Hermosillo or Oaxaca, I would expect to hear nothing but Spanish and would love every minute of it. I wouldn't be "offended" that they didn't speak English -- it is their country.

But when I am in a restaurant or store here in the Phoenix area, I expect to hear English. Not Spanish or Hmong or Tagalog or Hindi or Mandarin (I've heard them all around here). It just seems rude to conduct long conversations in front of your customer than he cannot understand.