About 12 years ago I was hiring a person for a clerical position, and the interviews were done by a panel, one member being our Acting H.R. Director.
An absolutely gorgeous Latina candidate, with a Mexican-sounding last name, sat down for her interview. The H.R. Director said, “Well, I think it’s a plus that you speak Spanish.” (We were in SoCal.) The candidate’s response was quick: “I do NOT speak Spanish. I am an American!”
I hired her, and we’re friends to this day, long after my retirement.
she speaks English Spanish and passable Russian. She was just “aggrieved” that b/c she looks Hispanic someone assumed she spoke Spanish.
I told her if she/I went to Russia, they’d assume I was the one that spoke Russian b/c of my looks. How can you be mad at this?