I’ve hears stories of some Americans telling other people who are speaking a non-English language “This is America, speak English!” even if the conversation has nothing to do with them. Why do they do this?
RACISM!
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They are ignorant, taught hate, and told incorrectly that English is the official language of the United States, but in reality the United States doesn’t have an official language. In fact before WW1 there where so many German speaking Americans that spme cities had German spelled street names, and German festivals.
I agree with the first part, but pre WWI was over a hundred years ago. I’m sure there’s more relevant and recent examples that could be found to strengthen an argument.
If they’re anything like my mother, they automatically assume anyone speaking in any language other than English within earshot of her is shit-talking her, specifically. The thought that someone might be saying something mean-spirited about her is just too much for her tiny brain to handle. If you think she’s a bitch, she needs to know. It reeks of desperation and the need to be liked by all people at all times while also doing nothing to bridge that gap yourself.
This is a myth as far as I know. I’ve never seen it happen.
Happens in every country and in every nation. This isn’t a strictly American issue
Yep, went to france to kearn french, was questioned (by an idiot) why I didn’t knew (spoke) french well.
They exist in all countries.
Don’t you DARE speak French in France unless you’re a native speaker!
That country is the reverse complaint put forth in this thread.
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Same.
Of course, the first phrase I made absolutely certain I could rattle off was “excuse me I don’t speak French well”. Deliver that with a smile and they can be pretty damn forgiving.
Fear… At the bottom of it is always fear
This happens in other countries as well. I’ve been told to speak the local (non-English) language when visiting friends overseas when having a private conversation.
Generally, it seems to be nosy old people who are upset about not being able to eavesdrop
A different perspective - my grandparents grew up speaking French. Then the state passed a law saying only English in schools when they were young children. They would get hit on the hands with rulers for speaking French.
This was of course passed down to my parents and myself. But my mom still bitches about kids where I currently live being in school and unable to speak English because they’re new immigrants.
She doesn’t see the hypocrisy and it’s sad.
Racism
I remember smoking outside a pub near Chinatown with a mate something like ten years ago when two Chinese people went by speaking Chinese, and he said “they should be speaking English; this is Britain,” so I asked why, and he couldn’t explain why. Just on a vague principle.
because racist people are stupid and ignorant
True.
Also, there is a psychological effect of people either feeling excluded from a conversation, or suspicious that they are being secretly insulted when they can’t understand it.
Because in America we believe strongly in our rights: specifically the right to tell people they don’t have the right to speak any language they want. It’s called freedom man!
Very few people have that opinion.
I thought this first too. But then I remembered an interaction where one colleague of mine told another pair who were speaking another language that “secrets don’t make friends” or some such. I think it was intended as a jokey way to express that he was uncomfortable with the conversation that he couldn’t understand. He also joked that they were probably talking poorly of him. I noticed this person was normalizing controlling the discussion by throwing negative or secretive intentions onto the others’ discussions. In reality, they’re just friends discussing something in their primary language.
Anyway, long story long, I don’t think this colleague would tell us he has a problem with others speaking a language besides English, but then he’d probably follow that up with a bunch of clarifiers that indicate he does in fact have a problem with it.
I used to work with Croatians and Slovenians that spoke English fluently but switch to their language abruptly as I was standing there. I thought that rude of them
Yeah, pretty rude if they do that to exclude you specifically, for sure. Im sorry you had colleagues do this to you. Work is much better with good people.
Thanks. They were actually great people so I didn’t take it too hard
We have this reputation here in Quebec to be generally angry at people for being really aggressive with people who are not speaking French when visiting. I’ve never experienced nor was witness of it, but I believe it when I hear people say they’ve had issues with some of us Quebs too. We have our fair share of idiots, like most nations.
