Why do some Americans get angry at other people for not speaking English?
Why do some Americans get angry at other people for not speaking English?
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?
It's called xenophobia, the fear and dislike of anything foreign. Some people believe that if your group isn't dominant it will be dominated, and peaceful coexistence isn't possible between different groups.
These people are afraid that, if the English language isn't forced onto other people, one day other people will force a foreign language onto them.
You will understand why better when you take a look at who they say this to and who they don't.
This is not something that generally happens to white people speaking some French in the US. It does not raise the ire of this psychology. On the other hand, they love to target brown people speaking Spanish (almost exclusively, in fact). There is, naturally, spillover where white people speaking Spanish or brown people speaking Hindi would get targeted.
As others noted, and as these examples suggest, this is an instance of xenophobia and racism. Language is being used as a proxy, really, and provides a way for these people to unleash the frustrations they have been taught, societally, to have against them. Generally speaking, these are people that will call any brown person that speaks Spanish a "Mexican" regardless of their actual place of birth, where they were raised, or ethnic heritage.
But this is just a surfacr-level analysis. The next question is why they are taught to target people with xenophobia and racism. Why are there institutions of white supremacy? Why are their institutions of anti-immigrant sentiment? How are they materially reinforced? Who gains and who loses?
At a deeper level, these social systems are maintained because they are effective forms of marginalization. In the United States, racial marginalization was honed in the context of the creation and maintenance of chattel slavery, beginning, more or less, as a reaction to the multi-racial Bacon's Rebellion. In response, the ruling class introduced racially discriminatory policies so that the rebelling groups were divided by race, with black people receiving the worst treatment and the white people (the label being invented for the purposes of these kinds of policies) being told they would receive a better deal (though it was only marginally so and they were still massively mistreated). This same basic play had been repeated and built upon for hundreds of years in the United States. It was used to maintain chattel slavery, Jim Crow, and modern anti-blackness. It was used to prevent Chinese immigrant laborers from becoming full citizens and becoming a stronger political influence in Western states.
It was and is used to maintain the labor underclass of the United States, which also brings us to xenophobia more specifically. The United States functions by ensuring there is a large pool of exploitable labor in the form of undocumented immigrants. It does this at the behest of the ruling class - the owners of businesses - who have much more power to dictate wages and working conditions when it comes to this labor underclass. They make more money and have more control, basically. But this pissed off and pisses off the labor over class, as they have lost these jobs (or sometimes are merely told they lost them even if they never worked them). To deflect blame away from the ruling class for imposing these working conditions wages, the ruling class instead drives focus against the labor underclass itself, as if working that job for poor pay and bad conditions their fault. This cudgel should remind you of Bacon's Rebellion again: it divides up workers so that rather than struggle together they fight amongst themselves on the basis of race or national origin. The business owners are pleased, having a docile workforce to exploit.
So while racism and xenophobia are themselves horrific and what is behind the "Speak English!' crowd, it is really just an expression of the society created by this system that, by its very nature , pits workers against business owners while giving business owners outsized power (they are the ruling class, after all).
Another important element to this is imperialism and how imperialist countries carefully control immigration (it used to be basically open borders not that long ago). But I'll leave that for any follow-up questions you might have.
It's good old-fashioned xenophobia and is by no means unique to Americans or English-speakers even in the modern era. Anyone who has spent enough time in certain parts of France, Italy, or Belgium has probably encountered it at some point.
It's everywhere but it is probably most prevalent in countries with a strong nationalist core and, in my opinion, ironically occurs most often in countries that have really fucked around with having an empire in the last century or so.
Xenophobia.
They can't be nosey if they can't understand you.
Some people are shit
As a kid I worked fast food for a few years, and there was an "English only" on the line where customers could hear. One of our managers was Mexican, and actually enforced this pretty strongly. He once told us about when he went to a Subway and the staff was speaking what he suspected was Hindi, and explained to us all that yeah, it matters sense, you tend to get upset when you can't understand people. They could be saying anything, making fun of you without your knowing, or whatever.
I tend to just ignore other languages (I'm in Chicagoland, there's plenty of them) and an of the opinion that lack of exposure is one of the root causes of ethnic (and of other kinds of) intolerance. A lot of Americans live in their little rural bubbles where everything is samey and familiar, dealing with their little isolated lives, away from anyone noticably different than themselves. They're tribalistic and comfortable there, and don't like outsiders or change. They vote Republican because "people from the city" are bad, and they're Democrats.
It's not a new problem. The root philosophy in the fucking Bible is that "city people are immoral" because its all passed down by oral tradition, and its oldest stories are descended from periods when its creators were nomadic herders. Hospitality for them vs. urban hospitality are very different, and of course anecdotes get mutated through centuries of the telephone game.
TL;DR, lots of people need to meet more kinda of people and it's been a problem since forever.
Racism
Because anytime someone speaks a foreign language in their presence they must me talking bad about them. After all its what they would do.
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.
We have this reputation here in Quebec to be generally angry at 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.
Fear... At the bottom of it is always fear
Ignorance. The US doesn't even have an official language lol
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
I do not give 2 shits about people speaking foreign languages out in the ether for the most part. Having said that, there are 2 instances I can think of that grind my gears.
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You order an Uber, and the guy who's driving is on the phone with someone, and is speaking another language with them the whole time. This is more just for the fact that this is shitty customer service for someone who works on tips to an extent. For whatever reason, this seems to only be an issue with foreign speaking people. My guess is maybe they're talking to family back home? I certainly don't tip those people who are doing it, but I don't care enough to call them out on it either.
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As a poker player, they have rules about speaking English only at the table. This prevents collusion. I will absolutely call people out for English only at the table especially when there is a live hand going on.
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Because humans are assholes. That's it, the entire reason.
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!
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.
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.
Sorry, as a Greek-American (currently in Greece), I disagree with most of the people here. When you're part of a new country, you need to be able to do your business with the authorities in the official language. For that, some level of understanding the native language is required. In fact, to get any passport from any country, you need to have a B1-level understanding of that country's language. So yes, being in a country, you need to know the basics. And if you don't, then make sure you learn the basics within 6 months, in order to be able to live there without issues. I don't see that as xenophobia, I see it as common sense.
I moved to Greece from the US this year with my French husband. He doesn't speak Greek. I can tell you, it has been a nightmare for him doing paperwork, and I need to go with him EVERYWHERE in any government office in order to get setup. It wasn't pretty in the first few months, he was full of anxiety and he wouldn't leave the house without me.
Also, I worked in Germany in my youth, for a few months. I couldn't understand most of what was said (although I could pick up a few words, but certainly couldn't speak back). It was a nightmare. There were no free programs back then to learn the language, and so I went there without any preparation. Today, I wouldn't have done it that way. I would first learn the language in some basic form (today there are apps to do that), and then move there.
Because they're stupid and racist. They feel like they're left out and dont know how to parse it. Some also think that anybody speaking in a language thats not English in America have something to hide. When really its just what they're comfortable using. Forcing everyone to use and learn English at all times is like forcing everyone to use the same text editor at all times. Not everyone is comfortable in Vim or Emacs, and everyone should probably know a little about another editor rather than just their favorite. Which brings me to my final point: our education system has failed us.
I love hearing other languages in the US. It reminds me of the lofty ideals that were taught to me as a child. The Great Melting Pot, Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses, E Pluribus Unum and all that.
I hate that there is a significant portion of the population here that violently believes that English is the only language here.
Many people presume that if someone is speaking a different language, they are talking shit. I've regretably been one of them, but sometimes you aren't wrong (RE Chinese people who speak Chinese and the "ABC"s who don't)
Forgiveness answer: At least for me, hearing someone speak in a foreign language near me if I’m trying to do something is like Kryptonite for my concentration. I basically just have to leave and go somewhere else, or else abandon the idea of getting something done until it stops. It’s just impossible for my brain to not pay attention to it. I don’t think I would ever blame it on the person who’s just trying to have a conversation, and if I’m just standing in line or something it doesn’t bother me, but I do understand how it can be irritating.
Probably more realistic answer: Because living in America leads to a spiraling hell of stress and unhappiness, and so if you’re an asshole, and some innocent person presents themselves that you can take it all out on for literally any made up reason at all, then it’s go time. Also explains a lot of taking it out on customer service people for literally no reason at all.
Entitlement. Simple as.
Beats me, I live in Arizona and hearing other people speak Spanish is a daily occurrence. I don't get even the slightest bit upset by it and I feel like you'd have to be insane to care about such a thing.
So maybe you have it here, some people are insane.
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.
RACISM!
RACISM!
Those who say this are usually frustrated by the increasing number of misunderstandings/miscommunications due to increasing English illiteracy. Its become more difficult to communicate to those around you.
It's utterly unacceptable behaviour but I believe the issue lies deeper than simple "racism". I also sometimes find it frustrating from the sheer volume of people that can't speak English, from coworkers, customers, fellow students, etc. I don't even live near the border, where the problem is much worse.
All this talk of xenophobia and racism, which I get are indeed often reasons why people do this, but there’s a certain show of lack of respect for the new home country if there’s not even an effort made. If someone is visiting a country, I get there’s an exception, but if someone moves to a country, it shouldn’t be uncalled for to expect at least a minor effort to learn just enough of the new language to transact/survive. That’s something I see a lot as an American, and it frustrates me- Folks who move here and have been here for years, but can’t learn enough to at least sort of transact. I have so much respect (often more for them than natives) for those who learn even a couple words so I can do my job to help them, but then there are folks who I’ve seen for years that still refuse to learn a single word of English, so we play the mime game trying to figure out what they want. If I move to another country, you bet your ass I’m not going to expect them to speak English, and I’ll do what I can to at least learn some words or phrases so I can interact with the populace around me. I feel like that is one of the most significant forms of respect for a new home country that one can show. Not everyone is as nuanced in their outlook and opinions, and a lot of those folks are indeed racist xenophobic.
That's a myth.
