"Are you an American?"

[Manolón]

Originally Posted by ComSense

I worked with a large group of PR's in Orlando, and they'd do the same thing a lot. When a big group got together (who were Puerto Rican), it would immediately go to spanish. Then the one's who dont speak spanish just look around in amazement, like, "did this just really happen?" Pretty rude, but the sad part is, I got used to it after a while.

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Good, at least you're talking about a place where you lived.

[Manolón]

Originally Posted by Kathleen1971

That was my experience in Miami most of the time as well. On my last day at any job with that problem I would finally reveal that I knew exactly what they were saying all along. That is one thing about Miami I do not miss at all.

And before anyone says that is what the market demands or such I will say that I agree with you. And that is why you have one less honest mortgage processor in a town full of fraudulent mortgage "professionals" so enjoy!

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Mortage processors need Spanish in Miami, just as any service-related job. If you knew what they were saying all along, you would have preserved your job.

[Kathleen1971]

Originally Posted by Manolón

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Mortage processors need Spanish in Miami, just as any service-related job. If you knew what they were saying all along, you would have preserved your job.

For the record this was years ago in the Kendall area and I never lost any of my jobs down there. Any job I left was of my own accord. And unlike here in Tampa, the mortgage processing jobs I had did not require me to speak with clients. That was always left to the loan officers so no I really did not need to speak spanish to any customers.

The point of my post was the rudeness of being with a group of people who thinking I did not speak spanish still spoke it in front of me when we were all in a group setting. And that is rude to do to people in any language.

[culturedmom]

I just find it interesting that when English speaking American's go to one of a very few places in this country where their culture may not be the majority, they complain so much about how unfair it is and how racist the people are and deam the whole city bad. I've seen more posts about how bad and negative Miami is. Why? Because you're used to being comfortable and fitting in so easily?

Rude people are rude people, regardless of language, culture, or color.

BTW, I'm thinking the term they heard before was not "Negro" but maybe"gringo/a"?

[Your.Decision]

Originally Posted by Manolón

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Mortage processors need Spanish in Miami, just as any service-related job. If you knew what they were saying all along, you would have preserved your job.

Do mortgage processors in the US (which Miami is still a part of) deal with overseas firms, where being bilingual would be a requirement of the job (obviously)? Perhaps people in Kathleen's position are not the problem. The companies that are discriminating against non-Latin applicants are. People should always be encouraged to learn a second or third language, but it should never be forced upon them by a group of people in Miami who clearly do not care to be a part of the United States.

Personally I wish that Kathleen (and others) had stuck around. Miami would have been far more diverse as a result and would have had at least some semblance of a sense of community and identity.

[Your.Decision]

Originally Posted by culturedmom

I just find it interesting that when English speaking American's go to one of a very few places in this country where their culture may not be the majority, they complain so much about how unfair it is and how racist the people are and deam the whole city bad. I've seen more posts about how bad and negative Miami is. Why? Because you're used to being comfortable and fitting in so easily?

Rude people are rude people, regardless of language, culture, or color.

BTW, I'm thinking the term they heard before was not "Negro" but maybe"gringo/a"?

It's not even about that. Move to France and try to live and work there without speaking French. Try to get a few hundred thousand Americans to go with you, so that they can take over Lyon, Lille or Bordeaux and try to turn those cities into places where you need English more than you need French. I can guarantee you that it won't work and that the indigenous French people will riot in protest before that comes close to actually happening.

My point is that the onus is on the people who have moved to Miami over the past few decades to assimilate and not shove their language and their ways of doing things down our throats.

And for the record, I love hearing different languages and experiencing different cultures. I love going to NY and hearing so many different languages on the subway. If I go to a foreign country, I make an effort to fit in and speak the language, because that's their house, not mine. What I object to is having it forced upon me in my own country; not by the law of the land, but by a recently arrived group of immigrants who seem to get off on it.

[Kathleen1971]

Originally Posted by Your.Decision

Personally I wish that Kathleen (and others) had stuck around. Miami would have been far more diverse as a result and would have had at least some semblance of a sense of community and identity.

I will be back in Miami ( Pinecrest or Cutler Ridge area) someday. Hopefully sooner than later. For all it's faults and despite the fact I wish it were like it was when I was growing up, it's still my hometown and that will never change. Believe me, I only moved to Tampa to take care of my Grandma and other circumstances have kept me here since then but it still is only temporary. If you can consider 13 years so far temporary lol.



I do think we lost a lot of good people with the mass exodus starting in the late 80's. Such a shame.

[Your.Decision]

Originally Posted by Kathleen1971

I will be back in Miami ( Pinecrest or Cutler Ridge area) someday. Hopefully sooner than later. For all it's faults and despite the fact I wish it were like it was when I was growing up, it's still my hometown and that will never change. Believe me, I only moved to Tampa to take care of my Grandma and other circumstances have kept me here since then but it still is only temporary. If you can consider 13 years so far temporary lol.



I do think we lost a lot of good people with the mass exodus starting in the late 80's. Such a shame.

Pinecrest is an ok place, but it's really not my kind of neighborhood. I see it more as an enclave and I don't find the people there to be particularly friendly either. I would actually prefer to live in Miami Beach if the commute weren't so bad from where I work. Miami Beach still has its charm. I came to Miami a few years ago, so didn't grow up here. I have often wondered if it has always been such a generally self-centered place.

[doggiebus]

Topic is not about language let's get back on topic which is if you consider yourself an American. If you would like to discuss languages in Miami, please find one of the other numerous threads to discuss. Anything from this point on that is not about this topic will be deleted. Below is the original post.

Originally Posted by sopralto

Hello all...I recently moved to Miami from Pennsylvania. I work as a nurse at a local hospital and had an interesting question asked of me the other day.

Most of the staff in this hospital are Cuban natives with English as a second language. Unfortunately, for me, I do not speak Spanish, and I guess it's obvious that I am not of hispanic descent (pale-skinned, blonde). 99% of the staff...doctors, nurses, techs, support staff...are primarily Spanish-speaking but do also speak English. There are some staff members like me who do not speak any Spanish at all, and yet the primary language spoken at the nurses station is Spanish (which brings up patient safety questions for another thread). The primary lanuage spoken in the break room is Spanish. Keep in mind, everyone knows that not everyone speaks Spanish..everyone on staff CAN speak English...and still this goes on.

My first week of work, after not being able to participate in the conversations going on around me for most of the day, someone on the staff came up to me and asked:

"Are you an American?"

That question blew me away. In my mind, my initial reaction was thinking, "I have never been asked that in my own country before." I smiled and simply replied "Yes," while also thinking "aren't you?"

I was made aware of a term that I think means something along the lines of "someone who was born in the US (not Cuba) who does not speak Spanish, only English" that is apprently well know term in the Cuban community. I think the word begins with an 'n'. Does anyone know the term?

I would enjoy to hear any thoughts on this subject...

[doggiebus]

Since it seems like we can't stay on topic, this thread has been closed.