Mexicans...

[ballmode]

this has been a problem with any immigrant.

it's not going to go away until everybody is educated in english and english is almost the main language from the country they come from.

 

[Dacalo]

I am more concerned about how this impacts our schools. Many schools are doing horribly with a lot of Spanish speaking children because the schools do not have enough resources and there are too many children. Many do not have incentives to learn English because majority of the students and the neighborhood speak Spanish.

EDIT: It's different from other immigrants. Here in California, Spanish is well accepted as the "second language," so it's even worse. It's not like that for Chinese, Russian, and such.

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
We're a major data center for roughly 17,000 clients and security is a issue here. We're in a secured area, but these ladies keep leaving doors unlocked and open when they come in and mop in the mornings.

If your data center is so big, they shouldn't be so cheap. Instead of paying 2 cleaning lady who doesn't speak English $6 an hr, how about paying 2 cleaning lady who speaks English $8/hr?

 

[DBL]

Do they not speak english b/c they are Mexican or b/c they are cleaning ladies?

I think it is the latter which negates the whole point of your post.

 

[Kadarin]

Solution: Send an ultimatum to the company that handles the cleaning that you insist on English speaking workers. If they cannot comply, fire them and contract with a different company that will.

In addition, this sounds not just like an English problem, but a problem with basic intelligence and common sense, along with courtesy. The solution for that is the same as I have just mentioned.

 

[Illusions89]

Ill tell you why........They are lazy fools

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

The problem you describe has nothing to do one way or the other with their inability to speak English - if they're not listening to their bosses or reading the signs in their own language, or are ignoring directions to keep doors locked in secure areas, then they just lack common sense and basic courtesy and probably would do the same things if they DID speak English and you could yell at them personally.

 

[rudder]

They know your employer and the federal government will bend over backwards to accomodate them.

 

[igowerf]

Instead of saying "speak my language if you live in my country," how about just saying, "speak my language if you live in my region?" Wouldn't that make a lot more sense considering the size and diversity of the U.S.? How many of you xenophobes would be willing to learn Spanish then?

 

[Ktulu]

Originally posted by: TheLonelyPhoenix
The problem you describe has nothing to do one way or the other with their inability to speak English - if they're not listening to their bosses or reading the signs in their own language, or are ignoring directions to keep doors locked in secure areas, then they just lack common sense and basic courtesy and probably would do the same things if they DID speak English and you could yell at them personally.

Yup, a jerk is a jerk no matter what language they speak, just look at all the a**holes here on ATOT.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Originally posted by: Ktulu
Seriously dude it's not just Mexicans. I've driven through many communities and signs that were only in Chinese or Taiwanese or whatever. There is certainly a strong baised against Mexicans here on ATOT, and I find it disgusting.

If they were Asian, I would have posted this about Asians... I would have generalized in my posting to say that the problem is not about one particular race or culture, but in this part of the country it is.

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: igowerf
Instead of saying "speak my language if you live in my country," how about just saying, "speak my language if you live in my region?" Wouldn't that make a lot more sense considering the size and diversity of the U.S.? How many of you xenophobes would be willing to learn Spanish then?

I'm pretty sure that has been proven to be an ineffective solution... just look at Canada and Quebec.

 

[nd]

Originally posted by: datalink7

Originally posted by: BrokenVisage
Because English is hard to learn.

A German friend of mine, who speaks about 6 languages, said that English was the easiest for him to learn to speak (Russian being the hardest). However, he said it's a bitch to learn how to spell/write.

Not a fair comparison. First, English is a germanic language and hence relatively similar to his native language (compared to others anyway). Also, being German he was likely exposed to English a lot throughout his life.

In general, I'd say English would be one of the harder languages to learn without a lot of exposure to it.

 

[mjh]

There are many companies that will actually pay for workers to take English classes. The company where my dad works will pay Mexican workers to go and take English courses at a local community college -- many of them choose not to. It's a great opportunity for them to learn the language, and they get paid to go to the class. :Q

For those of you saying learn English before moving here, how do you know they haven't been trying to learn? Afterall, the best way to learn a language is to go to the country where it is spoken.

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: sao123
more importantly... when east asian people become US citizens and live here permanenly... why dont they speak english in public?
Its ok to speak your native language in your own home...

but if your in a group of people its rude to speak in a non english language unless everyone there speaks it!!!!!

I speak czech between my mom and / or my brother in the public.. why the hell shouldn't I? But if we're with other people, it's all english ... because otherwise people obviously can't participate.

Thanks for speaking English when you're around people that don't speak Czech. I am amazed by how many people speak their native language when they know people around them can't understand what they're saying. It's almost like I am supposed to be impressed they speak a foreign language.

 

[ViviTheMage]

If you are going to move to our country, learn our damn language.

 

[MrsBugi]

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
If you are going to move to our country, learn our damn language.

The language of the Native Americans?

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: Lepard

Originally posted by: daniel1113

Originally posted by: Lepard

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
Agreed OP. If I were moving to a foreign country that didn't speak English, I'd damn sure be learning their language as fast as I could. They want to stay, they learn English. Its not that fvcking hard

There are many American citizens living in Caribbean countries who do not speak the language. It goes both ways.

And yes, they should at least learn at least some English, but for the work they do, do they need it?

Sure, but we have an advantage since most people speak English as well... a bit different, I feel.

"Different"

Im sorry but I disagree to me its the same thing.

I agree with you ... it's the same thing.

The only difference is American's are assholes about it and touch the subject as elitists, kind of like in this thread.

When I was in Nicaragua trying to communicate with the people there, it was fun and they were liking the fact I was trying to learn english. Same when I was in Aruba trying to speak to them in their native tongue (even though they speak English somewhat too).

Then on the plain to Nicaragua some spanish lady was in the wrong seat and the flight attendant (American) was being a complete bitch to her because she couldn't understand she was in the wrong seat.

That tends to be the typical attitude from my experience.

Of course it's different. It's not because we speak English and therefore rest of the world should also. Rather, English has become the world language, so it is much easier for Americans to visit a country without learning another language just to get by. If most American spoke Spanish along with English, then it wouldn't be any different. But that simply is not the case.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: MrsBugi

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
If you are going to move to our country, learn our damn language.

The language of the Native Americans?

english ?

the natives got hosed.

 

[amicold]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
I don't mean anything bad about the mexican people by posting this. I like the country and the culture that the people have. I'm not going to get into the political aspect of the free-loaders coming here to be better off since their own country doesn't want to support their poor. But here is my rant:

<rant>I know this is an old rant, but I'm getting tired of this. We just got 2 new cleaning ladies here at the office a few months ago and they're both mexican women who do not speak English. I know you don't have to speak English to operate a mop or clean a toilet, but they don't get it...

We're a major data center for roughly 17,000 clients and security is a issue here. We're in a secured area, but these ladies keep leaving doors unlocked and open when they come in and mop in the mornings. We've had talks with their supervisors about it and put up bi-lingual signs to let everyone know that this should be a secured area. They mop our offices in the mornings with water that hasn't been changed, thus leaving muddy footprints on the floors, and they often barge into the mens room before or after knocking just because they seem to want to clean it. So it's like they knock, but if you say, "Someone is in the restroom." They must think you're saying, "Come in...no one is here."

If they could speak English, we could talk to them about the problems, but we have to go through their bosses...which spikes resentment towards us. I guess I'm also tired of seeing them sitting around outside the data center every morning not doing anything. I'm probably going to lockup the chairs in the hallway so they can sit somewhere else or get back to work.
</rant>

Cliffs:
Mexico is only good for getting cheap tequila & prostitutes, silly hats, and saving our butts in the event of an ice age caused by global warming.....ohh yeah, and I wish our cleaning ladies could speak English.

Beaners need to be deported back to hell where they came from. .....they should learn before they come over here.

Better yet they can leave for good.

 

[igowerf]

Originally posted by: daniel1113

Originally posted by: igowerf
Instead of saying "speak my language if you live in my country," how about just saying, "speak my language if you live in my region?" Wouldn't that make a lot more sense considering the size and diversity of the U.S.? How many of you xenophobes would be willing to learn Spanish then?

I'm pretty sure that has been proven to be an ineffective solution... just look at Canada and Quebec.

I may be mistaken, but isn't French the official language of Quebec, and English the official language everywhere else in Canada? That's a bit different from what I meant.

I agree with the OP that when you enter a region, you should pick up enough of the language to communicate well with the locals. However, I don't think that the entire U.S. should be considered one giant region. English isn't even our official language; it's just the most common one.

The OPs rant should be mainly directed at the cleaning company or whoever is in charge of staffing, and not Mexican-Americans.

 

[Electric Amish]

I wish citizens of the US would learn the language.

 

[BooGiMaN]

Originally posted by: amicold

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
I don't mean anything bad about the mexican people by posting this. I like the country and the culture that the people have. I'm not going to get into the political aspect of the free-loaders coming here to be better off since their own country doesn't want to support their poor. But here is my rant:

<rant>I know this is an old rant, but I'm getting tired of this. We just got 2 new cleaning ladies here at the office a few months ago and they're both mexican women who do not speak English. I know you don't have to speak English to operate a mop or clean a toilet, but they don't get it...

We're a major data center for roughly 17,000 clients and security is a issue here. We're in a secured area, but these ladies keep leaving doors unlocked and open when they come in and mop in the mornings. We've had talks with their supervisors about it and put up bi-lingual signs to let everyone know that this should be a secured area. They mop our offices in the mornings with water that hasn't been changed, thus leaving muddy footprints on the floors, and they often barge into the mens room before or after knocking just because they seem to want to clean it. So it's like they knock, but if you say, "Someone is in the restroom." They must think you're saying, "Come in...no one is here."

If they could speak English, we could talk to them about the problems, but we have to go through their bosses...which spikes resentment towards us. I guess I'm also tired of seeing them sitting around outside the data center every morning not doing anything. I'm probably going to lockup the chairs in the hallway so they can sit somewhere else or get back to work.
</rant>

Cliffs:
Mexico is only good for getting cheap tequila & prostitutes, silly hats, and saving our butts in the event of an ice age caused by global warming.....ohh yeah, and I wish our cleaning ladies could speak English.

Beaners need to be deported back to hell where they came from. .....they should learn before they come over here.

Better yet they can leave for good.

shouldn't you be banned for using a derogatory term?

 

[zanieladie]

Originally posted by: sao123
more importantly... when east asian people become US citizens and live here permanenly... why dont they speak english in public?
Its ok to speak your native language in your own home...

but if your in a group of people its rude to speak in a non english language unless everyone there speaks it!!!!!

:thumbsup:

 

[IGBT]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
I don't mean anything bad about the mexican people by posting this. I like the country and the culture that the people have. I'm not going to get into the political aspect of the free-loaders coming here to be better off since their own country doesn't want to support their poor. But here is my rant:

<rant>I know this is an old rant, but I'm getting tired of this. We just got 2 new cleaning ladies here at the office a few months ago and they're both mexican women who do not speak English. I know you don't have to speak English to operate a mop or clean a toilet, but they don't get it...

We're a major data center for roughly 17,000 clients and security is a issue here. We're in a secured area, but these ladies keep leaving doors unlocked and open when they come in and mop in the mornings. We've had talks with their supervisors about it and put up bi-lingual signs to let everyone know that this should be a secured area. They mop our offices in the mornings with water that hasn't been changed, thus leaving muddy footprints on the floors, and they often barge into the mens room before or after knocking just because they seem to want to clean it. So it's like they knock, but if you say, "Someone is in the restroom." They must think you're saying, "Come in...no one is here."

If they could speak English, we could talk to them about the problems, but we have to go through their bosses...which spikes resentment towards us. I guess I'm also tired of seeing them sitting around outside the data center every morning not doing anything. I'm probably going to lockup the chairs in the hallway so they can sit somewhere else or get back to work.
</rant>

Cliffs:
Mexico is only good for getting cheap tequila & prostitutes, silly hats, and saving our butts in the event of an ice age caused by global warming.....ohh yeah, and I wish our cleaning ladies could speak English.

..blame Mexico's educational system. My inlaws are from Salvador(Legal) and all grew up learning english in school. They all speak fluent english and all my nices and nephews are bi-lingual speaking english and spanish. So it all starts with early education and support from home.

 

[DigDug]

This is all just racial anger cloaked as gripes over seemingly-legitimate issues. You can argue otherwise, but not one of you would have the same gripe regarding the french, or even the Russians which constitute one of the greatest ethnic immigrations currently - they are flooding into New York and other areas....but they are white. If you just don't like Mexicans around, just say it and at least have the balls to admit to your prejudice. Don't preface your racist rants with "I don't mean anything bad to the mexican people" Sure you do, and you know it.

Speaking languages wherever and whenever you please is an American right. What you may find rude is really just your frustration at having essentially no culture of your own apart from MTV, Jessica Simpson gossip, and the Gap. That the culture from which your ancestors came was so worthy of being tossed it in the toilet was not our fault. I like my culture and heritage and didn't need to escape from it as a destitute, rag-dressed bum from the Polish, English, German or Italian underclass like your grandparents did.

Just you wait and see. The America as you want it - with the lazy, laurels-resting white middle-class - are going to be a thing of the past. You fools have been living on borrowed time. Its about time to stop thinking you deserve a $12 wage for your uneducated, unskilled labor. It's hilarious to see white people shaking in their boots - what do you expect when you've sat like blind sheep for so long while your beloved morons tell you eveythings going to be okay? Cause "We're No.1!!! U..S..A!"