Outrage

For three summers I have worked with the migrant people of this country, the majority of whom are Hispanic speaking Spanish. For the most part I have dealt effectively with having to have my instructions given to me through Spanish to English interpreters, but this last summer topped the cake. I was standing in my assembly line thinking about nothing in particular when I ask a woman near me when it was she learned English. She told me it was while she was learning to be a maid and that her skills were so-so. Then she said, “We all learn little English or none. We make it. Why your people don’t learn more Spanish?” I bit my tongue before it could strike her.
If this woman went to China, she would be expected to learn Chinese. If she went to Switzerland, she would have to learn Swiss. In America, she needs no more than a couple words and the rest is taken care of. An interpreter will be there for her. Our instructions are written in three languages on all of our packages. Clothes labels are Spanish/English. We baby the immigrants who come here so badly, a lot of them see know need to adapt their language to the country they live in.