Why Does My Spanish-speaking Ability Scare Other People?

By Author: Raunak Hopp
Total Articles: 1
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Let’s try this a few different ways: Hi, my name is Kimberly. Hola, me llamo Kimberly. Oh, hi, like, my name is Kimberly! Which do you like, or feel the most comfortable with? Seriously, now. I want to know. Why, you ask?

This is why: I don’t look Hispanic, Latina, Chicana, Mexican-American or whatever you want to call me. I look Caucasian or white. When people realize I’m actually Hispanic or Mexican-American, they’re surprised, but that’s not the bad part. The bad part is, if they hear me speaking Spanish with my uncle or Tio, who emigrated here legally 10 years ago, they get all freaked out. “Hey, speak English! That’s your native language! What are you saying? Are you talking about me behind my back? Are you saying bad things about me?”

Today was the last straw. My Tio picked me up at work today because my car is in the shop. Well, he walks into the store and, as is our habit, he started talking to me in Spanish. And, before you ask, yes, he speaks English easily. He’s also a naturalized citizen, has been for three years. He’s also light-skinned with light-brown hair and brown eyes. He doesn’t ...
... look like the “typical Mejicano.”

Anyway, my coworker heard us joking in Spanish, and yes, we were laughing. She got all “nose-in-the-air” offended and upset. Glared at me, then she stalked away. A few minutes later, as I was getting my purse and coat, my supervisor motioned to me to come into her office. She asked me what my Tio and I were talking about and I told her – “We were joking about the weather and traffic.” She gave me a look like she didn’t believe me, then told me that Taylor reported me. I asked if I could call my uncle in and she actually refused! (He’s an attorney here in New Mexico. He earned his law degree in Mexico City, then, when he emigrated here, he applied to take the bar exam. Passed on his second try.) Anyway, I was written up – for creating a hostile working environment. Oy!

That’s why I gave you three such different introductions. I don’t know which one you preferred, but it’s wrong that I can’t freely speak the language of my heritage. That robs me of a part of who I am!

It doesn’t bother me when people ask what a particular Spanish word or phrase means. I’m glad to translate and explain it. What p****s me off is when people allow their fears and prejudice to influence their reactions to someone speaking a foreign language. You know what’s even worse? The same people that get all upset when they hear me or others communicating casually with each other in Spanish – then, when a customer comes in who doesn’t know English, they ask me to translate. Yeah. It’s so bad that I can’t communicate con mi Tio en espanol ¡pero si necessita traducir por un cliente, pues, esta bien!I may be wrong, I don’t know, but it seems that if these people like my coworker would just take the time or trouble to
learn spanish, they wouldn’t freak out so much. I grew up speaking both languages, so I have no trouble switching from one language to the other. For that fact, neither does my Tio. Before he came here, he learned English by speaking with my parents, my brother, sisters and me. Yeah, he has an accent, but it’s not heavy and it only shows up on a few words or letters – like saying “share” for “chair.” Mis abuelitos (my grandparents) had a harder time learning English and they’re still more comfortable communicating in Spanish. But they try! When we go out to eat or to shop, they insist on speaking English to the servers or clerks. I think the people they talk to are actually a little more understanding because my grandparents actually try to speak English. Even if they do make some mistakes, they’re working on learning. That’s a lot more than I can say of some people like Taylor.

When I think of why English speakers get so offended when we speak Spanish around them, I think it’s just plain old fear – and for some – prejudice. Yeah, I said it. they’re prejudiced because they don’t get all offended when someone speaks, say, German, French or even Japanese. But Spanish? Ooooh, big crime.