pandering to xenophobes, from sea to shining sea.
related: it’s not a race (it’s a social construct)
america the not-so-beautiful
January 19th, 2009 · 270 comments
FILED UNDER: casual xenophobia
painfully polite and hilariously hostile writings from shared spaces the world over
- "i actually think that the next time it is caught, it will come home with a tag that says, "I REALLY MEAN IT THIS TIME, NEXT TIME IT WON'T BE BACK! SERIOUSLY! I'M SERIOUS"... these people seem like they're all talk."
- St. Patrick…the patron saint of Irish-Catholic guilt? (63)
- MAMARILLA2: Are Irish bears ginger? Do they shit in the bogs? Are they Catholic?
- Escape Goat: There are bears in Ireland?
- How’s that for a low price guarantee? (108)
- MAMARILLA2: Wait,,, Do either Lester Holt or Bryon Gumbal count..
- yodel: Thanks for the history lesson folks!
- MAMARILLA2: I keep telling ya, that’s my thermos.
- St. Patrick…the patron saint of Irish-Catholic guilt? (63)
- Losing Lisa
- Crazy is right
- Office anthropomorphism
- It takes a "genius" to come up with a potluck theme like this one
- Your to lazy
- Down and dirty down under (dear)
- Dearest roommate
- Do the rest of us a favor
- Are you there, Margaret? God, could you be any more disgusting?
- It must have been a pretty big bite
- Shittiest secret admirer ever?
- This is why your server is cranky
- Clip art crimes
- Oh, shit!
- So much for turning the other cheek
- Untitled (broken glass)
- News you can use
- Sheena is a paintballer
Kerry's favorites
- Be informed, Homeland Security will be
- Cloudy with a chance of hate mail
- Deny a man his web comics? How dare you.
- Five reasons to be glad you're not a plumber
- I before e except after c ftw
- I'm sincerely, disappointed in Pam Beesly
- Look, Tooth Fairy, here's the deal.
- Love is a mixed-signals tape
- Not-a-Match.com
- On jamming
- P.S. Text me at work if you want to talk!!
- The Powerseller of Pompano Beach
- This is not a party, only a reminder to not forget…again.
- Top five musical crimes perpetuated by record store customers
- Waiting for the Rapture (and/or a thank you note)
- What say you, Emily Post?
- What would Jesus do for a Klondike bar?
- Which one of these is not like the other?
- WoW, indeed.
- WiFi for Passive-Aggressives
- (Don't Fear) The Creeper
- Popcorn Thursday
- Bulgarian Fat Police
- Thank you Terry!
- The Mad Bomber
- The Nibbler
- The Unitard
- "F*cking delicious"
- Rocket pubes
- Thx Sandra
- Oxford Drama
- Daves 4 life!!!
- Carnivores: keep being awesome!
- Your mother doesn't work here (or here, or here)
- Jason's farewell e-mail
- Hot Pockets
- Unattended children will be shot
- Funniest notes of 2009
- The first post
- Take me to a random post!
Blogroll
- Ask a Urinal
- Awkward Family Photos
- Best of Craigslist (Rants & Raves)
- Cake Wrecks
- Date Wrecks
- Don't Even Reply
- FFFFOUND!
- Found Magazine
- Hipster Puppies
- It's Lovely! I'll Take It!
- Let Me Google That For You
- Morons with Signs
- My Dad is a FOB
- My Very Worst Date
- Not Always Right
- Post Secret
- Postcards from Yo Momma
- Promtacular
- Radiolab
- Regretsy
- Sexy People
- STFU, Parents
- The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks
- The Awl
- This American
270 responses so far ↓
#1
jfruh
The best would be if the first sign had a UK flag, denoting the country that actually invented English.
Jan 19, 2009 at 9:40 pm rating: +36
#2
Nacey
They say “English” but clearly they mean “Dumbfuck”.
Jan 19, 2009 at 9:44 pm rating: +50
#3
Juan
Qué. Yo no puedo leer el signo.
Jan 19, 2009 at 9:48 pm rating: +14
#4
Melanie
Wow, this just makes me sad. I can’t even come up with something clever to say, it bums me out so much.
Jan 19, 2009 at 9:50 pm rating: +24
#5
Vampy
At least they didn’t demand people speak ‘American’.
Jan 19, 2009 at 9:51 pm rating: +24
#6
Rachael
I’m sure that all of the people who are so impressed by this sort of bullshit are the type whose ancestors spoke perfect english right off the boat!
Jan 19, 2009 at 9:52 pm rating: +17
#7
Juliet
I’ll bet these are the same people who expect the rest of the world to speak English whenever they travel abroad. The tourists who yell, hoping that by being louder they will be more understandable.
Jan 19, 2009 at 9:52 pm rating: +30
#8
I Get It
I get it. If I moved to Italy, or France … I would be expected to learn ( and understandably so) the native language. It’s not wrong to expect people to take the responsibility to educate themselves, and learn the language of the country they choose to reside in. They made the choice, it’s simply part of it.
Jan 19, 2009 at 10:05 pm rating: +73
#9
Jewel
When I worked at a kid’s camp in NY, they thought that the official language of Canada was American. So sad.
Jan 19, 2009 at 10:08 pm rating: +12
#10
AltoidsAddict
Where I live, we’ve been speaking Spanish so long that there’s actually a separate dialect of the language. This is because the many families and towns who have been speaking Spanish for generations didn’t move to the United States, the United States moved to *them*.
Then again, the “English first” folks have never been known for their ideological consistency. If they were, it would more properly be a “Lakota First” movement.
Jan 19, 2009 at 10:28 pm rating: +32
#11
Rain
I’ve never quite understood all this English only bull. Perhaps it’s because I live in Canada, where English and French are both official languages. Unfortunately, je ne parle pas francais.
Jan 19, 2009 at 10:48 pm rating: +9
#12
I Get It
Since the vast majority of the 50 states have enlish as their offical language, it’s a fair assumption that english is viewed as a national langauge; even former presidents have stated as such.
While I can appreciate diversity, it is up to each individual, of any descent to educate themselves. Refusing to learn English, while living in America, is ignorant at best. By doing so you choose to segregate yourself… for a land of united people, that’s plain..silly.
Again, it’s a choice to live here. It’s a choice to learn the language that 96% of people speak, understand, and communicate with here. You have noone to be upset with, but yourself if you refuse to learn.
It’s common sense — and while I don’t agree with demoralizing people by using the signs, i do ‘get it’.
Jan 19, 2009 at 10:48 pm rating: +28
#13
anglophile
Hey, if English was good enough for Jesus, I guess it’s good enough for everybody else.
Jan 19, 2009 at 10:55 pm rating: +41
#14
TheOldSchool
Only seven percent of Americans possess a passport.
Twenty-two percent of adult Americans are functionally illiterate.
Thirty-five percent of the Seventy percent of Americans who can not flare their nostrils, can not do so because of hereditary complications caused by their ancestors having nonconsentual sex with livestock, poultry, visiting kin, and severely wounded woodland animals.
Jan 19, 2009 at 11:07 pm rating: +15
#15
Theywentwild
I for one am glad things like important signs and information are available for people who are more comfortable in another language. Seems like a good idea.
Now lets all go act like sh*ts to Engrish signs for not getting english right in their native country.
I also wonder where the magic “Now I speak perfect fluent english within a week” buttons are on all these immigrants.
Normally it takes a lot of time and soap operas.
Jan 19, 2009 at 11:44 pm rating: +7
#16
c-dizzle
does anyone here speak jive?
Jan 19, 2009 at 11:49 pm rating: +20
#17
TheOldSchool
Stan,
My bad. In place of “non…….. sex,” it should read: “pseudo-sensual, nonconsensual conjugations.”
Thanks for coming.
Jan 19, 2009 at 11:51 pm rating: +2
#18
chekur
Quite a long time ago I went to a diner in Alabama that was plastered with American flags, murals of eagles, giant pictures of Bush, guns, and deer-heads.
Among the various signs in the room were “We only speak American English here!” and the best one: “We will periodically play the American anthem. If you refuse to stand and salute the flag and then recite the Pledge of Allegiance, we will be kicking you out.”
I happily informed my parents that I would do no such thing (as a Canadian, I would have no problem with standing for the anthem, but it was now a matter of principle), and I placed a great emphasis on asking specifically for “French Fries” instead of the “Freedom Fries” in the menu. The waitress tried to correct me, and I just stared at her blankly until she left.
I was a pretty stubborn 14-year-old.
Jan 19, 2009 at 11:54 pm rating: +30
#19
Lawrence Pelo
So let me get this straight… the person who vandalized the third sign went to the trouble and expense of purchasing stickers, and carries them around for the purpose of defacing Spanish-language signs? What a sad, empty person he or she must be.
Jan 19, 2009 at 11:59 pm rating: +19
#20
c-dizzle
I had somewhat of a Lewis Black moment the other day. I went to Chipotle and ordered a burrito…the girl working (who appeared to be of some sort of spanish descent) had no idea what i meant. It’s one thing if people want to be true to themselves and maintain their culture in their homes or among their friends…but I agree that if you go to reside in a country and the language is predominantly whatever, then at the very least learn to fake it…especially if you’re going to be in a position that requires you to deal with the general public.
Jan 20, 2009 at 12:00 am rating: +11
#21
Heather
I, for one, do not believe that expecting people to speak the language of the country in which they reside equals xenophobia. I don’t have anything against immigrants, but I do have a problem with being expected to cater to their unwillingness to learn the language. If I lived in France, they’d damn well expect me to learn French. If I lived in Italy, same thing, and so on and so forth. I don’t understand why this always has to turn into a racial, ethnic, xenophobic, anti-immigration issue.
Jan 20, 2009 at 12:58 am rating: +19
#22
Michelle
This is just crap. What about the 80 year old Grandmas that move here only so she can spoil her grandkids, not to start a new life? What about the person who has just moved here last week and is working hard to learn the language, but still needs to shop in the mean time? And what do you mean predominant language? 6 blocks over the predominant language is spanish. Another couple blocks over it’s Vietnamese. It’s called the Melting Pot people, get your heads out of your butts and have some common courtesy.
Jan 20, 2009 at 12:58 am rating: +23
#23
littleo
It’s not “xenophobia” to expect that people who choose to live in a country (legally or otherwise) at least learn the basics of that country’s dominant language. Sorry if that language is no longer Lakota; it is what it is. English. You know, the thing our Constitution and street signs are written in.
I’ve learned enough German, French, Russian, and Spanish (the last one by immersion, unfortunately) not to make a complete ass of myself when I travel abroad. It wasn’t even that difficult, and I’ve found that my efforts, however meager, are almost always appreciated. Likewise, I can tolerate a lot of broken English from a Spanish speaker who is at least TRYING.
Jan 20, 2009 at 12:59 am rating: +18
#24
Sirius
I’ll have you know that waiters usually make way less than minimum wage, and we have to … share … our tips …
Oops, sorry, wrong over-emotional non-funny topic-that-wouldn’t-die.
Jan 20, 2009 at 1:14 am rating: +22
#25
Danyell
I think the “speak English or git the hell out” crowd seems to ignore the fact that having little money and limited access to education often makes it hard for one to learn the language.
Go, privileged assumption! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Jan 20, 2009 at 1:33 am rating: +9
#26
seatown7
Here is a little twist that hasn’t been addressed here yet. I’m a police officer and I’ve been really concerned at how awful it is when non-English speaking immigrants call for help as victims. We are sometimes unable to sort things out for several minutes until a translator can be located. It’s a very sobering aspect to this argument. I’ve travelled the world and just thought it was appropriate to learn some basic “mother toungue”…even if I was only there for a week or 2. It’s shocking to me that folks would live here and not know at least a foundation of English.
Jan 20, 2009 at 1:44 am rating: +11
#27
catalina
I think it is hilarious that the first sign contains improper grammar. OF! All OF our staff speak English! EXCEPT THE SIGN MAKER! DUR. Ignorami.
Jan 20, 2009 at 2:17 am rating: +5
#28
Nephtis
Hrm.
I was born and raised in Mexico until I turned 14 or so – then moved to the US. I always made it my goal to learn English as fast as I could so that I could use my abilities to their full potential – whether it was to get good grades, find a job, or do the simple things like going shopping, etc.
I will agree that if you move to a different country, then you better be prepared to learn the language – however, if you’re in the border states, then it’s not unreasonable to expect most, if not all, local shops (and law enforcement) have staff that will speak Spanish.
If they want to make money, at least.
A lot more people (at least in the Mexican community here) are trying to learn English than you realize, but when you’re a full grown adult, it will naturally become harder to learn a different language.
The ones that are just lazy though? Yeah, they piss me off.
Jan 20, 2009 at 2:29 am rating: +15
#29
thankfuckingod
wow, no Mishee lately? That’s a welcome change. Did she find somewhere else to vent her PA sexual advances?
Jan 20, 2009 at 3:02 am rating: +3
#30
secondsout
This horseshit about everyone needing to speak English only in America is just insane. I occasionally see some asshole on a bus telling various Chinese people on the bus that they should speak English. Once it was a drunk racist; another time it was some popped-collar Abercrombie douchebag. Just because someone is speaking another language doesn’t necessarily mean s/he can’t also speak English. I lived abroad for a few years. I can now speak four languages. But when I interacted with other Americans abroad, did I speak to them in the local language, or to the language that is most familiar to us, and made the most sense? I spoke English. Why should two Chinese immigrants speak English to each other on a bus in the US? Leave these fucking people alone!
Jan 20, 2009 at 3:22 am rating: +29
#31
Schroduck
A lot of people here seem to assume that it’s only possible to speak one language, which is patent rubbish. It’s not uncommon for people to speak perfectly understandable English, but still feel more comfortable speaking their native language. And what about the technical words that don’t often come up in conversation? Even if someone does have a basic grasp of English, you shouldn’t expect them to every single term that could come up.
Having multilingual staff and a few translated signs isn’t discriminating against English speakers or discouraging people from learning the language, it’s just good manners.
Jan 20, 2009 at 5:57 am rating: +10
#32
Mishee
My… Name… is…. Earl….
Jan 20, 2009 at 9:06 am rating: +6
#33
unholyghost2003
hmmm couple of things:
1. a long the lines of what Nephtis said, The “English only in my store” type signs are stupid. The market will sort it out. I can’t imagine that such a sign actually HELPS the owner’s business. Enough revenue loss and the store will close its doors. That said, English is the dominant language here in the US. So this also means that those people who refuse to learn the dominant language (no matter what their mother tongue is) are also not likely to do well in our market place.
2. context is everything. There was a sign much like the second one in my High School. Except it was in French and said “French Only Beyond This Point” and was posted on the door of my French Classroom. So if that sign is say … on an ESL building … it is hardly passive aggressive.
3. lastly all of the comments here remind me of this from xkcd
Jan 20, 2009 at 9:10 am rating: +4
#34
claw71
I hate it when the NASCAR set presumes to speak on behalf of all Americans. Granted, stupid comes in all shapes, sizes and nationalities but only the genetic anomalies created when cousins procreate can produce ironic offerings like these.
The irony, of course, is that the more patriotic a person purports himself to be, the less the dialect he speaks in resembles English. It’s unfortunate that these inbred freaks insist on flying the same flag I do, fortunately they make it easy for outsiders to distinguish the difference by flying a Dale Earnhardt flag next to it.
Jan 20, 2009 at 9:31 am rating: +17
#35
Olivia
Anyone else having a flashback to Monty Python’s Hungarian Phrasebook sketch?
My hovercraft is full of eels.
Jan 20, 2009 at 10:41 am rating: +5
#36
Andy
‘Dis iz da intarwebs, I spects uz to speak in teh LoLz.
KThnxbye.
Jan 20, 2009 at 10:43 am rating: +23
#37
claw71
Stroh’s is spoken here.
Jan 20, 2009 at 11:10 am rating: +5
#38
morpho aurora
these signs are not only rude, they’re unnecessary – the blank look on the listener’s face is usually enough of a clue.
Jan 20, 2009 at 11:20 am rating: +4
#39
Michelle
This problem will never be solved between the two sides until people realize that just because you were born in the USA doesn’t mean you “own” it. To many people, America is more than a country, it is an idea. English is one of the hardest languages to learn and I know many people who speak it, but do not know certain words, words that just need translated.
Jan 20, 2009 at 11:31 am rating: +1
#40
Toby Keith Rocks
Laugh it up, you lilly-livered, limp-wristed liberal wussies. But when I say the Pledge of Allegiance I say it in English.
I don’t mind people who are visiting this great country but there are too many wetbacks and dune coons running around calling this place home and not bothering to learn enough of the language to get by. Then they want to get on welfare and make the rest of us pay the way for them.
Not this cowboy. I say that before you call this country home you best learn to talk the way the rest of us do. It’s the American way. If you don’t like it I’ll put a boot in your ass.
Jan 20, 2009 at 11:39 am rating: +3
#41
Stoneburner
Expecting people to be able to speak the lingua franca isn’t fucking xenophobia.
Jan 20, 2009 at 11:45 am rating: +1
#42
Harris Bloom
160th!!! (comment)
harris
Jan 20, 2009 at 1:15 pm rating: 0
#43
sharon
http://pal2pal.com/BLOGEE/images/uploads/Genos_Steaks.jpg
yayyy, south philly!
Jan 20, 2009 at 2:08 pm rating: 0
#44
T.U.M.
When people wax poetic about the good old days when immigrants all immediately learned to speak English, I remind them of that American Icon Lawrence Welk – his parents were immigrants, but he was born in the U.S. And yet, he didn’t speak English until he was 21. It’s not a new thing.
I also notice the large amount of crossover between the groups who object to businesses including Spanish text and the ones who prize the free market. By adding Spanish text, businesses are responding to a demand that will increase their profits.
Jan 20, 2009 at 2:10 pm rating: +3
#45
caleeann
Where I work, we have a lot of Spanish speaking employees. Quite a few have worked there for years and have made no attempt to learn the language. It’s very frustrating and mistakes are often made due to the language barrier. The most frustrating thing was having one of the guys who spoke both, ask me why I didn’t learn Spanish. I told him that when I moved to Spain, I would learn Spanish, until then, they should learn English, as they moved here. Oh, and I do understand enough to know when I’m being insulted, and I agree with the poster who says that’s cowardly…if you’re going to insult me, at least do it in a way you “know” I understand.
Me personally, I’m on team ” you need to know English to work in America”. And you can go ahead and dis me for it, as I know someone will, but if I moved to France or ANYWHERE else, I’d be expected to learn the language to be employable. This is the ONLY country that lets people get away with this crap, and paints it as “racist” if you dare to disagree.
Jan 20, 2009 at 3:12 pm rating: +5
#46
Captain Spaulding
Take the language problem. Take the foreign problem. Take Abyssinia. Say, you take Abyssinia and I’ll take a hot fudge sundae on rye bread.
Jan 20, 2009 at 4:28 pm rating: +3
#47
Certified
Look how racists try to pull innocent americans into the fray! If you have a brain, it’s a sad kind of funny. Funny because of the blatant ignorance, sad because they use humor to spread hate.
Jan 20, 2009 at 7:04 pm rating: 0
#48
Woman on the Verge
I once worked in a doctor’s office where a man brought his mother, an Italian speaking woman, in because he knew that the doctor was Italian. The doctor refused to speak anything but English to her – saying that she chose to live here so she better learn quick.
What was my point? Oh, yeah, that doctor was a prick.
Jan 20, 2009 at 9:01 pm rating: +12
#49
blundht
So no one should EVER speak english to americans in other countries, right? So they can see how fucking dumb this seems. And then of course it will be the fault of all us “foreigners” that are hostile towards americans. It won’t occur to people like that why people are sometimes hostile, right?
Jan 20, 2009 at 9:06 pm rating: +6
#50
mamason
I thought Xenophobia was the fear of warrior maidens.
Jan 20, 2009 at 10:03 pm rating: +2
#51
aaa
Do… Esperanto por la gajn?
Jan 20, 2009 at 10:18 pm rating: 0
#52
dani
http://xkcd.corank.com/tech/framed/national-Language
By the same logic we should all be speaking Native American languages…
Jan 20, 2009 at 10:35 pm rating: 0
#53
Canthz_B
Question: Has anyone here ever shared close cubical/office space with someone who speaks (constantly on the phone) a language other than one you understand?
Any language…you don’t have to be an English speaker to respond.
I’m just curious.
Jan 21, 2009 at 12:55 am rating: +1
#54
Canthz_B
Verdict:
Each side of the argument here has shown its ignorance and intolerance in equal measure.
A multi-lateral TKO.
Congratulations, you all fail.
Why? Because there is no “Right”, just your strongly held opinions.
“Think, it ain’t illegal yet!”
Jan 21, 2009 at 1:15 am rating: +2
#55
BS
Ever notice how people that can’t speak English can count their American money perfectly?
They sure made the effort to do *THAT* didn’t they?
Jan 21, 2009 at 1:36 am rating: 0
#56
aaa
Jesus Christ, how many times do I have to say “Humorless dicks need not apply”? What is it about opinions that makes people such fuckers? *headdesk*
Jan 21, 2009 at 12:44 pm rating: 0
#57
dailydoseofdestiny
I worked in a convenience store for over 4 years, and occasionally I’d get foreign customers, either tourists visiting (I live near Niagara Falls) or folks who came here to live.
There was one woman in particular who came in and started babbling at me a mile a minute in Spanish. I had no idea what she was saying. I told her “no habla espanol” (one of the few Spanish phrases I DO know, aside from a some colors, numbers, and “my name is” and I would have apologized if I knew how to say it), she rolled her eyes at me and huffed and puffed, and then we ended up having to practically conduct business by some strange form of charades or sign language.
I wouldn’t have gone as far as posting “English only” signs in the store (that’s just mean!) but I certainly got frustrated when these people would come in, speak to me in Spanish, and then get MAD at me when I didn’t understand them.
If I ever travel abroad, I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure I can speak enough of the language there to get around. I might not be fluent or anything by the time I leave, but I’m going to try to at least be understood.
I certainly don’t believe these people should abandon their native tongue and speak English always, but I should hope they at the very least they try to learn SOME English. Simple phrases, you know? “Where is the bathroom?” “How much is this?” “What time is it?” “Can I have a pack of Newports?” Stuff like that. If they want to speak their native tongue with their family, go ahead, talk trash about me in Spanish. I’m not going to understand a word of it, so why should I care?
P.S. From my own personal experience, most Middle Eastern, Eastern European, and Asian (the groups of people I saw the most) tourists/immigrants seemed to have few problems with learning enough English to conduct your average convenience store transaction. Just saying.
Jan 21, 2009 at 3:45 pm rating: +1
#58
firepail
I’ve seen the “English only after this point” sign before at the English School–and it’s to remind ESL students to practice their English conversation skills.
Jan 21, 2009 at 5:47 pm rating: 0
#59
KoT
THANK YOU for the people who post these things!
AMERICA the BEAUTIFUL … if you don’t like English … get the fuck out!
And, FUCK YOU liberals who want to say those of us who have fought for your right to take pot-shots at us … you’re really tough on the internet … let’s meet somewhere and have a conversation you might not like in ENGLISH!
Jan 22, 2009 at 9:34 pm rating: 0
#60
cellardoor
I think it’s cool to hear all the languages that I do everyday. Especially the French, cuz it always sounds beautiful and/or hot, and I speak it, so I get to eavesdrop.
What I don’t like is when the store/service owner/operator barely speaks English and I cannot communicate with them. AAA dispatched a non- or barely English speaking service truck to me when I was stranded on a highway at night. Not cool. We couldn’t communicate, so I had to wait another half hour + in the dark for the next service provider to arrive. On the other hand, I had to take language tests in order to work overseas, and had to be highly conversant before I was accepted.
The AAA example is not an isolated incident in my town. Shops, dry cleaners, restaurants, gas stations – it just goes on and on. I know we are the land of the free, etc. etc., but grrrrr when simple tasks devolve into frustrating experiences all because many haven’t bothered to learn the language of the country where he/she lives and works.
/rant over
/closes cellar door to avoid cabbage toss
Jan 23, 2009 at 2:02 am rating: 0
#61
Katya
Wow… if this bothers you, you’d be appalled by Japan…
Jan 23, 2009 at 10:07 am rating: 0
#62
kate
…I kinda sympathize with the sign maker, while it’s a bit unnecessary to make a sign about it.
It’s not that I don’t like foreigners, but if someone has been here upwards of 5 years it’s time to learn the language. Whether or not you want to become a citizen here, learning it’s native language is something you should do when you move here.
Jan 23, 2009 at 10:09 am rating: +1
#63
Josh
Two hilarious parts.
1) If there are so many Latin immigrants, chances are it’s somewhere in the US which was captured by military force from Mexico somewhere back in history… as evidenced by the fact that all the towns are named in Spanish (ie: Los Angeles). Maybe those should be changed to English too?
2) Of the many Americans who have moved to Costa Rica, or any other Latin American country, how few of them can speak a word of Spanish. I once went to a youth hostel in CR where the American ex-pat owner actually said (in thick drawl) “We don’t speak no spaaaynish heee-yehr. I ain’t learnin”.
Jan 23, 2009 at 6:50 pm rating: 0
#64
Armyfork
I do want to point out that this sign looks like the english-only signs at my college. At first I thought it was being racist, but then I realized I was in the english training area, and they were forcing the english only zone to encourage the new speakers in using the language instead of their native tongues.
Jan 24, 2009 at 12:59 am rating: 0
#65
American
It’s not racist to expect all citizens of the US to speak English. But that’s the problem. These signs are directed at people who refuse to become citizens. They come into our country illegally, use the country’s resources, but refuse to be responsible American citizens.
If I moved to Germany, I would be expected to learn German. Period.
It’s not about disliking a race, it’s about disliking people entering America illegally and not assimilating.
Why is this so hard for people to understand?
Jan 25, 2009 at 6:25 pm rating: +1
#66
Penelope
I am a foreigner who lives in US. And I think it is pretty offensive that there are people living here for 20 years, legally or otherwise, and who have not bothered to learn English.
But again, when I was in my home country, very often I would meet Americans and Brittons who were living there for quite a few years and who had not bothered to learn our language.
There are dumb people everywhere.
Jan 28, 2009 at 12:04 am rating: +2
#67
American
two cents: Being a tutor for someone who DOES NOT WANT to learn English will do no good.
Goldie: LEGAL immigrants built this country. Not ILLEGAL ones. Get a clue, you PC robot. Try thinking for yourself for a change.
Jan 29, 2009 at 2:26 pm rating: 0
#68
Josh
Wait WHAT? I’d like to see you back that up with numbers Mr. “American” hot head. I bet that’s totally inaccurate seeing as the illegal ones are the ones forced to do the shitty jobs cheap, en mass. I bet your economy is propped up more by illegal immigrants than anyone likes to think. In fact, the one intelligent and totally out of character thing that George Bush did was to go all soft on illegal immigration.
Jan 29, 2009 at 5:23 pm rating: +2
#69
American
Josh: Bush is the worst President America has ever had.
Legal immigrants (our founding fathers) built America. Illegal immigrants are currently draining America’s resources. Two different things.
No-one forces illegal immigrants to take low pay for jobs.
Don’t bother bringing up native Americans. I’m part Creek Indian.
Jan 29, 2009 at 10:34 pm rating: 0
#70
D.S.
I agree with Penelope. If you don’t want to learn English, fine, your choice. My great grandparents never learned to be fluent but they also didn’t expect people to learn their language.
So don’t expect me to learn Spanish any time soon.
Jan 30, 2009 at 11:08 am rating: +1
#71
D.S.
Oh and I’m also not one of those Americans that expects people in France or Germany or Russia to speak English to me when I’m traveling there. Obviously it’s a different language and I don’t need to understand it. I don’t expect other countries to have to learn English just to appease the American tourist.
Jan 30, 2009 at 11:16 am rating: +2
#72
Sinthe
This is so fucking sad! Sometimes, I just can’t believe how intolerant my fellow Americans can be.
Feb 27, 2009 at 4:50 pm rating: 0
#73
Mark
Wow. You should call this site either “passiveagressivecomments.com” or “passiveaggressiveposttitles.com”
Mar 7, 2009 at 1:39 am rating: 0
#74
Anna
This bothers me for a couple of reasons:
First of all, yes, in fact this is “America”, or North America to be exact. In North America, English, Spanish, and French , and even Inuit are spoken.
“America” does NOT equal “United States of America”.
Also, we speak English in The U.S. thanks to the English. Thank you Britain!
Mar 9, 2009 at 4:51 pm rating: 0
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