[ilbegone]

I see the Spanish language demand almost every day. It seems directed towards me because I don't cater to them in Spanish. I'm sure quite a bit of it would be lessened if I did, for some who speak decent English try to force me into Spanish if they get the idea I might have a good idea of what they are talking about in Spanish but am holding out.

Some of it is plain bigotry.

The other day, there was a cleaning woman to whom I said "Hello" in a motel lobby, but she just gave me a blank look and pointed towards the desk window. I then said "Como estas?", to which she replied a mumbled "Bien" while looking away . Finishing my business I said "Buen Tardes" to her, whereupon she got a disgusted look on her face, "Humph"ed and walked away from me.

But there's some of the other stuff too.

The Mexican I've been working with unbelievingly told me that another employee (with Mexican ancestry), who often speaks Spanish with him, told the Mexican that he (the other employee) was 100% American. The Mexican added that all one had to do was look at the second employee's skin to see that the other employee was Mexican, why was trying to pretend otherwise? I replied that race doesn't make nationality. I'm not sure if he understood what I meant.

There is another (third) employee (with Mexican ancestry) with whom he also speaks Spanish. One day the Mexican was talking about the job in Spanish to the third employee, and the third Employee snapped at him to speak English. I'm guessing it was because it was about the job, and everyone needed to be clued in and on the same page, it was inappropriate to be rattling off in Spanish with about fifteen other people who only know English.

And here is one that makes me feel good.

My Elena, a Mexican woman we are aquainted with who speaks only a few words of English, and a woman who grew up in the Inland Empire as well as a woman from Cholula, Mexico, were discussing briefly Christmas the other day. The conversation among the four was in Spanish, except for the woman from Cholula. When I first met her, she didn't speak English. However, her part in this conversation was all in English in spite of the woman present who doesn't know English - I think she felt she needed to include me in my language. I believe it to be unusual for a Mexican to do so.