Hirschfeld: Don’t be language prejudice
Some people judge a person’s linguistics by the color of their skin. It’s to give everyone a chance.
By Matt Hirschfeld (Contact)
Tuesday, September 4th, 2007
I have worked in a bank as a teller for about a year. As with any job, I have worked with a plethora of customers, ranging from the local bum who keeps socks on his hands and wears a floral cape to millionaires. I’ve been yelled at, cursed at and threatened (not because of my service but more because of money problems). I’ve never been personally offended by any of these interactions. I have been personally offended, though, by one sect of customers, and all they had to say was one word: “Him.”
I work with three Spanish speaking employees. One is male, from Bolivia and a native speaker, one knows the language because of his Mexican parents, and the other got her degree in Spanish at KU.
The offense beings when I am done helping a routine customer and ask for the next person in line. I look up, and there are a few Spanish speaking customers, pointing at the Bolivian or the Mexican/American, saying “Him” over and over again. To my surprise, they will wait, sometimes up to 20 minutes, to be helped by someone who speaks their native language.
They will not be helped by my co-worker who earned a degree in Spanish. They must assume because her skin is white that she only speaks English. Only some of the Spanish speaking customers are willing to “take the risk” and be helped by someone other than my two male co-workers. These brave souls, thankfully, have realized that I know how to do my job.
I am fully competent, if not more competent, of making their deposits, cashing their checks, and transferring their money. I may not know a lick of Spanish beyond “How are you?”, “Thank you”, and “For Spanish, please press two”, but I do not know when was the last time it required a ten minute conversation in Spanish to accomplish the tasks mentioned previously.
I asked my male co-workers why it takes so much longer to do a transaction with a Spanish speaking customer as compared with English speaking. They said they make more of an effort to have a conversation with Spanish speaking customer because “it makes them feel special.”
I really do wonder how it would be handled if I were to go to, for example, an average fast-food restaurant and be serviced by someone who speaks only some English, just enough to take my order and take my money. What if I were to demand that I be helped by someone who speaks fluent English? If I just politely smiled like the Spanish speaking customers and wait to be “properly serviced.” I am sure that the person is capable to take my order and understand what I want, or, in other words, do his or her job. I am also almost positive I would be refused service and asked to leave.
Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the cultural aspect of the melting pot of what I’ve come to know as America. I enjoy hearing about different cultures’ customs and what they do here to accommodate to keep tradition alive. For example, my co-worker informed me that Cinco de Mayo is a holiday, and I quote, “that only you white people like to celebrate as an excuse to party. It’s not that big of a deal in Mexico.”
I really do try to treat everyone I interact with equally, but when I am treated at my job as incompetent, ignorant and worthless, that melting pot I’ve come to love begins to harden. And it’s going to take awhile for it to start boiling again.
Hirschfeld is a Augusta junior in journalism.
Discussion
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Who writes these headlines?
Don't be language prejudiceD
What is a person's linguistics?
Your attempt to put yourself in the Spanish speakers' shoes falls flat. Rather than picturing yourself in a resteraunt in America, why not picture yourself in a bank in a foriegn country where you don't know the language well. There is an American teller in the bank who has longer converstations with you in English to make you feel 'special'. Would you wait to speak with that teller when you go to the bank. I probably would.
Why do you take their choice as an afront to you?
Wow... Linguo just pretty much summed it up.
I believe it would be more comfortable to speak someone fluent in my native language, but the fact is I would try to learn the most commonly-used language of the native land if I was to try to reside in that country.
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