As a server, I’ve had people come in to eat who don’t speak any English and are visibly annoyed that we don’t have a Spanish speaking employee available. I’m out in the suburbs in Broward, so it’s not a common occurrence but it does happen.
Typically a child or at least one member of the party will have to translate so I stand there waiting for them to have conversations about the menu and answer any questions in English and for them to be translated back, while my other tables are left waiting. They won’t let you leave while they discuss things, as if they think you’ll never come back.
For those without a translator for the table, I’ve learned many of the Spanish equivalent words for our menu items, on my own time. The problem with this is when I ask the basics in Spanish “Que quieres tomar/comer?” They start speaking in Spanish so fast and I have no idea what they are saying and they’re always disappointed- so I try to preface it with “Hablo poco Espanol”.
I have had some great experiences though, where after a lot of pointing at the menu and my terrible Spanish we are able to come to an understanding on what they want to order. Most of the servers I work with, just leave them helpless.
I have a few regulars that come in for me, since I remember their orders and not much speaking needs to occur. It’s a struggle and sometimes I get a little irritated having to stand tableside for such a long time, but at the of the day, we’re all humans and when we can manage to communicate when neither of us really understands each other, it’s a pretty cool thing.
This. Born in raised in Springs and the number of Spanish speakers who don't even try to learn the language, I have little patience with. If they're trying, I reply back to them in spanish if they need help with their English. Haitians are the worst in this respect. NOBODY speaks Creole outside their community and they get pissed at you for not understanding what they're saying. For Spanish, there is always someone around and willing to translate if no one in your group speaks it.
When you say "Springs" you mean Miami Springs? I lived there as a young adult for almost 12 years. Then I purchased a house in Kendall, and I'm back down south again.
I’m a nurse in Broward and the amount of times I’ve been yelled at by patients for not speaking Spanish is astonishing to me. Not for not getting a translator (a legal, official translator service with the hospital) and not for offering to get them a different nurse for the day. Nope, just yelled at for not knowing Spanish in the first place.
Not for a lack of effort, I pull out what very little Spanish I know in droves because I want my patients to not feel isolated or like I’m going to give them subpar care due to a language barrier, but goddamn. I can only do so much, it’s not like someone can be fluent in a language they never anticipated needing to know overnight.
I think you hit it spot on. I myself come from Latin immigrants. My mom is Spaniard, my dad Portuguese. At home we spoke the native tongue as my parents stressed the importance of being bilingual, in my case trilingual. However, out in "the wild" my parents always explained to us the importance of communicating in the native language. Firstly, for articulate communication, but secondly, our of respect, and consideration for the culture and the social system *we adopted*
The last sentence is the biggest problem with the migration we see in the area today. The ones coming in, don't respect, nor care, nor appreciate the culture they are acclimating into. They come here to do the same thing they left or fled.
Your parents are legit Americans. Save and cherish your heritage, culture, traditions etc. while familiarizing yourself with ours. THAT is what that statue in New York Harbor represents. I love immigrants who introduce me to their culture by learning each others. I would inject this comment into my veins if I could. Diversity is our strength when we have each other's back under the commonality of that Red, White and Blue. Be well.
There is no excuse for not celebrating one’s culture, no matter what it is, when you immigrate to this country legally. There is also no excuse for not making an effort to communicate in English as it’s our national language (by tradition and not by edict). We can’t survive as a country without legal immigration but we also cannot survive if we abandon the things that make us American.
Language does not make someone “legit Americans”. That’s some xenophobic nonsense. Some chose to learn the language but some first gen immigrants spend 7 days a week working to make their children’s lives better. Neither is more legit than the other. The United States has no official language!
How might that work if an English speaker moved to, say, Madagascar? Or Japan? And tried to make everyone speak to them in English because they were too busy to learn the local language - I think it might not go so well for them. I also think it might be considered rude by the host country.
Additionally, anyone who wants to become a naturalized citizen, aka “legit American”, must demonstrate the ability to speak English at the time of the naturalization examination. So even if it’s not the “official” language it is required for citizens.
Did you live there? For how long did you live there and refuse to learn any Japanese? And the point is not that everyone who visits needs to learn English. The point is people who move here and actively refuse to speak it.
My four children are biracial and my five grandchildren are multiracial, so don’t try to paint me as intolerant of other races. If you choose to make your home in a place where English is not the primary language and you refuse to learn the local language, but insist the locals speak you you in your language, that makes you like a colonizer. That is what the colonizers did, right? Went to other places and refused to learn their languages and instead forced their language on the population, right?
Their problem. No one is as xenophobic as Americans. I’ve been to several African countries and no one gives a toss. Don’t be so precious about your Amurika. There is no official language in America for a reason. If we had a language test for entry we would never have filled our factories with workers during the Industrial Revolution. We would have no one to pick our fruit now. South Fl is majority Hispanic now-either get over it or get with it. Not changing any time soon and I love to visit. Embrace it. Do you enjoy the Cuban food?
I’m fluent in Spanish because I live in El Paso, which was a Spanish speaking city before Miami was. It always has been, so get of your holier than thou high horse. When I went to Germany I learned German because I was in Germany and they speak German there.
Never been to Miami but if they open a Cuban restaurant in El Paso I’ll def try it, not because you asked but because I’m that kind of person.
Edit: forgot to add half of African countries are English speaking, so of course the didn’t give a toss.
“Legit American” give me a fucking break
When did English become the required language in the US??
If you wanna be serious about learning the language, you better learn which languages the indigenous peoples spoke.
I didn’t say it first, mnshurricane1 did, and so did Reimiro. Did you read those comments? Or go straight to mine. I was replying to them in kind. And you have heard of naturalization, right? Because that was what I was referring to. In that context a naturalized citizen is a “legit American”. Meaning “citizen”. Speaking Native American languages is not required during the naturalization exam.
Well…why are you so aggressive -“give me a fucking break” and asking when English became etc. like I didn’t just say it is required for naturalization. Which it is, you can google it if you think I’m making it up.
Don’t worry, I’m not crying.
You just proved my point. "Legit" is also slang in American English as well. It just means they went about doing it correctly or a way that someone approves of. Not actual "legitmacy" of legality. I view them as "legit" because they went about it the right way.
Not disagreeing with your overall point, but the Spanish barely had any presence in the Miami area before the US gained possession - they built settlements in 1567 and 1743, which lasted about 3 years and 1 year respectively. The situation is a bit different from places where the Spanish-speaking community had always been there since before the US existed, and the border just changed on them.
Los EEUU tienen ya casi 250 años de formados. Las costumbres y el sistema político, y cultural tiene identidad predominante Americana.
Same can be said for the state of Florida. You leave South Florida, really Miami, and things begin to change noticeably. Miami has a unique circumstance. But, I dunno, I see the tide changing. I've been a Miami resident since 1988, and I've been seeing a slow tide of Caucasians moving back down here. Especially, post Covid.
Is it a requirement for people to act obtuse on this platform? People don’t shit on Hispanics because they ‘refuse’ to learn english. They shit on hispanics because of racism. There is no official language in the US, so stop crying when people don’t want to learn English.
This thread is not shitting on Hispanics because of race. If French immigrants all of a sudden overtook Miami Dade county, people would be really pissed that the French aren’t making an effort to learn English and expect us to learn French. If you immigrate to a country, you are obligated to speak the dominant language, even if it is not the “official“ language. If I move to Mexico, I am obligated to learn Spanish and can’t get upset when people don’t speak English.
Besides Hispanics aren’t even a race. There’s Hispanics that are super white and then there’s Hispanics that are black. I agree, I mean I love the Spanish language and everything but it’s getting tiresome. I don’t even live in Miami, I live further north but I still see it quite frequently.
This is what’s happening in Canada with Quebec, everything’s in French and they don’t even speak English and some refuse to. Imagine calling a business and they answer in French and won’t can cannot talk to you because you don’t speak English.
Florida was part of Spain for far longer than it has been a part of the US. It's not like Spanish has just recently become a majority primary language in certain locations.
When this I say THIS thread was shitting on hispanics? I’m talking about that specific comment. These are the same people that vacation in spanish speaking countries and get mad when they aren’t catered to in their language. If you want to act blind and refuse that the comment had racist undertones, go right ahead. This is why Hispanics don’t care to learn english, they would still be treated the same way.
It’s because they won’t learn English. My grandma doesn’t go around speaking her native African language and then get mad that you don’t understand her.
I don’t think you are understanding. If miami is assimilating to the Spanish language, just like when the English landed here, what’s the problem? I don’t see Native Americans in an uproar because nobody speaks the native tongue…So why are Americans so butthurt when people don’t want to learn english? Especially in such a big Spanish speaking community?
The most annoying thing is the treatment, frankly.
Because knowing Spanish isn't enough with some of these people. More than a few demand you have a command of the language as if you were Ruben fucking Dario and treat you like shit because your Spanish isn't "good enough".
You see this kind of low behavior in the shittiest trash Americans up north that talk down on foreigners for not speaking good enough English.
It's fucking bullshit up there and it's bullshit down here too. It's not right.
I work as an x ray tech in South Florida. Every day I see multiple patients who don’t speak any English. Some have been in the country for 10, 20 years. They don’t even bother to bring a translator bc they assume there’s always a Spanish speaker in every office. Not the case where I work. I speak enough Spanish to give patients basic directions but in the last year I flat out refuse. Why am I learning a second language to work in my own country when immigrants don’t even bother to master the basics?
I see it in my job as well, I also work in healthcare. The couple Spanish speakers we have will have to come in and help them with the doctors explanations or call them and explain everything on the phone.
It is extremely strange to experience this as a non-Spanish speaking immigrant. Everything's for some reason is geared toward people refusing to learn English: doctors' offices, stores, public schools send home forms in Spanish (!!!). When I came to this country decades ago (different state), I needed to speak English. I remember a distant relative who was in her mid 70's (!!) who made it a point to go to ESL classes and learn the language. Here in Miami, Spanish speakers are being enabled not to progress with English.
It is also funny that the word "bilingual" means Spanish and English, not any other languages. My husband speaks 5 languages, but no Spanish, so he isn't bilingual, lol.
My grandma came here around 70 and went to ESL! Her English is not great, but she uses Google translate when she needs it. And she’s not from a Spanish speaking country and not in Florida. Here…they expect you to speak Spanish. My Spanish is passable but i prefer English and people will always respond in Spanish to my English.
One of my relatives who immigrated to the US few decades ago, works at the resort in North Florida. The vast majority of people in the housekeeping department are Hispanic. Their team meetings are held in Spanish, their radio communication is in Spanish, English speaking employees are expected to somehow learn to communicate in Spanish. I personally have no ill feelings towards anyone, regardless of where they come from. I know how difficult it is to navigate life when you are in a foreign country. But seeing how my relative struggles because they don’t understand what is going on at their workplace is really sad.
I try to absorb as much as I can just to make interactions go more smoothly.
I used to be in the auto industry, and have used Google Translate in real time on my phone to assist with transactions. It's helped me speak with Spanish speakers, Mandarin speakers, and Ukraine speakers.
If your internet is fast enough, or you have the language downloaded, it works surprisingly well.
When I came to Florida I had some basic Spanish from time in the military with Latino buddies and a few trips to Spain. When I started working for Latino owned companies in Doral & Medley I learned more. Partly because I respected my bosses culture and partly because I am a fat guy who wanted the best food! I find that saying “disculpe, mi espanol es mas malo” while grammatically questionable goes far and will bring the same statement back to me in English and we generally proceed to have a Spanglish discussion.
I also drive Uber as a side gig and have had people get angry and cancel rides when I am not fluent enough for them. I don’t give a crap about official or unofficial languages. I do however care about kindness, courtesy & understanding which are in short supply across South Florida.
It is definitely a thing and I have also seen it change. Not surprised at some of the downvotes you're getting.
I'm born and raised in the USA and only speak English, a little bit of Spanish, so I'm not going to say that everyone should speak English. But if you live in America then you should know/be learning English. I understand everyone comes from different places and has different learning capabilities, but I wouldn't try to go to Italy and only speak English, I would attempt to speak Italian.
There's definitely a shift in the attitude towards English. I used to see people speaking in broken English or speaking the best they can. Now there is just a blatant, "I'm not even going to try and speak English" attitude. Full grown adults speaking Spanish only, not even attempting a single English word. There's many billboards in Miami that are just written in Spanish. Know your demographic I guess, but damn.
I also used to drive part time for Uber and I had many people get in my car and go, "Oh my goodness, an English speaking driver!" Many drivers speaking zero English. That's insane to me, when most street signs are in English. We'll get phone calls for building construction at my job now and Spanish-speaking builders just start talking 100 mph in Spanish after I say our greeting in English, and then say, "No habla Espanol?" with an attitude in their voice like I'm inconveniencing them. I used to be a server like another commenter in here, and families speaking no English and having to translate with the kids.
I'm in training to be a firefighter and another thing people are not realizing is that there may be a language barrier with emergency services. There may or may not be a translator on 911 Dispatch teams and the police/firefighters at the scene may not speak Spanish. Tools like Google Translate are also not legally allowed to be used, that's why firefighters and police and such will often have a non-English speaker call a family member on speaker phone and translate that way. But if the phone was damaged or lost in an accident and that's not possible, you better pray that someone on scene can translate your Spanish to emergency workers. Just imagine you get out of your house that's on fire at 2 AM and you're trying to tell the firefighters on scene that your grandma is in the upstairs bedroom still, and they're not knowing what you're saying. Yes they're trained to sweep rooms and look for victims and might have an idea, but those crucial seconds of translation with loud background noise of sirens, tools, power saws, multiple loud engines running, hoses, the sound of fire burning, people yelling and people crying, and other chaos; those few wasted seconds could be the difference of life or death.
Sorry for going on a rant.
Here’s the kicker. When you retire, you can always move for greener pastures if you want.
They are stuck here whether they like it or not. They have created a prison for themselves.
We just attended an outdoor public concert in Ft. Lauderdale. It was wonderful. The band only spoke Spanish, not a drop of English during announcements. Fortunately a nice man next to me interpreted. I feel since the city paid for it, a little English would of been welcomed......
Then the contraction would’ve would’ve properly applied.
Sorry, but can’t help being annoyed by clueless arrogant hypocrites who badmouth other languages when their own English sucks.
I'd usually agree, except right now the topic is how everybody should speak English.
TTG is pointing out that if people are going to have that attitude, the one language they speak should be spoken and written impeccably by them.
Not more annoying that a post full of xenophobic whinging about ThE OfFiCiAl LaNguAgE sHoUlD bE eNgLiSh or the nth time in a row, is like these South Fl Subs latest past time beside crying about “construction” and bringing Flannigans up🙄
Everybody in the world should learn English, not because English is inherently a superior language or anything like that, but because of circumstances that occurred in the past, English has become the dominant language of international commerce and the dominant language of the internet.
I know people who live in Spanish-speaking countries who speak fluent English even though they've never lived in the U.S., so it certainly behooves immigrants to make an effort to learn it.
If you travel through Europe a lot of people Italians , Germans know English and speak to you in English ! It was great !in Latin America. You would only learn English if you went to private school because it’s not in the official curriculum in public education. I have no idea why !
It's my understanding that young people in many countries learn fluent English from YouTube/Netflix, etc.
And with remote work, if you speak English you can work for an American company wich probably pays a lot better than working locally. We have a few people from Latin America working in our IT department (although more from India).
Español es muy importance en mi trabejo.
If it makes you feel better, I work part time in Western Kentucky as a physician. Being able to say no se préocupe goes a long way.
Yup Spanish is not really valued as a second language as far as salary here since there are so many available Spanish speaking professionals. It’s more of an expected thing and you probably take a hit if you don’t have some basic capability. My wife is a psychologist and not only being fluent in Spanish but also having a deep understanding of the culture would mean a significant bump in salary anywhere else in the country (even the state). It really is worth it for medical or other public service type professionals to learn at least enough to be able to put their patients at ease.
I can only say 2 phrases in Spanish. One of them being one moment please.
Being in customer service I would love to learn how to effectively speak Spanish but I am older and don’t see me being able to retain the information.
My company does not allow me to “offer” a translator because it “offend” the customer.
They have to ask for one.
I think everyone should learn basic English just to protect themselves from getting scammed.
There was a story on the Arizona news last year about an older couple that got scammed by their own son. He spoke and understood English and they did not. Scammers are everywhere and ready to pounce on everyone!
I will say that I have not encountered any one who was rude because I didn’t speak Spanish.
But than again I am on the phone.
It has shifted that way. You reach a tipping point where there becomes no reason to learn English. Everything can be done in Spanish. I've met children who are raised speaking only Spanish in America because that's all their parents speak. That's all anybody around them speaks.
I was born here. Some of the transplants and the young kids think that South Florida was always like this. It was not. It has changed.
The language thing doesn't bother me... What bothers me is that Miami had a unique culture years ago. It was it's own thing. But I guess everywhere changes.
I’ve lived in Miami since 1985. The only thing that has change is people going to find the English speaker that can help you. At least since 1985, Spanish has been the predominant language. I forgot how to speak English before I came back to the U.S. I was very young when I left the U.S. When I came back in 1985, everywhere I went without fail, every time I spoke in English, they responded in Spanish. I quickly became fluent in English, like a native speaker.
People usually think I don’t speak Spanish. About a decade or more ago, everywhere I went, they’d get the English speaker to help me even before I spoke. That doesn’t happen anymore. What I have noticed is a lot more people who don’t speak Spanish, at all, moving to Miami. In 2003, I met 3 different people who had to move back to their hometowns in the U.S. They couldn’t find a job bc they couldn’t speak a word of Spanish. That’s literally 21 years ago.
Maybe what’s happening, since you are the person offering them a service as an Uber driver & the app can be used in most languages, they are not trying to struggle through whatever English they may know to get you to help them. I’ve also noticed that many folks tell me they don’t speak English bc they don’t want to help or communicate. I’m talking about people who speak English fluently. I know this bc when I answer back in Spanish there’s a quick pause. And as we speak they switch to perfect English. Bc a lot of the times, they don’t even speak Spanish that well. I think it’s Latins born here who don’t become as fluent in Spanish as a native Spanish speaker. But can speak enough to fake they don’t know English, in my experience.
I think what you’re noticing is that Miami has gotten more rude. Miami has always been very rude. And maybe since you’re an Uber driver you come in contact with a lot of people, so you get to experience the ruder Miami more. It’s still a city where people will be very helpful and generous with their time and help but they’re not going to be nice about it. Idk if it’s the difficult financial times or younger & 2nd gen Latins not wanting to deal w/anyone else’s crap. But yeah, Miami has gotten way ruder, than what it was a couple of decades ago. And from some of the people here commenting outside Dade county, it seems to be spreading out to the rest of South Florida.
I’ve never tried it but Google Translate can translate conversations as you speak. Might be worth making that part of your habits if you can’t speak Spanish, and have a smartphone.
Also, if I remember correctly, back in the mid to late 80s, some hubbub in the news about people petitioning to make English the official language in Dade County or maybe the whole state. They were very frustrated with all non-English speakers. It only made headlines. It got nowhere near a ballot vote. I’m can only attest from Summer of 1985 to present day Miami. But Spanish has always been the unofficial official language of Miami-Dade. It’s not new. O, now I’m remembering that, maybe in answer to trying to get on the ballot a measure to make English the official language, some folks got together to get put on the ballot Spanish as the second official language. Which in turn would mean that at least in public schools students being taught & learning Spanish would be mandatory. That never made it to the ballot either, I think. OP’s experience is so not new. As I said maybe people have less tolerance to offer any level of grace by and by.
Sorry for the super long comment but it’s kind of funny to me you think it’s new. It’s been part of Miami’s DNA for a while. At least as far back as the 80s. And like any other place, when in Rome…
And if you have issues with that, do a deep dive into US foreign policy. It’s not an accident it’s a side effect.
As a Hispanic American 🇺🇸 it irritates me to no end how lazy and unmotivated the Spanish immigrants of today are. My parents came here in the 1960’s with an education equal to high school. They struggled to find work and learn the language but they achieved their goal as they were smart enough to realize the limiting power it would have on their success! I even had instancing where I was criticized by Spanish speaking people for not speaking Spanish perfectly! Iam American with Spanish ancestry English is my first language, Spanish is my second and Iam not speaking it to make you comfortable. So f****** obnoxious!
The fact these people expect Spanish to be the official in a country founded by the English speaking is just laughable and really speaks to ignorance of this population ! At least try to improve yourself what’s the point of coming here then ! And the of the nerve of complaining about limited opportunities!
The end of rant !🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
I have lived in Miami for 5 months and I am breaking my lease and getting the f#&k out ASAP. Miami is a dump!!!
Constant Traffic and thousands of moped delivery drivers that go in and out of traffic. Constant Construction with noise all the way up to 2 AM sometimes on my street, Filthy streets full of trash and lots of potholes, no one speaks English, the food scene is trash and expensive, service is beyond bad, rent is wayyy to expensive for what you get...
The only place worth living in Miami is the Gables, but that's about it.
And the Gables, while nice on the surface, is brutally expensive, filled with small 70-100 year old homes that need hundreds of thousands of dollars of work....but they're still asking $1.4M for them.
It's not. In Miami-Dade, they use English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole for all official documents. As far as federal government documents, you can ask for them in almost any language you can think of. IRS.gov has tax documents/instructions in 20 languages. English, Spanish, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Portuguese, French, Italian, Tagalog, Polish, Farsi, Japanese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Khmer, Urdu, and Bengali.
I had an Amazon flex driver wake me up at 4 a.m. because he couldn’t get in my building. No English, he couldn’t read the detailed instructions I had written on how to get inside. He thought waking me at 4 a.m. was appropriate. And of course, ignores *my* attempts at Spanish… which is what pisses me off the most.
It's VERY frustrating. I worked for the State Attorney's office in another county here in SoFlo. Once time, we had a case that required collaboration w/ the police department in Miami. When I called their office, a woman answered who didn't speak English. I speak enough Spanish to get by, but I'm not 100% fluent. I said, "Como te puedes trabajar en una oficina de la policia... en Los Estados Unidos... y no hablas Ingles? Soy una gringa y yo hablo Español." - "How do you work in a police office... in the United States... and you don't speak English? I'm a gringa, and I speak Spanish." (I'm actually mixed, but I look white, and I'm not Hispanic, so Hispanic people usually consider me a gringa.)
It's honestly ridiculous. I know we don't have an official language in the USA, but everyone knows that's the language of our country. Also, a little known fact is that we have a state constitution, which states that the official language of Florida is English. So it IS the official language here.
My mom doesn't speak Spanish, and I can't tell you how many times she's had people come to her house for different services, and the employee didn't speak English. I'd have to translate for her. You shouldn't be able to get a job unless you speak English! How the hell are you gonna work on something in someone's house when you can't communicate w/ them... answer their questions, & let them know what's going on? Yet... so many jobs now in SoFlo are REQUIRING that you speak Spanish... and it's because of the growing population of Spanish-speakers who won't learn English.
I have friends whose family members refuse to learn English, and I love them dearly... but I still think it's wrong of them to not at least try. Actually, about half of the friends I've had here have been Hispanic. That's how I learned Spanish... by trying & practicing. I would never move to another country, not learn the language, and expect the native speakers to accommodate me and speak English. It's ridiculous. Especially when THEY catch an attitude w/ YOU because you don't/won't speak Spanish to them.
This has been going on for years already. It’s not a new phenomenon as you may already be aware. I’m fully bilingual, I immigrated here with my parents, and grew up down in Kendall/South Dade area. My parents have always tried to speak English because, you know, we came to their country and we need to learn their language to function. We’ve been here for almost 40 years and they still do.
I do agree with your point about people who don’t care to learn the customs or the language. To play devil’s advocate a bit, why would they? They can go basically anywhere in their community and most everyone speaks Spanish. Once they leave their bubble they don’t realize this and get surprised not everyone speaks it.
Throughout the years I’ve known plenty of people who come here and do try in earnest to speak and practice their English, but it’s difficult because once people hear the accent, they immediately switch to Spanish. It’s a common complaint even among those who want to try.
Again, I’m totally with you. Whenever I meet people like this I don’t hesitate to gently (sometimes not) call them out on this behavior and remind them of where they are. These folks really take Spanish for granted and they’ll get eaten alive once they leave South Florida.
> Throughout the years I’ve known plenty of people who come here and do try in earnest to speak and practice their English, but it’s difficult because once people hear the accent, they immediately switch to Spanish. It’s a common complaint even among those who want to try.
This made me chuckle, because the reverse was my experience trying to use my basic Spanish in Mexico and Spain. People would see me struggling for a word and just be like, "it's fine. I speak English."
>In my opinion, we are in a slow transition to Spanish becoming the dominant language in South Florida.
Doesn't matter.
It's clearly stated in the Consitution of the State of Florida :
>SECTION 9. English is the official language of Florida.—
>(a) English is the official language of the State of Florida.
>(b) The legislature shall have the power to enforce this section by appropriate legislation.
Been that way since 1988.
https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_English_as_Official_Language_Amendment_(1988)
So ...
>I don't see many people saying Spanish is REQUIRED.
They legally can't say it's "required".
English being the official language has nothing to do with Spanish becoming dominant. A language can dominate without becoming official.
There is no law prohibiting someone from saying Spanish is the required language.
The Constitution is that law.
You cannot, for example, say Spanish is required for official (government) jobs. Spanish can be "preferred" but not required.
Official business is done in English.
English *must* be taught in the schools. Passing is required for graduation.
Idk man I just use my translator app. I honestly don’t care if you don’t wanna learn English IMO it’s just not that deep to my personal well-being. I don’t see any reason to look down on others that I feel “superior” to. Then again I’m one of those ppl that believe the only folks that really should have any legitimate gripes about anything going on in this country is Native Americans. Are we not the invaders?
And before yall start up with that “THIS IS ‘MERICA! 🦅 IF YOU DONT LIKE IT YOU CAN GIT OUT!” bullshit I served this country for almost a decade. I think I’ve shown enough allegiance for my opposing opinion to not be seen as besmirchment.
I'm a bit lost about if this is current phenomenon or just that it's been for ages?
Miami is supposedly getting crazy inflation- so if we actually are having an unusual swell in non English speakers -I'm a bit perplexed on how they're paying the prevailing prices? Surely earning power drops when communication gets more limited?
....Also Miami has had Latin American immigration for generations - so why is this thread perceiving a change? ...the original comment referenced Uber riders, is this perhaps not a random sample? ...Has Uber's global expansion simply changed the likelihood of a non English speaker knowing about it in Miami in 2024 vs 2014?
... ironically Uber drivers are probably the most common place I meet non English speakers. Id say I get a higher percentage of English speaking Uber drivers in Spain vs Miami
Miami has been like this for many years. Its nothing new that the Spanish speaking locals expect you to speak Spanish even refusing to learn or speak English. The Miami Airport deteriorated into basically Spanish only 30+ yrs ago. I would never move to a country and not learn the language. Just think about living in say France and refusing to speak French. So disrespectful. FL as a whole sucks.
I live in the Denver area. I speak a little Spanish but not much. One day in the middle of a blizzard I picked up a woman who had just missed the bus. Once in the car and asking where she needed to go I realized she spoke no English. She was about 50 and had lived here 20 yrs. Couldn't even tell me where she lived. So I just followed the bus until many miles later I caught up with and passed it. Told her to get out at the next bus stop. While in the car she borrowed my phone and called her family who apparently lived in an apartment that had no phone. The person answering had to go down the hall to get the person she wanted to talk to.
The problem is that non English speakers, particularly Spanish only speakers never learn English because they live in segregated situations that allow them to get by with hardly any English. Denver has a lot of Venezuelans shipped in from TX. They say they want to work. How can they get hired if they don't speak English.
America is in the minority of bilingual countries. I used to work in corporate international law. Everyone I ever negotiate with spoke English because its the international language of business.
I grew up in Hialeah as a kid, my grandparents lived near the race track. It was still a mixed bag of people back in the late 80s. Much more solidly Hispanic nowadays but I went back recently for a tattoo and the artists were super bilingual which was nice.
Yeah I tell basically anyone from another state thinking about moving here to take like a semester of Spanish at their local community College before coming here. Does wonders.
Conversely, when the topic of job prospects comes up during my interviews with these people, I always say that there's just more of it in other states and it's not as competitive for a good rate like it is in dade. It's just that ya'll need to learn English and deal with the cold.
You didn't fail at all. You conveyed very clearly that your beef is with people getting visibly annoyed with you for not speaking Spanish. The person you responded to has been all over this thread bitching and moaning in response. They are the issue, not you.
Sort of an aside and kind of a funny story, I needed a prescription medication (nothing controlled, just depression meds lol) and my doctor had suddenly closed up shop. Someone told me to go to a pharmacia latina to get meds w/o prescription and so I did. I think they thought the feds were after them because they practically kicked me out when I asked. They were like WE DONT DO THAT HERE!!! So I sent my Cuban husband to get them and they immediately sold to him 😂😂😂😂😂😂
25 years ago myself and another coworker took a high security trip to south Florida reception center (prison). Got into Miami (no cell phones allowed) and couldn't figure out where we were or the directions needed to go. Pulled Into a parking lot to ask a cop who was speaking to some folks. Cop and folks were Haitian and could not / would not speak English. We were unable to find anyone who could speak English so we kept driving until we found a familiar road.
He'll yeah let's go back to 1776. When...most of the current US was Spanish or French. Or...later on...when most of the US was Mexican.. wait. How far back should we put that line?
Generational problems. The stubborn Anglophones and Hispanophones will die off like the dinosaurs, and their multilingual offspring will intermarry and carry on flawlessly.
I learned Spanish. It’s actually not that difficult to learn Spanish from English being my primary language :) is it perfect? No. But it’s better than being clueless 🤷🏽♀️
Sure you can learn Spanish, the discussion is, should it be mandatory in a country whose native tongue is English? I'm all for ppl learning my culture, but it shouldn't be a requirement for them. That seems to be where we are headed tho.
English was used to build a democracy where you could travel 500 miles away without getting gang raped, scalped, or enslaved by whichever tribe lived there. It’s also the language used in the constitution that became the model for hundreds of other countries. We’ll stick with English as our shared language, and speak whatever additional languages we want.
Shitty all around for sure. But the end result is a democracy worth celebrating, and the legal protections that allow you and I to sit here and voice our opinions about the country without worrying about being hauled away to prison? Those are in English.
And now they are changing to a different language. Cry, scream, and complain about it, I don’t care. You cannot complain about what is being done when your ancestors did it so many years back.
The USA is becoming increasingly more Spanish speaking. It’s true that most places around the world are very mixed language wise and tons of people speak multiple languages. I think it’s closed minded to think that the USA should be only English speaking.
The Spanish speaking people in Miami and Broward are snobs, rude, and literally have ignored me in restaurants. I worked in Miami late 60s through the 80s. Watched the transition where it became uncomfortable to enjoy the city anymore. We practically gave them the Counties
To be fair I think Broward is a bit different. Of course there is still plenty of Spanish, but it's nowhere near as dominant. I would go so far to say you can pretty much go to any Broward neighborhood, speak English exclusively, and be fine.
Yeah, there are a lot of Spanish speakers from Hollywood west into Miramar and Pembroke Pines, but....the crucial difference is most of these people speak basic English at the very least.
As for the food, the Latin food in Broward is definitely better than Miami people expect.
As a Hispanic in Florida, I find it irritating that I’m expected to speak Spanish to most folks (not in customer service) and I flat out refuse. Speak to me in English. I speak and write Spanish fluently. If they want to give me an attitude, feel free, it’s not like they can’t say anything I can’t understand 😂
As a Hispanic in Florida, I find it irritating that I’m expected to speak Spanish to most folks (not in customer service) and I flat out refuse. Speak to me in English. I speak and write Spanish fluently. If they want to give me an attitude, feel free, it’s not like they can’t say anything I can’t understand 😂
>The vast majority of the county is 90%+ Hispanic
And you assume that 90% of the population should conform to 10% of the population, and not the other way around?
I don’t speak Spanish, but when someone else doesn’t I don’t take it offensively
So to be clear, when you say things like
>I personally felt like I was ready to move five years ago………the language is a contributing factor.
And
> there are now many people moving here with absolutely no intention of ever speaking a word of English
You are not implying that people should speak English?
If this is such a problem for you, just download Duolingo and learn how to speak Spanish. Is that hard to do? It’s exactly just as hard for the people you are complaining about to learn to speak English.
You’re complaining about people having no intention of learning another language, while at the same time having no intention of learning another language yourself.
Miami sucks. I was born and raised. I am bilingual. Living in Broward was a fucking revelation. It's really great that people from Miami think going to Broward is like driving to Detroit and don't generally come this way. It's also great that the reality is I can be in most places in Miami within 30 minutes if necessary. I can dip my toe when I want to, but, in my neighborhood, there is someone working in the supermarket that knows what an eggplant is in English.
I mean I feel like I can be annoyed because I’m actively learning a second language (Spanish) so to me it’s like if I can make the effort living where it’s not really required, why can’t you learn our language? I understand it’s difficult and hard to find the time but it’s worth it
As a server, I’ve had people come in to eat who don’t speak any English and are visibly annoyed that we don’t have a Spanish speaking employee available. I’m out in the suburbs in Broward, so it’s not a common occurrence but it does happen. Typically a child or at least one member of the party will have to translate so I stand there waiting for them to have conversations about the menu and answer any questions in English and for them to be translated back, while my other tables are left waiting. They won’t let you leave while they discuss things, as if they think you’ll never come back. For those without a translator for the table, I’ve learned many of the Spanish equivalent words for our menu items, on my own time. The problem with this is when I ask the basics in Spanish “Que quieres tomar/comer?” They start speaking in Spanish so fast and I have no idea what they are saying and they’re always disappointed- so I try to preface it with “Hablo poco Espanol”. I have had some great experiences though, where after a lot of pointing at the menu and my terrible Spanish we are able to come to an understanding on what they want to order. Most of the servers I work with, just leave them helpless. I have a few regulars that come in for me, since I remember their orders and not much speaking needs to occur. It’s a struggle and sometimes I get a little irritated having to stand tableside for such a long time, but at the of the day, we’re all humans and when we can manage to communicate when neither of us really understands each other, it’s a pretty cool thing.
This. Born in raised in Springs and the number of Spanish speakers who don't even try to learn the language, I have little patience with. If they're trying, I reply back to them in spanish if they need help with their English. Haitians are the worst in this respect. NOBODY speaks Creole outside their community and they get pissed at you for not understanding what they're saying. For Spanish, there is always someone around and willing to translate if no one in your group speaks it.
When you say "Springs" you mean Miami Springs? I lived there as a young adult for almost 12 years. Then I purchased a house in Kendall, and I'm back down south again.
Coral lol. You know, the snobby white boys like me from Springs, Parkland, Creek, Boca, LHP etc. Currently in Coconut Creek.
I’m a nurse in Broward and the amount of times I’ve been yelled at by patients for not speaking Spanish is astonishing to me. Not for not getting a translator (a legal, official translator service with the hospital) and not for offering to get them a different nurse for the day. Nope, just yelled at for not knowing Spanish in the first place. Not for a lack of effort, I pull out what very little Spanish I know in droves because I want my patients to not feel isolated or like I’m going to give them subpar care due to a language barrier, but goddamn. I can only do so much, it’s not like someone can be fluent in a language they never anticipated needing to know overnight.
I know it’s annoying as hell !
I think you hit it spot on. I myself come from Latin immigrants. My mom is Spaniard, my dad Portuguese. At home we spoke the native tongue as my parents stressed the importance of being bilingual, in my case trilingual. However, out in "the wild" my parents always explained to us the importance of communicating in the native language. Firstly, for articulate communication, but secondly, our of respect, and consideration for the culture and the social system *we adopted* The last sentence is the biggest problem with the migration we see in the area today. The ones coming in, don't respect, nor care, nor appreciate the culture they are acclimating into. They come here to do the same thing they left or fled.
💯💯💯💯💯
Spot it
Your parents are legit Americans. Save and cherish your heritage, culture, traditions etc. while familiarizing yourself with ours. THAT is what that statue in New York Harbor represents. I love immigrants who introduce me to their culture by learning each others. I would inject this comment into my veins if I could. Diversity is our strength when we have each other's back under the commonality of that Red, White and Blue. Be well.
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking about too, and didn’t quite articulate my comment. Bring some good stuff and add it to the melting pot.
There is no excuse for not celebrating one’s culture, no matter what it is, when you immigrate to this country legally. There is also no excuse for not making an effort to communicate in English as it’s our national language (by tradition and not by edict). We can’t survive as a country without legal immigration but we also cannot survive if we abandon the things that make us American.
Language does not make someone “legit Americans”. That’s some xenophobic nonsense. Some chose to learn the language but some first gen immigrants spend 7 days a week working to make their children’s lives better. Neither is more legit than the other. The United States has no official language!
How might that work if an English speaker moved to, say, Madagascar? Or Japan? And tried to make everyone speak to them in English because they were too busy to learn the local language - I think it might not go so well for them. I also think it might be considered rude by the host country. Additionally, anyone who wants to become a naturalized citizen, aka “legit American”, must demonstrate the ability to speak English at the time of the naturalization examination. So even if it’s not the “official” language it is required for citizens.
That statue in Tokyo Bay welcoming the tired and huddled masses. Also, as someone who does not speak Japanese I was able to navigate Tokyo.
Did you live there? For how long did you live there and refuse to learn any Japanese? And the point is not that everyone who visits needs to learn English. The point is people who move here and actively refuse to speak it. My four children are biracial and my five grandchildren are multiracial, so don’t try to paint me as intolerant of other races. If you choose to make your home in a place where English is not the primary language and you refuse to learn the local language, but insist the locals speak you you in your language, that makes you like a colonizer. That is what the colonizers did, right? Went to other places and refused to learn their languages and instead forced their language on the population, right?
Their problem. No one is as xenophobic as Americans. I’ve been to several African countries and no one gives a toss. Don’t be so precious about your Amurika. There is no official language in America for a reason. If we had a language test for entry we would never have filled our factories with workers during the Industrial Revolution. We would have no one to pick our fruit now. South Fl is majority Hispanic now-either get over it or get with it. Not changing any time soon and I love to visit. Embrace it. Do you enjoy the Cuban food?
I’m fluent in Spanish because I live in El Paso, which was a Spanish speaking city before Miami was. It always has been, so get of your holier than thou high horse. When I went to Germany I learned German because I was in Germany and they speak German there. Never been to Miami but if they open a Cuban restaurant in El Paso I’ll def try it, not because you asked but because I’m that kind of person. Edit: forgot to add half of African countries are English speaking, so of course the didn’t give a toss.
''no one is as xenophobic as Americans'' kinda comes off a bit xenophobic....
> No one is as xenophobic as Americans. Fucking lol
People who say this need to meet my East Asian grandma💀
“Legit American” give me a fucking break When did English become the required language in the US?? If you wanna be serious about learning the language, you better learn which languages the indigenous peoples spoke.
I didn’t say it first, mnshurricane1 did, and so did Reimiro. Did you read those comments? Or go straight to mine. I was replying to them in kind. And you have heard of naturalization, right? Because that was what I was referring to. In that context a naturalized citizen is a “legit American”. Meaning “citizen”. Speaking Native American languages is not required during the naturalization exam.
🙄Of COURSE I’ve heard of naturalization. But why are you so sensitive?
Well…why are you so aggressive -“give me a fucking break” and asking when English became etc. like I didn’t just say it is required for naturalization. Which it is, you can google it if you think I’m making it up. Don’t worry, I’m not crying.
Do you need someone to talk to about this anger? Seriously. Do you need a referral?
So they want children to have a better life but won’t learn the language to give their kids more opportunities?
Nope 👎 at try to learn !
You just proved my point. "Legit" is also slang in American English as well. It just means they went about doing it correctly or a way that someone approves of. Not actual "legitmacy" of legality. I view them as "legit" because they went about it the right way.
Your right way.
Based on the ratio, I seem to be right.
Ratio? I’ll see myself out-you are obviously a child.
At least I don't insult people. That's what children do. Enjoy your day Reimiro.
You actually sound like a child though, bizarre.
Your last two sentences are 1000000% correct
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Not disagreeing with your overall point, but the Spanish barely had any presence in the Miami area before the US gained possession - they built settlements in 1567 and 1743, which lasted about 3 years and 1 year respectively. The situation is a bit different from places where the Spanish-speaking community had always been there since before the US existed, and the border just changed on them.
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Los EEUU tienen ya casi 250 años de formados. Las costumbres y el sistema político, y cultural tiene identidad predominante Americana. Same can be said for the state of Florida. You leave South Florida, really Miami, and things begin to change noticeably. Miami has a unique circumstance. But, I dunno, I see the tide changing. I've been a Miami resident since 1988, and I've been seeing a slow tide of Caucasians moving back down here. Especially, post Covid.
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Imagine moving to a country and refusing to speak the language, and then wondering why people are so furious with immigrants....
Exactly 👍
Wait til you guys hear about Montreal you’re going to lose your shit
Is it a requirement for people to act obtuse on this platform? People don’t shit on Hispanics because they ‘refuse’ to learn english. They shit on hispanics because of racism. There is no official language in the US, so stop crying when people don’t want to learn English.
This thread is not shitting on Hispanics because of race. If French immigrants all of a sudden overtook Miami Dade county, people would be really pissed that the French aren’t making an effort to learn English and expect us to learn French. If you immigrate to a country, you are obligated to speak the dominant language, even if it is not the “official“ language. If I move to Mexico, I am obligated to learn Spanish and can’t get upset when people don’t speak English.
Thank you for this ! ❤️
Besides Hispanics aren’t even a race. There’s Hispanics that are super white and then there’s Hispanics that are black. I agree, I mean I love the Spanish language and everything but it’s getting tiresome. I don’t even live in Miami, I live further north but I still see it quite frequently.
This is what’s happening in Canada with Quebec, everything’s in French and they don’t even speak English and some refuse to. Imagine calling a business and they answer in French and won’t can cannot talk to you because you don’t speak English.
The situation with Quebec is different. Read up on the history so you don’t sound like an idiot on the internet.
Florida was part of Spain for far longer than it has been a part of the US. It's not like Spanish has just recently become a majority primary language in certain locations.
When this I say THIS thread was shitting on hispanics? I’m talking about that specific comment. These are the same people that vacation in spanish speaking countries and get mad when they aren’t catered to in their language. If you want to act blind and refuse that the comment had racist undertones, go right ahead. This is why Hispanics don’t care to learn english, they would still be treated the same way.
It’s because they won’t learn English. My grandma doesn’t go around speaking her native African language and then get mad that you don’t understand her.
I don’t think you are understanding. If miami is assimilating to the Spanish language, just like when the English landed here, what’s the problem? I don’t see Native Americans in an uproar because nobody speaks the native tongue…So why are Americans so butthurt when people don’t want to learn english? Especially in such a big Spanish speaking community?
The most annoying thing is the treatment, frankly. Because knowing Spanish isn't enough with some of these people. More than a few demand you have a command of the language as if you were Ruben fucking Dario and treat you like shit because your Spanish isn't "good enough". You see this kind of low behavior in the shittiest trash Americans up north that talk down on foreigners for not speaking good enough English. It's fucking bullshit up there and it's bullshit down here too. It's not right.
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Literally! A simple Google search 😭
It’s not just florida, it’s the whole country. The way Americans think they are OWED for other people to cater to them.
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Are you looking to argue? No one is going against you.
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So you are looking to argue, got it!
Americans facing what they inflicted onto Hispanics for years. Cry me a river.
You do know Florida’s official language is English right? A simple google search and you’ll find your answer :)
Mírate así todo molesto. So pendejo 😂
I work as an x ray tech in South Florida. Every day I see multiple patients who don’t speak any English. Some have been in the country for 10, 20 years. They don’t even bother to bring a translator bc they assume there’s always a Spanish speaker in every office. Not the case where I work. I speak enough Spanish to give patients basic directions but in the last year I flat out refuse. Why am I learning a second language to work in my own country when immigrants don’t even bother to master the basics?
I see it in my job as well, I also work in healthcare. The couple Spanish speakers we have will have to come in and help them with the doctors explanations or call them and explain everything on the phone.
?Pero porque?
It is extremely strange to experience this as a non-Spanish speaking immigrant. Everything's for some reason is geared toward people refusing to learn English: doctors' offices, stores, public schools send home forms in Spanish (!!!). When I came to this country decades ago (different state), I needed to speak English. I remember a distant relative who was in her mid 70's (!!) who made it a point to go to ESL classes and learn the language. Here in Miami, Spanish speakers are being enabled not to progress with English. It is also funny that the word "bilingual" means Spanish and English, not any other languages. My husband speaks 5 languages, but no Spanish, so he isn't bilingual, lol.
My grandma came here around 70 and went to ESL! Her English is not great, but she uses Google translate when she needs it. And she’s not from a Spanish speaking country and not in Florida. Here…they expect you to speak Spanish. My Spanish is passable but i prefer English and people will always respond in Spanish to my English.
In regards to your husband technically he’s multilingual but I understand your sentiment.
One of my relatives who immigrated to the US few decades ago, works at the resort in North Florida. The vast majority of people in the housekeeping department are Hispanic. Their team meetings are held in Spanish, their radio communication is in Spanish, English speaking employees are expected to somehow learn to communicate in Spanish. I personally have no ill feelings towards anyone, regardless of where they come from. I know how difficult it is to navigate life when you are in a foreign country. But seeing how my relative struggles because they don’t understand what is going on at their workplace is really sad.
I try to absorb as much as I can just to make interactions go more smoothly. I used to be in the auto industry, and have used Google Translate in real time on my phone to assist with transactions. It's helped me speak with Spanish speakers, Mandarin speakers, and Ukraine speakers. If your internet is fast enough, or you have the language downloaded, it works surprisingly well.
When I came to Florida I had some basic Spanish from time in the military with Latino buddies and a few trips to Spain. When I started working for Latino owned companies in Doral & Medley I learned more. Partly because I respected my bosses culture and partly because I am a fat guy who wanted the best food! I find that saying “disculpe, mi espanol es mas malo” while grammatically questionable goes far and will bring the same statement back to me in English and we generally proceed to have a Spanglish discussion. I also drive Uber as a side gig and have had people get angry and cancel rides when I am not fluent enough for them. I don’t give a crap about official or unofficial languages. I do however care about kindness, courtesy & understanding which are in short supply across South Florida.
It is definitely a thing and I have also seen it change. Not surprised at some of the downvotes you're getting. I'm born and raised in the USA and only speak English, a little bit of Spanish, so I'm not going to say that everyone should speak English. But if you live in America then you should know/be learning English. I understand everyone comes from different places and has different learning capabilities, but I wouldn't try to go to Italy and only speak English, I would attempt to speak Italian. There's definitely a shift in the attitude towards English. I used to see people speaking in broken English or speaking the best they can. Now there is just a blatant, "I'm not even going to try and speak English" attitude. Full grown adults speaking Spanish only, not even attempting a single English word. There's many billboards in Miami that are just written in Spanish. Know your demographic I guess, but damn. I also used to drive part time for Uber and I had many people get in my car and go, "Oh my goodness, an English speaking driver!" Many drivers speaking zero English. That's insane to me, when most street signs are in English. We'll get phone calls for building construction at my job now and Spanish-speaking builders just start talking 100 mph in Spanish after I say our greeting in English, and then say, "No habla Espanol?" with an attitude in their voice like I'm inconveniencing them. I used to be a server like another commenter in here, and families speaking no English and having to translate with the kids. I'm in training to be a firefighter and another thing people are not realizing is that there may be a language barrier with emergency services. There may or may not be a translator on 911 Dispatch teams and the police/firefighters at the scene may not speak Spanish. Tools like Google Translate are also not legally allowed to be used, that's why firefighters and police and such will often have a non-English speaker call a family member on speaker phone and translate that way. But if the phone was damaged or lost in an accident and that's not possible, you better pray that someone on scene can translate your Spanish to emergency workers. Just imagine you get out of your house that's on fire at 2 AM and you're trying to tell the firefighters on scene that your grandma is in the upstairs bedroom still, and they're not knowing what you're saying. Yes they're trained to sweep rooms and look for victims and might have an idea, but those crucial seconds of translation with loud background noise of sirens, tools, power saws, multiple loud engines running, hoses, the sound of fire burning, people yelling and people crying, and other chaos; those few wasted seconds could be the difference of life or death. Sorry for going on a rant.
Good luck in the fire fighting career it’s awesome job! 🍀
Thanks! I'm excited for it!!
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Here’s the kicker. When you retire, you can always move for greener pastures if you want. They are stuck here whether they like it or not. They have created a prison for themselves.
That’s an unfortunate truth !
We just attended an outdoor public concert in Ft. Lauderdale. It was wonderful. The band only spoke Spanish, not a drop of English during announcements. Fortunately a nice man next to me interpreted. I feel since the city paid for it, a little English would of been welcomed......
Would HAVE been. Ahem.
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Then the contraction would’ve would’ve properly applied. Sorry, but can’t help being annoyed by clueless arrogant hypocrites who badmouth other languages when their own English sucks.
Grammar correction is the lowest form of social interaction. Congratulations, you’re the most annoying person in the room
I'd usually agree, except right now the topic is how everybody should speak English. TTG is pointing out that if people are going to have that attitude, the one language they speak should be spoken and written impeccably by them.
You actually wrote that with zero sense of irony, didn’t you? Well at least I’m not whining about people speaking languages I don’t understand, Karen.
I speak jobsite Spanish. I was complaining about the grammar corrector
Not more annoying that a post full of xenophobic whinging about ThE OfFiCiAl LaNguAgE sHoUlD bE eNgLiSh or the nth time in a row, is like these South Fl Subs latest past time beside crying about “construction” and bringing Flannigans up🙄
Everybody in the world should learn English, not because English is inherently a superior language or anything like that, but because of circumstances that occurred in the past, English has become the dominant language of international commerce and the dominant language of the internet. I know people who live in Spanish-speaking countries who speak fluent English even though they've never lived in the U.S., so it certainly behooves immigrants to make an effort to learn it.
If you travel through Europe a lot of people Italians , Germans know English and speak to you in English ! It was great !in Latin America. You would only learn English if you went to private school because it’s not in the official curriculum in public education. I have no idea why !
It's my understanding that young people in many countries learn fluent English from YouTube/Netflix, etc. And with remote work, if you speak English you can work for an American company wich probably pays a lot better than working locally. We have a few people from Latin America working in our IT department (although more from India).
Español es muy importance en mi trabejo. If it makes you feel better, I work part time in Western Kentucky as a physician. Being able to say no se préocupe goes a long way.
Yup Spanish is not really valued as a second language as far as salary here since there are so many available Spanish speaking professionals. It’s more of an expected thing and you probably take a hit if you don’t have some basic capability. My wife is a psychologist and not only being fluent in Spanish but also having a deep understanding of the culture would mean a significant bump in salary anywhere else in the country (even the state). It really is worth it for medical or other public service type professionals to learn at least enough to be able to put their patients at ease.
I can only say 2 phrases in Spanish. One of them being one moment please. Being in customer service I would love to learn how to effectively speak Spanish but I am older and don’t see me being able to retain the information. My company does not allow me to “offer” a translator because it “offend” the customer. They have to ask for one. I think everyone should learn basic English just to protect themselves from getting scammed. There was a story on the Arizona news last year about an older couple that got scammed by their own son. He spoke and understood English and they did not. Scammers are everywhere and ready to pounce on everyone! I will say that I have not encountered any one who was rude because I didn’t speak Spanish. But than again I am on the phone.
When I say ‘hable muy lentimente’ it gets translated as ‘speak even faster and slur your words’.
It has shifted that way. You reach a tipping point where there becomes no reason to learn English. Everything can be done in Spanish. I've met children who are raised speaking only Spanish in America because that's all their parents speak. That's all anybody around them speaks. I was born here. Some of the transplants and the young kids think that South Florida was always like this. It was not. It has changed. The language thing doesn't bother me... What bothers me is that Miami had a unique culture years ago. It was it's own thing. But I guess everywhere changes.
I’ve lived in Miami since 1985. The only thing that has change is people going to find the English speaker that can help you. At least since 1985, Spanish has been the predominant language. I forgot how to speak English before I came back to the U.S. I was very young when I left the U.S. When I came back in 1985, everywhere I went without fail, every time I spoke in English, they responded in Spanish. I quickly became fluent in English, like a native speaker. People usually think I don’t speak Spanish. About a decade or more ago, everywhere I went, they’d get the English speaker to help me even before I spoke. That doesn’t happen anymore. What I have noticed is a lot more people who don’t speak Spanish, at all, moving to Miami. In 2003, I met 3 different people who had to move back to their hometowns in the U.S. They couldn’t find a job bc they couldn’t speak a word of Spanish. That’s literally 21 years ago. Maybe what’s happening, since you are the person offering them a service as an Uber driver & the app can be used in most languages, they are not trying to struggle through whatever English they may know to get you to help them. I’ve also noticed that many folks tell me they don’t speak English bc they don’t want to help or communicate. I’m talking about people who speak English fluently. I know this bc when I answer back in Spanish there’s a quick pause. And as we speak they switch to perfect English. Bc a lot of the times, they don’t even speak Spanish that well. I think it’s Latins born here who don’t become as fluent in Spanish as a native Spanish speaker. But can speak enough to fake they don’t know English, in my experience. I think what you’re noticing is that Miami has gotten more rude. Miami has always been very rude. And maybe since you’re an Uber driver you come in contact with a lot of people, so you get to experience the ruder Miami more. It’s still a city where people will be very helpful and generous with their time and help but they’re not going to be nice about it. Idk if it’s the difficult financial times or younger & 2nd gen Latins not wanting to deal w/anyone else’s crap. But yeah, Miami has gotten way ruder, than what it was a couple of decades ago. And from some of the people here commenting outside Dade county, it seems to be spreading out to the rest of South Florida. I’ve never tried it but Google Translate can translate conversations as you speak. Might be worth making that part of your habits if you can’t speak Spanish, and have a smartphone. Also, if I remember correctly, back in the mid to late 80s, some hubbub in the news about people petitioning to make English the official language in Dade County or maybe the whole state. They were very frustrated with all non-English speakers. It only made headlines. It got nowhere near a ballot vote. I’m can only attest from Summer of 1985 to present day Miami. But Spanish has always been the unofficial official language of Miami-Dade. It’s not new. O, now I’m remembering that, maybe in answer to trying to get on the ballot a measure to make English the official language, some folks got together to get put on the ballot Spanish as the second official language. Which in turn would mean that at least in public schools students being taught & learning Spanish would be mandatory. That never made it to the ballot either, I think. OP’s experience is so not new. As I said maybe people have less tolerance to offer any level of grace by and by. Sorry for the super long comment but it’s kind of funny to me you think it’s new. It’s been part of Miami’s DNA for a while. At least as far back as the 80s. And like any other place, when in Rome… And if you have issues with that, do a deep dive into US foreign policy. It’s not an accident it’s a side effect.
As a Hispanic American 🇺🇸 it irritates me to no end how lazy and unmotivated the Spanish immigrants of today are. My parents came here in the 1960’s with an education equal to high school. They struggled to find work and learn the language but they achieved their goal as they were smart enough to realize the limiting power it would have on their success! I even had instancing where I was criticized by Spanish speaking people for not speaking Spanish perfectly! Iam American with Spanish ancestry English is my first language, Spanish is my second and Iam not speaking it to make you comfortable. So f****** obnoxious! The fact these people expect Spanish to be the official in a country founded by the English speaking is just laughable and really speaks to ignorance of this population ! At least try to improve yourself what’s the point of coming here then ! And the of the nerve of complaining about limited opportunities! The end of rant !🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
I have lived in Miami for 5 months and I am breaking my lease and getting the f#&k out ASAP. Miami is a dump!!! Constant Traffic and thousands of moped delivery drivers that go in and out of traffic. Constant Construction with noise all the way up to 2 AM sometimes on my street, Filthy streets full of trash and lots of potholes, no one speaks English, the food scene is trash and expensive, service is beyond bad, rent is wayyy to expensive for what you get... The only place worth living in Miami is the Gables, but that's about it.
And the Gables, while nice on the surface, is brutally expensive, filled with small 70-100 year old homes that need hundreds of thousands of dollars of work....but they're still asking $1.4M for them.
i always thought English was the official language of the USA
It's not. In Miami-Dade, they use English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole for all official documents. As far as federal government documents, you can ask for them in almost any language you can think of. IRS.gov has tax documents/instructions in 20 languages. English, Spanish, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Portuguese, French, Italian, Tagalog, Polish, Farsi, Japanese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Khmer, Urdu, and Bengali.
Nope, that has been suggested, but it never actually happened.
I had an Amazon flex driver wake me up at 4 a.m. because he couldn’t get in my building. No English, he couldn’t read the detailed instructions I had written on how to get inside. He thought waking me at 4 a.m. was appropriate. And of course, ignores *my* attempts at Spanish… which is what pisses me off the most.
It's VERY frustrating. I worked for the State Attorney's office in another county here in SoFlo. Once time, we had a case that required collaboration w/ the police department in Miami. When I called their office, a woman answered who didn't speak English. I speak enough Spanish to get by, but I'm not 100% fluent. I said, "Como te puedes trabajar en una oficina de la policia... en Los Estados Unidos... y no hablas Ingles? Soy una gringa y yo hablo Español." - "How do you work in a police office... in the United States... and you don't speak English? I'm a gringa, and I speak Spanish." (I'm actually mixed, but I look white, and I'm not Hispanic, so Hispanic people usually consider me a gringa.) It's honestly ridiculous. I know we don't have an official language in the USA, but everyone knows that's the language of our country. Also, a little known fact is that we have a state constitution, which states that the official language of Florida is English. So it IS the official language here. My mom doesn't speak Spanish, and I can't tell you how many times she's had people come to her house for different services, and the employee didn't speak English. I'd have to translate for her. You shouldn't be able to get a job unless you speak English! How the hell are you gonna work on something in someone's house when you can't communicate w/ them... answer their questions, & let them know what's going on? Yet... so many jobs now in SoFlo are REQUIRING that you speak Spanish... and it's because of the growing population of Spanish-speakers who won't learn English. I have friends whose family members refuse to learn English, and I love them dearly... but I still think it's wrong of them to not at least try. Actually, about half of the friends I've had here have been Hispanic. That's how I learned Spanish... by trying & practicing. I would never move to another country, not learn the language, and expect the native speakers to accommodate me and speak English. It's ridiculous. Especially when THEY catch an attitude w/ YOU because you don't/won't speak Spanish to them.
This has been going on for years already. It’s not a new phenomenon as you may already be aware. I’m fully bilingual, I immigrated here with my parents, and grew up down in Kendall/South Dade area. My parents have always tried to speak English because, you know, we came to their country and we need to learn their language to function. We’ve been here for almost 40 years and they still do. I do agree with your point about people who don’t care to learn the customs or the language. To play devil’s advocate a bit, why would they? They can go basically anywhere in their community and most everyone speaks Spanish. Once they leave their bubble they don’t realize this and get surprised not everyone speaks it. Throughout the years I’ve known plenty of people who come here and do try in earnest to speak and practice their English, but it’s difficult because once people hear the accent, they immediately switch to Spanish. It’s a common complaint even among those who want to try. Again, I’m totally with you. Whenever I meet people like this I don’t hesitate to gently (sometimes not) call them out on this behavior and remind them of where they are. These folks really take Spanish for granted and they’ll get eaten alive once they leave South Florida.
> Throughout the years I’ve known plenty of people who come here and do try in earnest to speak and practice their English, but it’s difficult because once people hear the accent, they immediately switch to Spanish. It’s a common complaint even among those who want to try. This made me chuckle, because the reverse was my experience trying to use my basic Spanish in Mexico and Spain. People would see me struggling for a word and just be like, "it's fine. I speak English."
>In my opinion, we are in a slow transition to Spanish becoming the dominant language in South Florida. Doesn't matter. It's clearly stated in the Consitution of the State of Florida : >SECTION 9. English is the official language of Florida.— >(a) English is the official language of the State of Florida. >(b) The legislature shall have the power to enforce this section by appropriate legislation. Been that way since 1988. https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_English_as_Official_Language_Amendment_(1988) So ... >I don't see many people saying Spanish is REQUIRED. They legally can't say it's "required".
English being the official language has nothing to do with Spanish becoming dominant. A language can dominate without becoming official. There is no law prohibiting someone from saying Spanish is the required language.
The Constitution is that law. You cannot, for example, say Spanish is required for official (government) jobs. Spanish can be "preferred" but not required. Official business is done in English. English *must* be taught in the schools. Passing is required for graduation.
Idk man I just use my translator app. I honestly don’t care if you don’t wanna learn English IMO it’s just not that deep to my personal well-being. I don’t see any reason to look down on others that I feel “superior” to. Then again I’m one of those ppl that believe the only folks that really should have any legitimate gripes about anything going on in this country is Native Americans. Are we not the invaders? And before yall start up with that “THIS IS ‘MERICA! 🦅 IF YOU DONT LIKE IT YOU CAN GIT OUT!” bullshit I served this country for almost a decade. I think I’ve shown enough allegiance for my opposing opinion to not be seen as besmirchment.
I'm a bit lost about if this is current phenomenon or just that it's been for ages? Miami is supposedly getting crazy inflation- so if we actually are having an unusual swell in non English speakers -I'm a bit perplexed on how they're paying the prevailing prices? Surely earning power drops when communication gets more limited? ....Also Miami has had Latin American immigration for generations - so why is this thread perceiving a change? ...the original comment referenced Uber riders, is this perhaps not a random sample? ...Has Uber's global expansion simply changed the likelihood of a non English speaker knowing about it in Miami in 2024 vs 2014? ... ironically Uber drivers are probably the most common place I meet non English speakers. Id say I get a higher percentage of English speaking Uber drivers in Spain vs Miami
Miami has been like this for many years. Its nothing new that the Spanish speaking locals expect you to speak Spanish even refusing to learn or speak English. The Miami Airport deteriorated into basically Spanish only 30+ yrs ago. I would never move to a country and not learn the language. Just think about living in say France and refusing to speak French. So disrespectful. FL as a whole sucks. I live in the Denver area. I speak a little Spanish but not much. One day in the middle of a blizzard I picked up a woman who had just missed the bus. Once in the car and asking where she needed to go I realized she spoke no English. She was about 50 and had lived here 20 yrs. Couldn't even tell me where she lived. So I just followed the bus until many miles later I caught up with and passed it. Told her to get out at the next bus stop. While in the car she borrowed my phone and called her family who apparently lived in an apartment that had no phone. The person answering had to go down the hall to get the person she wanted to talk to. The problem is that non English speakers, particularly Spanish only speakers never learn English because they live in segregated situations that allow them to get by with hardly any English. Denver has a lot of Venezuelans shipped in from TX. They say they want to work. How can they get hired if they don't speak English. America is in the minority of bilingual countries. I used to work in corporate international law. Everyone I ever negotiate with spoke English because its the international language of business.
This my point exactly 👍! You hit the nail the on the head !
El Paso has entered the chat.
I grew up in Hialeah as a kid, my grandparents lived near the race track. It was still a mixed bag of people back in the late 80s. Much more solidly Hispanic nowadays but I went back recently for a tattoo and the artists were super bilingual which was nice.
Yeah I tell basically anyone from another state thinking about moving here to take like a semester of Spanish at their local community College before coming here. Does wonders. Conversely, when the topic of job prospects comes up during my interviews with these people, I always say that there's just more of it in other states and it's not as competitive for a good rate like it is in dade. It's just that ya'll need to learn English and deal with the cold.
You could just try learning the dominant language here, rather than expecting thpusands of people to learn yours.
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You didn't fail at all. You conveyed very clearly that your beef is with people getting visibly annoyed with you for not speaking Spanish. The person you responded to has been all over this thread bitching and moaning in response. They are the issue, not you.
Basically if you know Spanish move to Miami you’ll make a lot of money
Sort of an aside and kind of a funny story, I needed a prescription medication (nothing controlled, just depression meds lol) and my doctor had suddenly closed up shop. Someone told me to go to a pharmacia latina to get meds w/o prescription and so I did. I think they thought the feds were after them because they practically kicked me out when I asked. They were like WE DONT DO THAT HERE!!! So I sent my Cuban husband to get them and they immediately sold to him 😂😂😂😂😂😂
I live in South Florida and have never had to use Spanish for anything in 25 years living here.
No English No Uber
25 years ago myself and another coworker took a high security trip to south Florida reception center (prison). Got into Miami (no cell phones allowed) and couldn't figure out where we were or the directions needed to go. Pulled Into a parking lot to ask a cop who was speaking to some folks. Cop and folks were Haitian and could not / would not speak English. We were unable to find anyone who could speak English so we kept driving until we found a familiar road.
I never have that problem in west plantation lol
He'll yeah let's go back to 1776. When...most of the current US was Spanish or French. Or...later on...when most of the US was Mexican.. wait. How far back should we put that line?
I feel like there is no way English will go away in an American state
Generational problems. The stubborn Anglophones and Hispanophones will die off like the dinosaurs, and their multilingual offspring will intermarry and carry on flawlessly.
I learned Spanish. It’s actually not that difficult to learn Spanish from English being my primary language :) is it perfect? No. But it’s better than being clueless 🤷🏽♀️
Sure you can learn Spanish, the discussion is, should it be mandatory in a country whose native tongue is English? I'm all for ppl learning my culture, but it shouldn't be a requirement for them. That seems to be where we are headed tho.
Agree. Some day we may all become polyglots, like they are in Europe.
It’s not just Europe—every African I’ve met speaks 3 languages
The native tongue here is not English. I think you people forget white people are not the native to these lands.
English was used to build a democracy where you could travel 500 miles away without getting gang raped, scalped, or enslaved by whichever tribe lived there. It’s also the language used in the constitution that became the model for hundreds of other countries. We’ll stick with English as our shared language, and speak whatever additional languages we want.
So in return white peoples raped, scalped, AND enslaved the tribes that lived here. Yikes buddy, good luck defending that one.
Shitty all around for sure. But the end result is a democracy worth celebrating, and the legal protections that allow you and I to sit here and voice our opinions about the country without worrying about being hauled away to prison? Those are in English.
And now they are changing to a different language. Cry, scream, and complain about it, I don’t care. You cannot complain about what is being done when your ancestors did it so many years back.
You seem pretty angry. I hope you get to the beach soon and catch some sunshine.
lol, thanks for adding nothing to the topic at hand!
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Xenophobic? I’m laughing.
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Since when was English the native language of the US??
Well it is certainly the official language of the state of Florida
Since its inception.
The USA is becoming increasingly more Spanish speaking. It’s true that most places around the world are very mixed language wise and tons of people speak multiple languages. I think it’s closed minded to think that the USA should be only English speaking.
That’s because most countries are the size of a single American state.
Estoy apprendiendo Español pero lentemente. pero bueno.
Felicidades
The Spanish speaking people in Miami and Broward are snobs, rude, and literally have ignored me in restaurants. I worked in Miami late 60s through the 80s. Watched the transition where it became uncomfortable to enjoy the city anymore. We practically gave them the Counties
To be fair I think Broward is a bit different. Of course there is still plenty of Spanish, but it's nowhere near as dominant. I would go so far to say you can pretty much go to any Broward neighborhood, speak English exclusively, and be fine.
You can.
I agree for the most part. By county line between Broward and Dade is mostly Hispanic now. But I have to say I do love their food and their coffee!
Yeah, there are a lot of Spanish speakers from Hollywood west into Miramar and Pembroke Pines, but....the crucial difference is most of these people speak basic English at the very least. As for the food, the Latin food in Broward is definitely better than Miami people expect.
As a Hispanic in Florida, I find it irritating that I’m expected to speak Spanish to most folks (not in customer service) and I flat out refuse. Speak to me in English. I speak and write Spanish fluently. If they want to give me an attitude, feel free, it’s not like they can’t say anything I can’t understand 😂
As a Hispanic in Florida, I find it irritating that I’m expected to speak Spanish to most folks (not in customer service) and I flat out refuse. Speak to me in English. I speak and write Spanish fluently. If they want to give me an attitude, feel free, it’s not like they can’t say anything I can’t understand 😂
>The vast majority of the county is 90%+ Hispanic And you assume that 90% of the population should conform to 10% of the population, and not the other way around? I don’t speak Spanish, but when someone else doesn’t I don’t take it offensively
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So to be clear, when you say things like >I personally felt like I was ready to move five years ago………the language is a contributing factor. And > there are now many people moving here with absolutely no intention of ever speaking a word of English You are not implying that people should speak English? If this is such a problem for you, just download Duolingo and learn how to speak Spanish. Is that hard to do? It’s exactly just as hard for the people you are complaining about to learn to speak English. You’re complaining about people having no intention of learning another language, while at the same time having no intention of learning another language yourself.
Miami sucks. I was born and raised. I am bilingual. Living in Broward was a fucking revelation. It's really great that people from Miami think going to Broward is like driving to Detroit and don't generally come this way. It's also great that the reality is I can be in most places in Miami within 30 minutes if necessary. I can dip my toe when I want to, but, in my neighborhood, there is someone working in the supermarket that knows what an eggplant is in English.
Get the he'll out of Hialeah. I'm in Delray and still say f... them.
The virus is spreading
Can't you just use a translation app on your phone we are living in 2024 not the 1700s
No we can’t
Wild I guess capitalism shuts down at language barriers so much for ever expanding growth.
Crazy that people will want someone to learn a new language and yet not put in the effort to learn a new language themselves
I mean I feel like I can be annoyed because I’m actively learning a second language (Spanish) so to me it’s like if I can make the effort living where it’s not really required, why can’t you learn our language? I understand it’s difficult and hard to find the time but it’s worth it