Thread: An American Struggling to Get a Job

My 35 year old cousin has been looking for work. She has some hotel supervisor and cash handling experience. However, she is lacking in office clerk skills like typing and accounting software. I have been telling her for years, go to a temp agency and get free training. Blah..blah... blah...Naaah..naaah..naaah, what do I know.

Anyway, she is currently out job hunting and she is already at a disadvantage in my opinion. Now, add to the fact, employers are looking for bi-linguals. She tells me, most employers wont hire you unless you are bi-lingual.

Has anyone else heard of this? I'm feeling some descrimination here! This is exactly the reason we need to make English the offical language.

Dixie

With the government's current policy of coddling illegal aliens, providing all kinds of advantages for employment, health care and welfare while making it difficult at best for legal citizens they have given the impression it is preferable to hire illegal aliens and I fear this will only get worse.

Hi Dixie,

Oh yes, one of my best friends, couldn't get a job, because she's English only. Miami is predominently Hispanic. She's a genius at what she does, is also great with computers, so that wasn't the problem. The last place she worked at, everyone spoke Spanish at work, even though they also spoke English. She said she'd say maybe 5 sentences (other than business related phone conversations), during a work day. She found their behavior very rude, to say the least.

When I lived in Northern Va., I applied for an aide position at my daughter's elementary school. I have a degree in early childhood education and 20 years experience working with children. First question with the principal was, "Do you speak Spanish?" The school's hispanic population had grown to 43% in less then 5 years. I answered, "no". After careful consideration, the cafeteria worker with no formal education got the position. She spoke spanish

To me that is descrimination against Americans.

Dixie

Also, my uncle just called me and told me he fussed at the cable company for requesting that he press one for English. He told them that him his family has been in America over 150 years and they all speak ENGLISH!'

Anyway, she is currently out job hunting and she is already at a disadvantage in my opinion. Now, add to the fact, employers are looking for bi-linguals. She tells me, most employers wont hire you unless you are bi-lingual.

Has anyone else heard of this? I'm feeling some descrimination here! This is exactly the reason we need to make English the offical language.

ABSOLUTLY TRUE!!!!!! Anything that requires you to communicate with the general public.

Plus......it's not being bi-lingual that's the requirement. MUST SPEAK SPANISH!!! You can speak any other language with English and you won't get it. They put bi-lingual so it's not seen as discriminatory. Yet you cannot put in the paper must speak English. Go figure.

Now....if you go to a place with alot of workers like a call-center........you MIGHT get in if they already employ alot of Spanish speakers.

That's my problem but I'm even older. Everything for the most part that I have done is with the public and it's darn close to impossible to get anyone to consider you if you don't speak spanish. I've tried call-centers, Dr's offices, selling grave stones, grocery, pharmacies , vet offices, pet stores..........nothing. My husband and his boss are the only English speaking at the pizza joint!! They have the Mexican channel on TV and the radio. Drives him CRAZY!!!! One guy atleast takes his spanish to english translation book along and they communicate by pointing at the words in the books.

It has me worried and scared because age is definately not in my favor and I can't do alot of the work that required lifting etc that I used to do. What's left? Factory work is next on the agenda. All the positions in schools etc. required Spanish.

My daughter is fluent in German and she works at the Y. She was still required to know a bit in Spanish in order to give basic instruction to the kids and the childrens parents. She picked up some from friends and now has to ask them more since there is no encouragement for them to speak English. These aren't new "residents" either and the kids already play head games with her by saying they don't understand her. "Get in line ", in either language isn't up for too much interpretation.

My father couldn't put must speak English when he tried to get home care. He didn't have Spanish applying, he had alot of Polish......but because of the Latinos he couldn't put that in.

I think we are right where we never thought we would be. What a shame.

Trouble

Got that right. Used to be...if you smiled at somebody,...they smiled back. You did a good deed, it came back 10 fold. Now your seen as an ignorant, stupid, fool.

Well, if any of you were in my area of NC, I am in contact with one of our state representatives that promises that he will help anyone get a job. He also says that illegals are not hurting anyone, that we NEED them here, that they are a bonus to us.

I starting facing this problem in 2003.
After being laid off from my good paying job. I have gone into the slumps. It's so bad, I lost my home, my good credit, and I am still trying to hold on to my dignity. Employers are using everything possible to tell us that we can't work for them. I couldn't apply for most jobs because I wasn't billingual and they are even keeping you from working if you have ever served Deferred Adjudication and a case was dismissed. They have used everything to keep me out of working and in the poor house. My tax filings look as though I am a high school kid working a job. I am in the poor house. I was just laid off again from the School District becuase they said they would no longer allow you to work as a substitute teacher with only a high school diploma or Associates Degree you must have a Bachelors Degree. They are blaming it on No Child Left Behind. I checked other school districts and they don't have this policy. I looked up the No Child Left Behind rules. No where did it indicate this. Now I'm waiting to see if I can even get my unemployement. I got my Associates Degree last year. I am suppposed to be a Teacher Aide until I finish my Bachelors might I add I am still in school. However, I can't get a Teacher Aide Job because you have to be Billingual. Oh by the way, those who are substitutes are exempt if they speak spanish. Basically all of us who were English speaking lost our jobs. What a country.