Black Teens Feel the 'Bilingual Preferred' Summer Job Blues

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/vi ... b2d50dbae2

Don't speak Spanish…can't get the job?'

When San Bernardino High School teens Jazanique Jackson, Ashanae Brown and Kimyen Hawkins decided they wanted to work this summer, they left nothing to chance.

They knew the rules: plan ahead; role play; be positive; adapt; relate and encourage. So when they hit the streets to start their summer job search they were prepared for virtually every eventuality except one.

¿No habla ingles? Can't speak Spanish.

"We were shocked. We applied at places like McDonalds, Burger King and Jack in the Box. We went to shoe stores, pizza parlors and convenience stores. The workers were overwhelmingly Spanish speaking. Pretty much they always ask us, 'Do you speak Spanish?' They said we prefer bilingual," says Jazanique. And, as an American who only speaks English, her answer leaves her without the job. "It's hard when you can't even get an interview because you don't speak Spanish," said Jazanique.

Comments:

We really need to be thoughtful about this. As a black male living in Atlanta where immigration is occurring at a brisk pace and Black unemployment amongst youth is high, I can understand the frustrations of a young Black person in this predicament.

The solution is not to side with reactionary Americans in attacking immigrants. Since immigration IS happening and will continue siding with reactionary segments of the population that are overwhelmingly white is the wrong action to take.

Black citizens know that whites in the US have not been and are not friendly to us. This means we need to side with immigrants, not the whites that have made life hard for Black people for centuries.

Use common sense here. I'm not saying that this will be easy. But it is possible. Whereas, trying to convince whites to give us a fair shake has been a centuries long project that has left us very little to show for it. Everything Black people have attained in this country we've gotten ourselves. Whites have opposed ALL OUR GAINS.

What does all of this mean practically? Blacks in the US need to get active in our elementary school system school boards and implement Spanish courses in elementary school, not high school. This is crucial. In high school, it is too late for kids to become fluent in the way that is needed for articulation on a job. Spanish courses in elementary school should be our priority.

The predictable windfalls of this plan will be:
1) Black youth will be competitive in the job market along with immigrants and those whites willing to get with the program instead of playing the fear game they've stuck with for hundreds of years.

2) Blacks and spanish speaking immigrants will forge closer cultural and social bonds if they can communicate more fluidly. This enhanced closeness due to shared languages will be valuable on a political level as these kids become adults who need to form political coalitions.

3) It has been long understood that being bilingual at an early age facilitates better mental faculty in other areas of study. Simply put, learning a second and third language helps you think better in your other courses.

We need to prioritize getting Spanish courses in Black elementary schools. This should be part of a plan for a Black/Brown future in the United States. Don't be tricked by the white nativists who are currently attacking our immigrant brothers and sisters.

Know your friends! Know your enemies! Be smart!