Thread: First Post

I work at a Marshalls megastore. The majority of customers are Hispanic. Initially I had no problem with that because I was from Northern California and this was a new experience. I quickly learned that the language gap between customers, co-workers, and I was wide. Juan, the janitor, is always friendly, greeting me. I used to try to talk to him, but he can't understand a sentence of English. I told him repeatedly that I had been on vacation in Paris and he kept interpreting it as Payless.

People who have English as a second language phase things choppy so I have to hear their question thrice. An example of this difficulty in communication is that I was waiting on the lightrail the other day, and this Hispanic homeless woman heckled me. She held a paper bag and asked for "plastic or balsa" I told that I didn't speak Spanish. She started looking through my bag and then moved on. She came back around a few minutes later and asked the same thing. I repeated myself (about not speaking her language), then my lightrail came and I went home.

Mexico is

Welcome Run4theborder !!!

Welcome to ALIPAC Run4theborder!

Welcome run4theborder to ALIPAC. We're a culturally diverse group of patriotic Americans brought here with one unifying principle. We are against ILLEGAL immigration because it severely harms our country, American citizens and American workers. We want our borders secured and all incentives for illegal aliens removed. Illegal is illegal and we want our laws enforced and the rule of law upheld. Your presence and contributions make us stronger.

I'm afraid this is going to cause some serious division not to mention safety concerns if they don't get on the same page as everyone else. More and more legal and illegal immigrants are not putting forth the effort to speak English and frankly....I don't care to learn a host of different languages to function in MY country. Can you imagine the chaos like what's happening at this very moment trying to help people in a crisis like the bridge colapse in Minn? Everyone panacked and babbling in different languages...... I mean maybe they might to force people in certain jobs to speak Spanish......but if you're in a situation like that....your help may be a regular citizen who isn't fluent in a multitude of languages. I don't really care what people speak in their homes but when you get out and about.....speak English. We shouldn't have to feel like foreigners in our own country. Not to mention in a situation like yours where you can't even ask a question to people you work with.....

Hi Run4theBorder-I'm sorry you're having a hard time at work, just be glad its not a high stress job like emergency workers,where communication is of utmost importance (and usually extremely urgent).I feel so sorry for them.
Around my area we are not just spanish/english but korean/spanish/english.Seriously.Who knows what else by the end of the year.
Anyway welcome aboard.

Welcome run4theborder.

Welcome, Run. My feelings are this. If someone comes to this country, the first thing they need to do is learn English or go home and use their own language. If these high and mighty churches across our land weren't so busy hiding illegal aliens from Law Enforcement, they would do the rightful thing and teach legal citizens how to use the English language.

Welcome to Alipac, Run4theborder!! Please keep posting and help us in our fight to save America from disaster!

During our time overseas with the military, we were always told to learn some phrases in the host language of the county we were living in, or better yet, to become fluent. We were always counseled to speak their language first when out in public places and to adopt some of their customs especially if invited over to their homes (i.e, bring wine and flowers, because that's what they do).

Of course, in Germany, Germans loved to get a chance to speak English, so as soon as we opened our mouths in German, they'd talk back in English. However, it was a sign of respect to THEM to at least attempt their language in THEIR land. (still, I always felt like a complete fool that I couldn't speak their language well).

It's a sign of respect and class to use the language of the land, something very few of the people illegally immigrating here seem to have.

Instead they want THEIR language posted, printed, even taught in our schools. I mean, if you really think about how much chutzpa that takes . ...it's mind boggling.