My employment includes many out bound and in bound phone conversations to and from customers for explanations, negotiations and problem solving.
I speak to 30-40 customers per day. Working in he state of Arizona I speak with about 10% Spanish speaking customers. When I get a Spanish speaking customer on the phone they will typically ask immediately for an interpreter for help. Generally I will attempt to discuss there issues with them in English and feel out how much they understand and their level of English competency.
About half the callers can converse in English well enough, their concerns are resolved promptly. With the remaining callers, an interpreter is needed to even handle the simplest conversation.
In general there is reluctance by the Spanish speaking population to converse in English whether they have the English speaking background or not. Even with some of those who speak English very well, their knee jerk reaction when calling is to ask for an interpreter. I understand in their situations they may feel more “comfortable” speaking in their native language.
In one instance, I was able to recruit a family member for interpreting in order resolve some problems for a customer. The conversation with the three of us was going well until the customer became frustrated and grabbed the phone from his family member and said in broken English, “If no Spanish, no more talk.” The customer hung up the phone.
MoreThanCorn feels this is a great concern for the futures of these Americans or non-Americans hoping to earn a living and improve their family’s lives. Whether it is a comfort issue or directly refusing to speak English, the careers and opportunities of many are stifled by the inability to communicate in our English.
Who is going to hire a Spanish only speaking employee? Farmers, Day-Laborers, Construction crews, Landscaping companies. These are all good jobs and many of them pay the employees well. However being paid $10/hour for the rest of your life is not acceptable. These folks are handicapping their “American Dream” by not learning English in earnest. These individuals and their families will not have improved lives until a bread-winner of the house is an English speaking individual and gets an education.
Often times the children of our customers know English very well. They will interpret for the parents. These children are probably being educated in our schools and English/Spanish speaking comes naturally when they hear both languages when they are at school or home. There is great potential in this observation.
Even if the “old dogs can not be taught new tricks”, their children will be fluent English speakers. The younger generations of these families will contribute to an upswing socio-economically as they are their peers find higher paying (often requiring higher education and skill sets) positions. This may seem oversimplified, but why complicate a simple subject with irrelevant detail?
I anticipate a boom in Hispanic middle class in the next 20-30 years, so long as young Hispanic-America are encouraged in this direction. Those Spanish speaking families who are new to the country or who refuse to adapt to American culture will be naturally handicapped for success. They will eventually be marginalized by their language barrier with employers and others. Those who do change, on average, will be successful. The bell curve of success for Hispanic Americans has the potential to move ever right and further positive.
Smart immigrants learn English. Who would hire a Spanish & English speaking, educated applicant? Smart employers.
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MoreThanCorn,
You have not been in Arizona for but a few years now, but having been born and raised here, I can tell you that this has been a debate since as long as I can remember.
Arizona's proximity to Mexico and the history of our state means we have always had a heavy Spanish (more specifically here, Mexican) influence. You can see it in architecture, art and the plethora of Mexican restaurants in town. Mexicans have always made up a good percent of the population, here, and there has always been a debate on how to handle the language issue: should we be an English-only (for business, education, etc) or bilingual state.
I must admit, eventhough I love Mexican culture and food, and enjoy traveling south of the border, I personally feel that Arizona (as all states) should be English-only. This is not a bias or prejudice. I feel the more languages one knows the better (I myself wish I spoke more) but if you are going ot live in Arizona (or America in general) you shuold know how to speak English (of course, you don't see most of the states bordering Canada trying ot become English-French bilingual :).
MoreThanCorn makes a good point of the importance of the issue at his job. He works in insurance claims, and his cases sometime involve serious physical injury. Such info needs to be easily conveyed, if not to the insurance adjuster than at least to law enforcement, medical personnel, etc!!!!
MoreThanCorn also mentions the importance for future success. In Arizona, being bilingual can GREATLY increase your chances for employment, but you are unlikely to be hired, except for minmal-wage custodial and cook jobs, unless you can speak English.
Typically, kids growing up in these Spanish-speaking households did learn English, because they went to English-speaking schools, but I have observed in increase in kids born and raised here but still unable to speak English. Why I am not sure?!? It could be as large neighborhoods become predominately Mexican, there becomes less of a reason to speak English as many of the stores and businesses are operated by Spanish-speaking people. I see this in th eneighborhood I gre up in when I go to visit my mom!
adios amigos! :-)
Blaine
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