I work part time for a restaurant that employs many Hispanic people, both young and old. A while back I observed an older employee trying to speak Spanish to one of the younger employees. The young guy did not speak or understand Spanish, so he had no idea what the older man was saying. I, being a white woman who had Spanish class in High School, understood what the man was asking and translated for them. The older man was astonished that the younger guy did not understand Spanish and, basically, reprimanded him for it. The younger boy was very insulted and asked me later why many older people thought it was ridiculous that he could not speak Spanish. He said that he has encountered this alot and many times was made to feel inferior.
Learning the subtle ques to microaggressions has made me more aware of how people can say things that sound insignificant to them but hurt the target. I have become more careful when choosing my own words.
I have also been more aware of what words I am using. Prior to this week, I admit that I hadn't truly thought about the repercussions of seemingly insignificant comments. Now, I know that even though it may just be a comment, it can be truly devastating to another individual.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post - I enjoyed reading about your experience.
I also have that problem with my children, they understand Spanish but they do not speak it. I have tried to teach them by speaking only Spanish in the home but it does not work. Many people repremend me for not teaching them the language. In the first few years of their lives I was a stay at home mom and all they spoke was Spanish but when they began to attend school they forgot and began to only use English. Great post!
ReplyDelete