power, privilege, and everyday life.

Have a question/comment/similar experience to share? Email us or fill out our contribution form.

Note: The comments section provides a space for people to LEARN from one another.

Search

Pages

Twitter

Find us on...

Tag Results

51 posts tagged language

“Oh, I don’t know how to pronounce those names.”

My supervisor at a new job, about my name. I had frequently repeated my name in order for coworkers & supervisors to learn it. 

In Houston, there is a nasty, classist habit of deliberately mispronouncing Spanish-language names and words. I used to hear people who self-defined as “upper class” mispronounce “San Felipe” (a street) as “Sen Flippy”, mispronounce the names of Latino/as to their face, and pretend in Mexican restaurants to not know how to pronounce the items the menu (really? they’re Texas-born adults and they can’t say “enchiladas”?). 

“I don’t speak no Spanglish or Chinglish.”

A white male coworker ranting about support technicians not speaking proper English.

“If I can’t do the accent how can I say it the way they did? So white people can’t do accents now? That’s so not fair!”

My white boyfriend, after I told him I would really like it if he didn’t try to imitate my parents’ East African accents when quoting them, because it makes me uncomfortable and they are very conscious of their accent (it being the sole reason why they didn’t each my siblings and I our home language).

While at the copier,  the topic of homework completion came up with another teacher.  I tried explaining that many ESL students don’t have the support at home due to parents not knowing English.  Her response was, “Well they’ve been here long enough.  If they’re in our country, they should speak our language. No excuses.” I could do no more than turn and leave. Our district is 16% English Language Learners - our building is roughly 25% students from non-English speaking households.

I’m biracial, and visibly ‘foreign looking’. I’ve been living in Denmark for nearly 3 years now, and German is taught as a second foreign language, so I’ve been learning German from scratch for 3 years. Every teacher I’ve had (I’ve had 3) is either suprised I can do well at German, and two have both, at least once, singled me out in the class in accusations of plagiarism in regards to German assignments, because it was deemed unlikely that I was capable of writing the material myself.

Today, during a diversity workshop, we were discussing language choices, and I emphasized the importance of using a marginalized group’s chosen terminology. When asked for clarification, I gave an example from my lived experience: that gay people might find it offensive if you call them “homosexuals,” but “gay” is a totally fine word, and is a word many gay people prefer to use when describing themselves. Another participant immediately said, “I disagree,” failing to recognize the irony of being a straight person correcting a queer person on that queer person’s chosen terminology during a conversation on the importance of honoring someone’s chosen terminology. Made me feel frustrated, invalidated, silenced.

I posted on social media about how an older white man commented on what a shame it was that I don’t speak Spanish (I have a very “Spanish” last name). Then a white guy on social media pointed out that while he was sorry the older man said this to me, he was “taking control of the ridiculous term ‘microaggression’” and that America needs to put on their “big boy pants.”  

Welcome to this country

From a colleague who heard my accent and asked when I came here. My response - “I’ve lived here since before you were born, buddy.” At a smoke break at work.

Today, my white co-worker brought her dog to work. When I walked in the office this morning, she mentions how her dog likes to be talked to in Spanish (inferring that I can speak Spanish). I’m Mexican American and can speak Spanish but have not shared this with her (given that we have only been sharing an office for less than a week). She goes on to say that she lived in a “diverse” neighborhood where people spoke Spanish and how her dog must have come from a Spanish speaking home because he gets very excited each time someone speaks Spanish. Needless to say I did not speak Spanish to try and impress her or her dog. 

A coworker of mine constantly comments about her aggravation over having to decipher what these “third world country” call center “people” are saying. While she tries her best to portray an Indian accent. I’ve complained numerous times but stopped when nothing was being done about it  I’m Mexican and even I cry when she says things like this. But she doesn’t realize she’s doing or saying anything wrong. Made me feel disgusted, hurt, angry, vindictive.

When talking to a classmate he was surprised I knew how to speak Spanish. I asked him why and he responded by saying I did not have an accent like many of “them.” Them being Mexicans in this context. After that I became more self conscious after speaking my native language and regret letting his comment dictate how I spoke around him. 

So I’m in a sorority, and we all got invited to a frat party. I was having a pretty good time talking to this white guy I met, and we were having a really good conversation. After a while he tilted his head, squinted, and said, “you know, you speak English REALLY well!” After he said that, I turned around and just walked away. I am half Mexican and half Indian (so, dark skinned) and was born in America. The only language I speak is English…. 

“Do any of you speak English!?!?” (as the lady cuts to the front of the line) Yelled at me while in line with two other men of color (different shades of brown) at Costco 1-Hour Photo. Made me angry, so I gave it right back to her: “Yes! I speak English! The back of the line is over there!" 

Loading posts...