The most recent example of a US language bigot going viral for a racist tirade against people who dare to indulge their Constitutional right to speak a foreign language on US soil, is that of New York lawyer Aaron Schlossberg. By now, most people have seen the video of the man becoming incensed because several people around him began talking to each other in Spanish (apparently, the guy has no problem with eavesdropping on the conversations of others … which actually is a violation of Constitutionally protected privacy, but oh well).
The US language bigot is becoming an increasingly more common animal stateside. I’ve had to deal with them myself on several occasions as can be seen here and here. People who are incensed by the sound of foreign language are a strange breed. They all spout out the same four or five talking points that lead them at a brisk pace down a steady descent into a world of madness.
“This is the United States, speak English,” they bloviate, and then they’ll start making the assumption that the individuals are there “illegally,” which is odd because it’s actually highly more likely that the Spanish speakers are simply more educated than the frothy-mouthed, spouting language bigot.
What you always find with these language bullies is that they like any opportunity they can to throw their weight around. They start making empty threats about calling immigration services. These are the same type of people who shout about how much money they spend at Wal-Mart and how that entitles them to receive special treatment there (whatever that means).
Lastly, somehow, in their confused and addled minds, they’ll decide that they are actually justified in their hatred for the foreign language speakers, because that person is somehow responsible for all the taxes they so hate to pay. It’s sort of like these people are giving themselves a pep-talk to violence. Like, they need a reason to justify their hatred, or they’re trying to work up the courage to pull out their gun or whatever. Making an absurd connection is in the anarchist’s cookbook for creating social unrest, but in this case, the tactic is merely used to generate a shot of courage in a deteriorating social altercation that a party in the clear wrong can pitifully, desperately use to try and justify himself or herself.
If you’ve never traveled abroad, you might be surprised to discover that this type of embarrassing, tantrum-throwing, man-child is extremely endangered (thank goodness) in other nations. For example, in all the years I lived in Peru, I never once had any Peruvian assail me for speaking English.
Oddly, if you’re going to be assaulted in this fashion in Peru, the chances are the person screaming at you will be some entitled American, who is only deflecting their own deeply-rooted resentment for the language they know exist back home. “Speak Spanish while in Peru,” they’ll scream, while perched awkwardly on a pair of “extra-wide” birkenstocks. And they’ll proceed to go on and make a scene of screaming at you, in English, for not speaking in Spanish yourself. Ironically enough, this is the same type of crazy that the US language bigot is tainted with, and the best thing you can do is just stand there with a confused look on your face and wait for the police to come take them away.
Peru is very open to foreign languages, and as you walk down any main thoroughfare you’ll find a plethora of foreign language centers which offer monthly classes, usually taught by deadbeat backpackers, for very reasonable prices. In fact, if you’re caught speaking English in public in Lima, rather than be assailed, you’re much more likely to be approached by an attractive member of the opposite sex, who wishes to enlist your services as a private teacher (payment negotiable). Foreign language is very much encouraged and embraced in Lima, Peru. Speak your native language with pride.
But what’s really funny is that there exists in Lima a small community of expats who become furious at any suggestion that Peru does anything better than the US in any field. “Oh, there are language bigots in all corners of the world,” they’ll say, deflecting whether people in Peru are tolerant of foreign language or not. But the simple case is, Peru is much more open to foreign language than the US is. You don’t get these home grown lunatics like you do back in the States, and any language bigots you do find, probably came from the US. Peruvians understand that tourism is an extremely profitable profession in Peru, and they aren’t going to undermine their potential success by engaging in casual, idiotic, unproductive bigotry. That’s the kind of thing that only entitled Americans can indulge in, the rest of the world has to work.
So, the next time you see somebody online ask, “What’s the culture like in Peru regarding people who don’t speak Spanish?” You can confidently answer, “Peru shows a level of tolerance to foreign language that makes the citizens of the United States appear like a bunch of temper tantrum throwing toddlers.”
