Went to Social Security office in Texas and didn't hear English spoken for 30 minutes

Hello Ya'll!

I am sure this post may SEEM "racist"...but...
I went to the social security office today to FINALLY change the last name on my social security card..(yes..it took me over 15 years to change my last name after my divorce to Mr. H)

So...I get a number...A48...I wait for 30 minutes and my number is never called.....I hear Spanish over the intercom...but never English...I wait and wait...finally I complain....the people at the FEDERAL SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE are calling ALL the number in SPANISH!!! I complain...maybe they should call the !@#$%^&* numbers in ENGLISH..you know, the PRIMARY language of the USA? (or so we think)

Not ONCE, In over 30 minutes did I hear English spoken in an AMERICAN government facility! When I was FINALLY called....the woman spoke to me in...SPANISH! I refused to acknowledge her until she spoke English.....so...my point?
What the heck is going on in America? There is even a MOSQUE in EL PASO!!! I NEVER would have imagined this....when I grew up in BFE East Texas..there was not even a CATHOLIC church, (most of the people in my old town were Baptists)
SO...what are ya'll's opinions on the destruction of our culture...and what are ya'll's opinions on how "political correctness" has destroyed our American culture.....

Or am I really a "racist" because I resent that I couldn't even understand what was being said inside an American government facility because I only speak ENGLISH....

i agree, i think it's rediculous they couldn't speak english. Call your local politicians and complain. Maybe they will change something.

reply to post by Cornczech


At the base of it, you were offended that they were speaking one European language instead of a different European language, ever stop to think how silly that sounds?

And are you honestly saying that American culture (that was largely based on freedom of religion) is being destroyed because we are allowing the freedom of practicing any religion an individual chooses? Ironic.

Well I have had to deal with calling various govt agencies lately for medicaid for my pregnancy and all the people I speak to barely speak English. When I ask them to repeat it cause I can't understand them they get pissy. It is annoying as heck that I have to go through multiple options to get friggin English. I don't think you should get ANY govt assistance if you can't speak the damn language. It annoys me that everything i get is in Spanish first then English. It is pretty damn obvious who they are catering to and who uses the system most. It makes NO sense and really irks me.

Also the people suck at speaking English. I had to do some silly phone interview today and the lady kept saying "axe" not ask. I kept asking her to repeat herself. I couldn't understand what the heck she was saying. I'm sorry but how does one get a govt job and not be able to speak English fluently yet get pissy at me when I ASK not AXE them to repeat themselves. It makes them sound completely ignorant when they can't say BASIC words in English. Oh and the lady the other day was coughing in my ear and complaining to her coworker about her job in English and Spanish. Also I get annoyed when I go in these offices and they speak Spanish in front of me. It's RUDE RUDE RUDE!!! Speak friggin English when you are in front of me I don't speak Spanish and NEVER will.


ALso I don't think you sound racist one bit. I'd be just as annoyed as you.

reply to post by Cornczech

SO...what are ya'll's opinions on the destruction of our culture...and what are ya'll's opinions on how "political correctness" has destroyed our American culture.....

White Americans arent allowed to have a culture and If we refuse to accept other races cultures, we are racist Nazis or some crap like that.

reply to post by Cornczech

Went to Social Security office in Texas

Being in texas, would it not be expected the federal buildings would speak spanish being so close to the Mexican border?

In Quebec Canada in most places you are addressed first in French, rather then english.

What the heck is going on in America?

Isnt America not a cultural melting pot? Or is Texas excempt?

SO...what are ya'll's opinions on the destruction of our culture...and what are ya'll's opinions on how "political correctness" has destroyed our American culture.....

American culture is based on the people within it, including those of hispanic decent and language. Texas excempt again?

ummmmmmm,,....Mr or Mrs/Miss...I NEVER complained about religion...how ironic...I personally think, perhaps,that religion is a means to keep humans MADE OF DIRT....and ignorant Perhaps you should READ my post and NOT read INTO it, eh?

reply to post by Cornczech


This is one of those things that bugs me.
If you move to China you don't just start speaking English to everyone and expect them to conform.

You need to learn the language of your new host country.

It's the right thing to do. And in an emergency situation you can actual ask for help or get help.
Communication is very important.

I liken this to the ex wife of a relative. He met her while overseas and she was Russian. When he brought her to the US, she immediately sought out other Russians in their community and expected him to learn Russian and assimilate into her culture instead of her adjusting to our culture.
She wanted them to hang out with her new Russian friends all the time and refused to socialize with us or any of his friends.
It didnt last long.

Just to point out...this is NOT (or is that "ain't") EUROPE!
El Paso IS on the border....but I can tell you....do you think they spoke GERMAN in the old PRUSSIAN part of Poland when there was no longer Prussia? Texas WON and Mexico LOST...(or did it???????) I am not pissed because Spanish was USED...but that ENGLISH NEVER was used........last I checked...even El Paso is still in America.....

Just to point out...this is NOT (or is that "ain't") EUROPE!
El Paso IS on the border....but I can tell you....do you think they spoke GERMAN in the old PRUSSIAN part of Poland when there was no longer Prussia? Texas WON and Mexico LOST...(or did it???????) I am not pissed because Spanish was USED...but that ENGLISH NEVER was used........last I checked...even El Paso is still in America.....

reply to post by Cornczech


English and Spanish are both European languages, America has no native language. Well it did, but the settlers that came here decided not to assimilate to the existing culture and learn the language. Ironic?

Karma's a bitch, deal with it.

reply to post by Cornczech


DUDE!! You know, as a white person, you can't say stuff like that! What you can do is sit back and watch it all happen and keep quiet. You know, because of the bad things that happened Native Americans and slaves... yadda yadda yadda. Don't worry though, because after all "you're white" and have absolutely no troubles in your life. You racist pig.

/sarcasm off

Seriously, I guess I can be honest with ya'll. I don't give 2 craps about what happened to the indians or slaves. If I would have been alive anywhere from 400 to 150 years ago, I'm 100% sure my feelings about it would be different, but I'm alive in 2012 and couldn't care less. There I said it. Burn away.

MOTF!

Edit: Sorry I kind of went off on a tangent there. If you move from your home land you should expect to have to assimilate into your new host nation. Not the other way around.

Originally posted by Cornczech
Hello Ya'll!

I am sure this post may SEEM "racist"...but...
I went to the social security office today to FINALLY change the last name on my social security card..(yes..it took me over 15 years to change my last name after my divorce to Mr. H)

So...I get a number...A48...I wait for 30 minutes and my number is never called.....I hear Spanish over the intercom...but never English...I wait and wait...finally I complain....the people at the FEDERAL SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE are calling ALL the number in SPANISH!!! I complain...maybe they should call the !@#$%^&* numbers in ENGLISH..you know, the PRIMARY language of the USA? (or so we think)

Not ONCE, In over 30 minutes did I hear English spoken in an AMERICAN government facility! When I was FINALLY called....the woman spoke to me in...SPANISH! I refused to acknowledge her until she spoke English.....so...my point?
What the heck is going on in America? There is even a MOSQUE in EL PASO!!! I NEVER would have imagined this....when I grew up in BFE East Texas..there was not even a CATHOLIC church, (most of the people in my old town were Baptists)
SO...what are ya'll's opinions on the destruction of our culture...and what are ya'll's opinions on how "political correctness" has destroyed our American culture.....

Or am I really a "racist" because I resent that I couldn't even understand what was being said inside an American government facility because I only speak ENGLISH....

-

Next time you're in there and that happens again, just say "Esto es América! Aprender a hablar inglés puta!"

And MDDoxs, this is by no means relative to the French living in Quebec, Canada. French is an OFFICIAL language in our country, and yes you will likely be addressed in French if in Quebec but if you walk in to any Federal Building there (or anywhere else in Canada) it is THE LAW that both languages be spoken.

That is not the situation that OP found herself in. They didn't "speak Spanish first" then follow with English.

Her account was that they ONLY spoke Spanish and even when she got up to the counter, she was addressed in Spanish, although (i'm assuming) she's a Caucasian.

That is WRONG.

Being an Englishman myself who speaks "Proper English", i always thought that Americans spoke a bastardised form of our language anyway

reply to post by Cornczech


Sounds like you pressed #2

I know Exactly how you feel (Being in El Paso myself) What really gets me pissed is when you say hello to be polite a lot will give you a dirty look and walk off. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of friendly folks as well.
I have a lot of friends who are Hispanic but don't know Spanish and they get put down a lot like it's a crime or something.

Originally posted by alldaylong
Being an Englishman myself who speaks "Proper English", i always thought that Americans spoke a bastardised form of our language anyway

I'm an American, but everytime I hear someone complaining about someone else not speaking proper English, I always chuckle to myself because I know there is some English person out there just shaking their head.

For people to be outraged that people say "axe" instead of "ask", but don't think twice by commonly using a silent "T" without even knowing it. Like the word "interview", most Americans will simply say it as "innerview" without ever thinking they just mis-pronounced something. I also rarely see people complain about people having southern accents and saying "fer" instead of "for". But you will commonly see people point out African Americans use of "axe" instead of "ask"...but they will claim there is no racism involved in it at all.

Funny how little people realize what they are actually doing.

If you went to some places in Canada, you might hear only French spoken.
Some places in Louisiana you'll hear only creole.

Adapt. Learn. Evolve.
Become better.

Originally posted by truthermantwo
i agree, i think it's rediculous they couldn't speak english. Call your local politicians and complain. Maybe they will change something.

It's also ridiculous when someone complaining about proper use of English can not even spell "ridiculous", nor even use correct capitalization, or adhere to any of the other rules attributable to proper English.


It's interesting when people criticize others for native language usage, or poor usage of a certain second language when the critic can't even demonstrate comprehensive mastery over their own native tongue of which it's the ONLY language they know.

reply to post by xedocodex


On a serious note, the United States does not have an "Official Language" It has a "National Language" which is English. Unlike the UK who's "Official Language" is English.