Miami: Should We All Speak Spanish?

I speak one language - English. Coming from Boston this was all I needed. Immigrants who settled in Boston either learned English or they had problems. The Boston school system did not have classes in Spanish, Korean, Mandarin or any other language but English. However, adult education classes were held in the evenings for anyone needing to learn the language of their newly adopted country.

In school I took my prerequisite language studies. I was forced to study six useless years of Latin, two years of French, two years of German, and one year of ancient Greek. Spanish, when I was in high school, wasn't even an option.

I subsequently found myself living in Miami. Apparently Miami is not considered part of the U.S. because it seems no matter where I go, I am greeted in Spanish, and in stores and even doctors' offices all I hear is Spanish being spoken around me.

I married into a Peruvian family, but I did that before I lived in Miami. However, my in-laws, who have been here for over 40 years, insist that I should learn Spanish "because we live in Miami".

On a recent trip to Bank of America to cash a check I was greeted in Spanish. As I pointed to a sign over the teller's head, I reminded her that we are in America, and she should greet customers in English. She informed me ,"You are in Miami now. You need to learn Spanish."

I went to the grocery store and asked for "candied fruit" in order to do holiday baking recently. I am met with blank stares as a few of the Hispanic workers tried to translate what I am asking for and the best they can come up with is either candy or fruit.

Heading to Macy's brings even further frustration. Approaching the counter to ask for my usual black mascara at the Lancome counter, I am greeted in Spanish. I know for a fact that Macy's has a policy where all customers must be greeted in English and the customer needs to ask to be spoken to in Spanish. I asked the woman if she even spoke English and she said she did, but "we live in Miami; who speaks English here?" I reported her and she was fired. I don't feel bad about that.

At a recent meal at a local Italian restaurant, I learned that all the employees had Spanish as their first language. No one had English or Italian as their first language, and even trying to order and ask questions was a problem.

Six years ago, right after we moved here, my daughter visited. We headed to Dunkin Donuts and tried to order two coffees. I was home sick and I thought Dunkin Donuts was just what I needed. I was shocked to find out that the counter help couldn't understand what we wanted!!! People in line with us needed to translate our order into "dos cafes con crème y azucar". And we still didn't get what we wanted.

I needed to call my doctor to make an appointment. Even though he is from Manhattan, his receptionist feels it necessary to answer in Spanish. I asked him why he makes her do this, and he said, "We're in Miami!"

My seven year old niece by marriage has a Cuban father and Peruvian mother. She goes to school where she is taught in English only. She can't speak Spanish and her parents are furious because they want her to learn Spanish in school where "everyone should be taught their native language".

At all social gatherings I hear Spanish. Even people who have been here for decades and can speak fluent English always revert to Spanish. My in laws are no exception. Aside from my mother in law, they all speak English. Put them in a room together or get them on the phone, and they speak Spanish. They tell me I am rude for not learning their language. It is a major insult to them. I hear this every time we get together, which is usually in my own home.

My ancestors came here in the late 1700s, long before Ellis Island. They came from Europe, learned the language, and assimilated into the culture of their new land. Today, however, too many immigrants in border towns have decided that we, the Americans, must somehow accommodate and adapt their culture, rather than they adopting the culture of their new country.

Just because someone lives in Miami, they shouldn't need to learn a new language. As long as Miami is still part of the United State of America, no one should be forced into learning any language other than English in order to communicate. Miami is jokingly referred to as "north Cuba". Until we stop treating Spanish as the primary language, it might as well be "north Cuba".

Along with large populations of Hispanics, we also have a large immigrant community from Korea, Viet Nam and Russia. None of the cultures assumes we need to learn to speak their language; they learn English.