A new Stereotype? Or maybe not so "new"?

Comment

Comment by Jasmine Villa on November 1, 2012 at 10:27am

I have not been discriminated in college, in part because the school I attend is predominantly Hispanic. I do feel that non-hispanic students may be at a disadvantage at times, in some courses. For example, for my Intro to Rhetoric and Writing Studies course, the professor assigned readings from Gloria Anzaldua's "Borderlands/La Frontera". Those who spoke Spanish loved, loved, loved it, but those who didn't felt disconnected. I did hear of an incident during my undergrad days of a student who filed a complaint to the Dean of Students for a professor who used a Spanish phrase to explain something (she translated that same phrase). According to the instructor, the student claimed everything should be taught in English. The instructor broke down while she told us this story (she was a guest speaker for my class). It's horrible.

I will admit that it annoys me when I go to the store and the cashier switches from speaking English to speaking Spanish in order, at least this is my assumption, to make my transaction "smoother". She was speaking perfect English beforehand and then Spanish to me. I speak both languages, but it just irks me when they do this. Do I look like I need assistance in Spanish? If the cashier only spoke Spanish and spoke to everyone in Spanish, then I'd be okay. It's one of my few irrational pet-peeves.