The Latin American community is one of the largest in the United States, and has managed to assimilate largely into the customs of the country, leading many of its members to adopt English as the language of everyday use, even in … Their interactions with other Spanish speakers.
This is exactly what a TikTok user explained @teresafurqueta Spanish woman who lived for two years in the United States. In one of her recent videos, the young woman explains that often when interacting with Spanish speakers, many avoided speaking to her in their native language and chose to respond to her in English.
Teresa says this situation has happened to her several times at her workplace. One time, while speaking in Spanish in the cafeteria with a Latino co-worker, he kept responding in English. “It’s not that he didn’t understand me,” Teresa says.“He simply answered me in English. “I could never say anything to him because he was too violent for me.” The situation was repeated, and although she tried to understand the reasons, it was difficult for her to find an explanation.
Another similar moment occurred in the elevator of his building, where he met a Latino family. When Teresa began speaking to them in Spanish, some members responded in the same language. However, the mother of the family, although speaking Spanish to her children, addressed Teresa in English. “It’s something I don’t really understand. “I’m talking to you in Spanish, why are you talking to me in English?” Teresa reflects on her video.
@teresafurquet Why are there Latinos who don’t speak Spanish with me in the United States? No matter how much I think about it, I can’t find a reason. I’m not saying this is the general trend, in two years this will have happened to four or five people, but when it does I keep thinking about it. Knowing different languages seems to me to be a real cultural wealth. 🤔
♬ original sound – Teresa Forquette
The young woman realizes that she can understand these situations when a person’s first language is English, as many Latinos grow up in English-speaking environments and feel more comfortable using English. However, he does not understand why Spanish speakers whose first language is Spanish avoid speaking it with others, especially if the context facilitates conversation in that language. “If your first language is English, I understand. But if your first language is Spanish, and you speak to everyone around you in Spanish and I speak to you in Spanish, why would you switch to English?” he asks.
Feedback in the comments
Teresa’s post sparked widespread controversy on social networks, with responses from Spanish and Latino users, who were searching for the reasons behind this behavior. Some opinions suggest that it could be a form of… Cultural integrationwhere Latinos in the United States feel the need to adapt to using English as a reflection of their environment.
Others suggest that there may be some kind of bias or discomfort regarding different Spanish accents or dialects, leading many Latinos to prefer English when interacting with Spanish speakers from outside the United States.
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