Chris Levister, Inland Empire, April 30, 2008
{snip}
“We were shocked. We applied at places like McDonalds, Burger King and Jack in the Box. We went to shoe stores, pizza parlors and convenience stores. The workers were overwhelmingly Spanish speaking. Pretty much they always ask us, ‘Do you speak Spanish?’ They said we prefer bilingual,” says Jazanique [a high-schooler looking for a summer job]. And, as an American who only speaks English, her answer leaves her without the job.
“It’s hard when you can’t even get an interview because you don’t speak Spanish,” said Jazanique.
For Jazanique, Ashanae and Kimyen the job hunting experience is both frustrating and sobering. The unemployment rate among African-American teens is shockingly six times the national rate. This according to the U.S. Department of Labor translates into approximately 296,000 African-American teenagers actively seeking employment who are finding it difficult to secure a job.
{snip}
Cashier-customer exchanges at four national fast food restaurants located at the busy intersection of Mt. Vernon and Washington Streets in Colton bore out many of the teen’s frustrations.
{snip}
And it brings up the question: is it legal, in America, to require an American citizen to speak a foreign language to get certain jobs?
McDonald’s for example employs 465,000 workers worldwide serving more than 26 million customers daily. More than 80 percent of its 13,700 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. The food service powerhouse’s hiring culture is nothing less than emphatic about its commitment to equal opportunity employment.
The chain has been recognized for it’s commitment to diversity by Fortune Magazine, Hispanic Magazine and lauded by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the 30 Best Companies for Diversity.
{snip}
“I don’t think its discrimination. It’s more about catering to the customers who come through the door,” says Elva Gomez a former manager for Del Taco national food chain.
{snip}
“You better believe Black teens looking for summer jobs are feeling the impact of immigration,” said Gomez. It’s worrisome because Blacks are suffering more from the invasion than whites because they (generally) have fewer resources with which to run away from immigration.”
“It’s a very stressful and difficult dilemma. Sometimes you feel like you’re straddling two nations, on one hand you strive for diversity, on the other you are forced to hire people who are best equipped to serve your core customer base. Sometimes that boils down to bilingual preferred,” says fast food manager Kevin Ellis who is biracial (Latino/Black) speaks some Spanish and does everything from hire workers to taking customer’s orders, cooking food, assembling sandwiches and handing orders to customers.
{snip}
For Jazanique, Ashanae and Kimyen that reality comes as more teens prepare to seek summer jobs. Citing rising gasoline and food prices among other things, Junior Achievement released the results of an annual survey showing a 22% increase in the number of teens who want to work this summer, says a spokesperson for the nonprofit.
“The job chill is not limited to the fast food industry,” insists Miki Nelson who had to apply at 19 different businesses before he got a summer job stocking books at a national retailer.
“In most cases I was asked. ‘Do you speak Spanish’? We are being pushed out of minimum wage jobs on every front. Employers are under intense pressure to capture every dollar that comes in the door. Customers want cheap, fast, hassle free everything. What happens to Black inner city kids—whether they get summer jobs or not—is not on their radar,” said Nelson.
{snip}
Original article
(Posted on May 6, 2008)
Comments
This is the point that so many Americans who do not speak Spanish are overlooking. Whethter your young, old, middle aged, this requirement is not only a burden on job seekers, but outright discrimination. How has it been allowed to get to this point? Where are all the usually liberal lawyers that always babble about “fairness”? Language friends, is going to determine much of politicis in the U.S. thanks to irridentist Mexican Nationals who are encourged by the liberals and others to not learn English. WE ARE FOOLS FOR NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW THIS LANGUAGE ISSUE, IS GOING TO FURTHER MAKE NOT ONLY WHITES BUT EVERY OTHER GROUP SECOND CLASS CITIZENS IN THEIR OWN NATION.
P.S. Every other culture that ever came to the U.S. learned English but now the bombastic idea that Americans must learn Spanish is actually being taken serioulsy. HELLO, EARTH TO THE AMERICAN CITIZENRY!
Posted by Bobby at 7:39 PM on May 6
If blacks think that they have been given the shaft by whites, they haven’t seen anything yet. Hispanics will give absolutely nothing to the blacks, no giveouts, no diversity, no hispanic guilt. All their shouts of racism will fall on ears that don’t even understand them. Many of the more intelligent blacks understand that there will never be an “alliance” of black and brown to overthrow white people and are against this flood of illegal immigration. What about La Raza’s motto don’t they understand, “For those of our race everything, for the others, nothing.”
Posted by Eric at 7:56 PM on May 6
Anyone served by a “Black” at a fast food establishment can appreciate the efforts of franchise holders to employ “Bilinguals”. (Read: “Non “Black” Hispanics”)
When one is hungry, one does not need the order taker to be fighting past issues of discrimination by “playing the cool” and balking at the customer in order to overcome the indignity of having to preform productive labor, or “getting” the order wrong.
Let’s hope the Feds do not stick their nose into the efforts of franchisees to hire ‘bilingual” employees. All hungry people want is food. They do not want the necessity of having to fight the “Blacks” in their ongoing race war just in order to eat.
Ronald
Posted by Ronald at 8:06 PM on May 6
Again and again, the real issue behind immigration rears its head. Blacks are EXTREMELY bad employees. And, across the board, businesses that use unskilled labor have discovered that immigrants, particularly illegals are a very effective method for not having to hire them.
That’s what the issue is. What it has always been. And what it will continue to be.
Liberals have created a situation in the US where businesses are forced to hire them and to accept the harsh consequences of doing so. This is their way of fighting back. The problem is, neither the liberals, nor the corporations care about the consequences for society.
Posted by at 8:07 PM on May 6
When employers (like the Salvation Army) required prospective employees to speak English, ACLU and other leftist/activist organization cracked on such a requirement as a violation of civil rights of Mexicans in the U.S. But don’t hold your breath waiting for the same outrage and legal threats from ACLU when Spanish (euphemistically referred to as “bi-lingage”) is a requirement for a job. Apparently discriminating against Americans in favor of Mexicans is a good thing ant it doesn’t violate anyone’s civil rights.
Posted by A Reader at 8:18 PM on May 6
Some of these job applicants aren’t even monolingual, unless one counts expletive-laden incoherency as a “language”.
Their notorious work habits have also earned them few admirers.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 8:34 PM on May 6
This is a reminder that the subject of black-Hispanic
relations, something that the vast majority of Americans
never had to think about during the 20th century, is
becoming a huge public-policy issue in the U.S. in
the 21st century.
Posted by Larry at 9:00 PM on May 6
Don’t worry, the blacks will blame whitey.
Meanwhile, when applying for a job, say that you are bilingual anyway. Most people know a few words of Spanish. Are they going to test you?
Posted by SandyCSA at 9:25 PM on May 6
Blacks need to have fewer children. Period. Why? They are viewed as unproductive and therefore many are not employable. Since they are unable to create sufficient jobs in their own communities due to low achievement and crime, they seek employment elsewhere. However, they are viewed as unproductive and therefore many are not employable. Since they are unable to create sufficient jobs in their own communities due to low achievement and crime, they seek employment elsewhere. Did I repeat? Well that is because it is a never ending cycle. They end up on welfare which is a fancy word for making a slave out of another white working middle class family who work to support the unproductive. Solution. Black people need to quit having children. They are a drag on non-blacks.
Posted by Elrey Jones at 9:36 PM on May 6
If the blacks think that they have it bad when they are looking for a job white teenagers are probibly pushed even further down the hiring ladder due to affirmative action. I pity the poor person, black or white that has to work with Hispanics, they will be rude to you, talk about you behind your back in Spanish and generally try to get you to quit. My husband is bilingual in German and he has been called for interviews when he has checked the box for “bilingual” and had the interview terminated in the middle when the language he spoke was not Spanish.
Posted by Spartan24 at 9:41 PM on May 6
Another article I read about this stated that the NAACP is expressing concerns. All the while the NAACP lobbies for open borders and amnesty.
Posted by Question Diversity at 9:53 PM on May 6
What? You mean ebonics doesn’t count?
Because individuals with names like “Jazanique” “Ashanae” and “Kimyen” are surely fluent in that “language.”
Posted by ZKR at 11:28 PM on May 6
These people should stop griping to us and start with their congressional representatives, every last damn one of whom supports amnesty and open borders.
Posted by Alan at 11:32 PM on May 6
I’m sorry to say that I too have had to make the choice, and I chose to stay employable: this summer I will be spending as much of my free time as I can with the Rosetta Stone Spanish system. I have the Castillian version; I hope that will teach me enough to know when I’m being insulted.
Posted by Jacqui in AZ at 12:47 AM on May 7
It’s worse than you think. The EEOC, funded with our tax dollars, sues businesses and private charities that require that their employees speak English. They sued the Salvation Army over that, for chrissake.
Posted by WR the elder at 12:50 AM on May 7
By virtue of being attracted to hispanic women in my younger days, I became bilingual in Spanish and spent several years as a student and teacher in Latin America. As a middle-aged adult now, if asked for hiring or other organizational purposes if I’m bilingual, I’ll tell them that I’m proficient in Japanese and German… which I am.
This is a fun thing to do, because inevitably it comes out in the wash that bilingual actually means “brown-skinned and Spanish-speaking”. I’ll then go into a lengthy discourse in Spanish about how the people concerned ought to say what they mean.
This can cause consternation, as I look like a stereotypical white guy and not the sort who should be able to outpoint them in their own language. I suppose I could file a lawsuit for discrimination, but the jobs and tasks concerned are generally below my skill level and experience.
Oh well, at least by hiring hispanics instead of blacks there’s a reasonably good chance that the job will get done… as long as it requires minimal brainwork.
Posted by generalquagmyer at 1:13 AM on May 7
Apparently it’s a horrible thing when blacks are shunned for not being bilingual in Spanish. But I don’t recall the controlled governmedia ever working themselves into a fit of outrage at the plight of Whites who face the same discrimination.
Posted by at 6:35 AM on May 7
Sounds like discrimination to me.
Posted by sbuffalonative at 7:48 AM on May 7
Poetic justice. Blacks make a living out of accusing whites of “discrimination.” Now they’re finding out what it’s like to be on the receiving end. It’s a two-way street, homey. And your feds aren’t going to go to bat for you.
Only in America.
Posted by Carl at 2:47 PM on May 7
Gooolleee, this poor oppressed race, not again? Too bad they couldn’t have been born white. Everyone knows the good fairy takes care of those people. Oh! I forgot they can still vote for Hussein, or any liberal of their choice. {Watch out for those hanging chads}.
Posted by The Old Sage at 4:20 PM on May 7
Hispanics will give absolutely nothing to the blacks, no giveouts, no diversity, no hispanic guilt. All their shouts of racism will fall on ears that don’t even understand them.
Same with Asians. Immigration and birthrates being what they are, this country will be majority Asian and Hispanic within the lifetime of most people reading this post. Assuming Tom Chittum’s predictions don’t hold and this country stays in one piece, the future does not look good for Blacks.
Posted by qwerty at 9:05 PM on May 7
McDonalds leads the way in illegal immigrations. It set the presedent for others to compete. When international Corp hires workers in South America and then imports them into USA because it can for lower pay it establishes the price competition of lower wages only foreign workers take and reduces American wages and opportunites to poverty level standards for US here in USA. Once here the Spanish are extremely aggressive with thier own language and culture. V
Posted by at 9:30 PM on May 7
So, requiring English as a condition of employment in the U.S. is considered anti-Mexican discrimination, but requiring bi-language (a cover-up term for Spanish) is not a discrimination against Ameircans?
It’s totally upside down.
English should be a legitimate job requirement (per discretion of the employer), while bi-linguality (except for persons involved in foreign trade, embassy/consulate work, vessels traveling abroad, etc.) should be deemed discriminatory and, therefore, illegal.
Posted by A Reader at 9:38 PM on May 7
forget about the bilingual hurdle that black youth face, for most, the “mono-lingual” hurdle is just as high
Posted by at 11:03 PM on May 7
Eric, 7:56 P.M.May6, correct BUT YOU MUST ALSO INCLUDE WHITES ERIC. When in positions of power, they will discriminate against whites ALSO. “FOR THOSE OF OUR RACE………………… Actually I’ve witnessed this discrimination several times against whites. Americans are so utterly deluded.
Posted by Bobby at 11:06 PM on May 7
Does anyone know where this is supposed to be? Is it L.A.? The story doesn’t make it clear or I am overlooking something.
Posted by at 5:51 PM on May 9
