Can any native Spanish-speakers answer this question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an early retired white guy who majored in Spanish in college and has lived in and traveled extensively throughout Latin America. While no native Spanish speaker would ever mistake Spanish for being my first language I am often asked if I am Brazilian because native Spanish speakers are not used to white Americans who speak Spanish as well as I do.

I always speak Spanish to native Spanish speakers, Weather here in the United States with workers who I hire or when traveling abroad in Latin America. I have never once detected any resentment or unhappiness from anyone about this. I am not speaking Spanish to native Spanish speakers so I can “practice,” but because I’m tired of the notion that everyone needs to learn and speak English.

Why do they think you are from Brazil and not from Spain?
There are Spaniards who were born in Europe living all over Latin America.
Many of them are just as white if not whiter than you.
Are you traveling to mostly poor and impoverished areas?

DP (actually I’m the Asian-am from above who wasn’t supposed to be on this discussion thread) - probably because someone used to speaking Spanish in S & Latin Am doesn’t use a theta, and also I’m guessing the Brazilian diaspora in the US is bigger than the native spaniard one.

Btw, to the person who said I have no right to be on this thread, my DH is from Puerto Rico - he speaks fluent Spanish but looks utterly Irish (pale skin, blue eyes). We currently live in Portugal & are both mistaken for Galician when traveling in Spain because our Portuguese comes in strong over the Spanish. When we are back in the states and sometimes even when visiting PR, no one thinks to try Spanish on him and would rather limp along with my rubbish Spanish. I understand reasonably well - just can’t speak or write it well. Why do people insist on Spanish with me and not DH? The only thing I can think is that I look like I’m supposed to know it and he does not. Maybe OP is in the same boat. Preconceptions shouldn’t exist, but I think they do all over the world, not just in poor impoverished areas.

[Anonymous]

Asian American here. You shouldn’t assume someone who looks Latino speaks Spanish and not English. If, in a work setting, someone said to me, hey I’m learning Chinese and started talking to me in Chinese, I would be really put off. It highlights my difference in a way that reflects that this is what you see first (not my abilities). Also, I would be really offended if you simply assumed I didn’t speak English. My parents (immigrants, but US citizens for 30 years) - they would be deeply offended if someone started talking in Chinese to them- they speak English just fine.

Now, if it’s someone who’s a friend and not a work setting or other setting where there is a power differential, and she wanted to ask, I think that’s different. But YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an early retired white guy who majored in Spanish in college and has lived in and traveled extensively throughout Latin America. While no native Spanish speaker would ever mistake Spanish for being my first language I am often asked if I am Brazilian because native Spanish speakers are not used to white Americans who speak Spanish as well as I do.

I always speak Spanish to native Spanish speakers, Weather here in the United States with workers who I hire or when traveling abroad in Latin America. I have never once detected any resentment or unhappiness from anyone about this. I am not speaking Spanish to native Spanish speakers so I can “practice,” but because I’m tired of the notion that everyone needs to learn and speak English.

Why do they think you are from Brazil and not from Spain?
There are Spaniards who were born in Europe living all over Latin America.
Many of them are just as white if not whiter than you.
Are you traveling to mostly poor and impoverished areas?

You’re missing my point. It has nothing to do with race. My point is that native Spanish speakers in Latin America are just not used to Americans who are fluent in Spanish. We always expect them to just speak English. So when I show up and I’m speaking fluent Spanish, but obviously with a foreign accent, they often ask if I’m from Brazil.

By the way, on the issue of understanding young people and middle-age people and old people in various countries in Latin America, it’s not that difficult. Obviously there are different slang words and idioms, but you just ask if you don’t understand and you learn more that way.

The main point of my post is just to say that I do not think that people who speak good Spanish offend native speakers when you go to their countries and speak Spanish or when you speak Spanish to native Spanish speakers in our country. I may be generalizing, but most Latinos are pretty chill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have more power than your housekeeper and fast food workers. They have to put up with you and Speak Spanish if the want to keep their job— or at least they might think that.

Turn it around: how would you feel if you were just trying to do your job, and your boss walked up to me and insisted and speaking in very poor, broken English that You had trouble understanding. And expected you to respond appropriately, in English, at a level they could understand?

I don’t think it’s okay to forcible conscript people working for or serving you into being your Spanish language study buddies.

It does also seem condescending. Lots of better ways to make someone feel welcome. Like treating them the way you would want to be retreated. This isn’t it.

NP here: Are you a native Spanish speaker? Have you experienced/been annoyed by what OP describes?

I have experienced this as a native English speaker in a Spanish-speaking country (where I lived) and it is extremely annoying.

OP, don't do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I speak basically fluent Spanish, having lived in Latin America and Spain for about 7 years total, and I don't generally speak Spanish with people here in DC. I do think it comes across as condescending, especially when your Spanish isn't great. My general rule is that you converse in the language that both people speak the best. Since my Spanish is advanced, I will switch into Spanish if someone is really struggling, but I give them the chance to work on their own language skills by speaking to me in English first. I think that's not condescending as Spanish is the language that the both of us obviously interact with the best, but again, I'm not a beginner.

Same here - I lived in Spain for years and although my Spanish is better than many local Spanish speakers' English, I do not speak Spanish to people who address me in English. If they are struggling, I will switch into Spanish, but otherwise, no.

[Anonymous]

OP here, and wow.....this is a tough crowd!

First. To clear up some false assumptions, I am not just looking at someone and guessing he/she speaks Spanish based on looks. First, he would be someone who already is addressing me, and I'll ask if he speaks Spanish, explain I am learning, and then ask if we can continue our conversation - which would be brief in any event - in Spanish. For example, I'll order my meal in Spanish, ask for another napkin, request more coffee. Very simple exchanges. (Someone upthread thought I was cornering people at the next table and interrupting their lunch.) It's fun, and as I said in my OP, I thought it was welcoming.

Second, the reason this even came up at all is because a native Spanish-speaking waitress was having trouble coming up with the Engkish word for something. I told her, and then, out of curiosity (and to be friendly) I asked her how you said it in Spanish. I then said that I wished I could speak a second language, but that I am too old to learn. She said, with enthusiasm, that that wasn't true, and invited me to practice with her. (I had some rudimentary knowledge remaining from HS Spanish class.) She encouraged it, so the next time I went to that restaurant, I asked for her and we had our exchange in Spanish.

Ordering in Spanish at that particular place became so natural that when I was seated at a different waiter's table, I mindlessly said dos por dos por dos, por favor - and then caught myself. I laughingly told the waiter that I practice Spanish with Linda, and he said....practice with me! So, it's not always the case that people are offended.

After that, I became more interested in expanding my repertoire (there is life beyond ordering a meal!) and teaching myself a bit. It IS much harder than it was for me in HS, but I'm making slow progress.

Still, based on some of the feedback here, I'll tread carefully going forward. I see it is not always appreciated, and it's not always easy to discern that.