# Spanish in the Kitchen



## miss kim78 (Mar 17, 2013)

With Spanish being spoken more than English in many of the professional kitchens, some establishments require staff to be bilingual. I wanted to ask fellow Cheftalkers what they think about this. I once worked in a kitchen (during the holiday season a couple of years ago) where English was hardly spoken. Some of the staff did not even understand English. The language barrier was frustrating. There was a lot of misunderstanding that caused problems.

Learning a new language is always fun, but I have no intention of learning Spanish (I'd rather be studying French, Japanese, or Italian if I were to pick up a new language). I realize that it is the most practical foreign language to learn, but my take on it is that the Spanish speaking workers are living in the United States of America…not Mexico, Guatemala, or any other Spanish speaking countries. THEY should be the ones making an effort to be learning English, not the other way around. If I was living in Mexico, I'd be the one making the effort to learn the main language, Spanish. I wouldn't expect everyone to be catering to my linguistic needs by expecting THEM to learn English just for people like me. 

And I do understand and speak a little Spanish (enough to know when someone is talking sh*t about me), but I refuse to invest my time learning the language. And I think when companies require candidates to be bilingual in Spanish, it only propels the Spanish speakers to be more lazy in learning English. That is why so many of them won't even try learning English. 
[h2] [/h2]


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

I had a husband and wife from El Salvador working for me some years back, I made them speak in English as much as they could and I spoke to them in Spanish, we Both taught each other a new language.

As long as you know kitchen Spanish, and can say simple phrases you will be ok.


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

Miss Kim78 said:


> With Spanish being spoken more than English in many of the professional kitchens, some establishments require staff to be bilingual. I wanted to ask fellow Cheftalkers what they think about this. I once worked in a kitchen (during the holiday season a couple of years ago) where English was hardly spoken. Some of the staff did not even understand English. The language barrier was frustrating. There was a lot of misunderstanding that caused problems.
> 
> Learning a new language is always fun, but I have no intention of learning Spanish (I'd rather be studying French, Japanese, or Italian if I were to pick up a new language). I realize that it is the most practical foreign language to learn, but my take on it is that the Spanish speaking workers are living in the United States of America…not Mexico, Guatemala, or any other Spanish speaking countries. THEY should be the ones making an effort to be learning English, not the other way around. If I was living in Mexico, I'd be the one making the effort to learn the main language, Spanish. I wouldn't expect everyone to be catering to my linguistic needs by expecting THEM to learn English just for people like me.
> 
> And I do understand and speak a little Spanish (enough to know when someone is talking sh*t about me), but I refuse to invest my time learning the language. And I think when companies require candidates to be bilingual in Spanish, it only propels the Spanish speakers to be more lazy in learning English. That is why so many of them won't even try learning English


The reason there are so many Spanish speaking workers in the kitchen is because Spanish people are willing to work for sh** pay, something a lot of English-speaking people don't want to do. Lots of American people don't want to work utility in the kitchen because they believe it's below them, although they don't have jobs, or an education because they are too lazy and believe they should be handed a job that pays $20.00 an hour just because they speak English and were born in the land of milk and honey. I've worked in kitchens for close to two decades, and never met an American utility worker who worked as hard as Spanish people, who didn't have a feeling of self-entitlement, and who stayed at the job for more than a year, and I can put my hand on bible to that. You can ask the best chefs in the industry who have been their most loyal and hardest workers, and they will most likely tell you it's been a person of Spanish descent.

Perhaps you should be a little more appreciative that you have people who although have difficulty speaking the language, or don't speak English it at all, are dependable, keep their head down, don't talk back, are hard-working, and loyal, and keep the chips and dip coming.

I wish you could realize how you sound...your post definitely has serious undertones, if you know what I mean...

I'm sorry to break it to you, but America's second language is rapidly becoming Spanish. You can either be embittered by it, or you can attempt to be open-minded enough to embrace it, and accept that no matter what your feelings are, Spanish in the kitchen is there to stay and there's nothing you can do about it. You should be grateful to people from "Mexico, and Guatemala", and tip your hat off to them, because you've met one of the hardest working people on the face of the earth. Not to mention the fact that you have no idea what they've been through, or any of their struggles leaving their own oppressive country and families, to be in a place where they are second-class citizens, are treated poorly, and looked down upon, make less than minimum wage, and smile while they're eating sh** cake. If you can't handle Spanish in the kitchen, then the food industry isn't for you.

I'd also like to add that I never met a Spanish kitchen worker who wasn't desperate to understand and speak English. Unfortunately, they work tediously long hours, don't spend enough time speaking to English-speaking people in the kitchen to be able to grasp the language. They are lucky to get home and have enough time to spend with their family, sleep, and perhaps work a second job.

I have to say I'm deeply offended by your post.

I'll be gracious enough to wish you luck learning French.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

I wanted to reply but pollopicu has made the point so succinctly...++++thank you pollopicu for taking the words out of my heart and making them better.....i would only like to add that working in a Spanish speaking kitchen is as wonderful an experience as you let it be, as you give. if you give and listen and learn,trust me, there is a lot to learn from them....they love and are eager to learn English and slang as much as I love to learn Spanish and spanglish and somewhere in the mix we all come out with simple respect for one another, and always get the sometimes insurmountable workload done. i work side by side with these hard working lovely people...they always laugh,smile, joke and SING...what's not to like?

joey

ps. Most if not all of the Mexicans I work with in the kitchen all have other jobs that they go to sometimes right from this job, with no break other the driving to get there..and they work 7 days a week....


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## evilporkchop (Dec 14, 2011)

I work.in an asian restaurant ....all spanish speakers unable to efficiantly speak English.

Yet, somehow someway, the dishes get done ,the food gets done,costumers are happy and the restaurant makes money. 
Sometimes language isnt the issue,its the attitude of the team.as a whole.


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## miss kim78 (Mar 17, 2013)

I apologize if anyone is offended. That was not my intent. And let me tell you that I come from an immigrant family as well (I am a second generation Korean American, but my parents were immigrants). I am very familiar with the struggles, the sacrifice, and the emotional hardships that immigrants face in this country. The language and cultural barrier can be obstacles in pursuing that "American Dream". My family members all faced the exact same barriers that immigrants of Spanish speaking countries face. During the wave of Korean immigration of that time, many came here for better opportunities. And there were also white collar professionals that came here, to find themselves only being qualified to clean the toilet or peel potatoes (because they didn't speak English). 

But you know what? They MADE the time to make an effort to learn English. While working 80hours a week, every chance they got, they cracked open the English tutorial books, listened to tapes, watched American television…whatever it took to master the language. They wouldn't dare go out into the working world expecting people to be learning a foreign language just to convenience them. That is my point. Why should things be any different for Spanish speaking immigrants? Why should immigrants from other countries work their asses off to learn English while the Spanish speakers won't even bother? How is that fair?


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## recky (Oct 15, 2012)

I'll offer my European perspective on this: I find it grossly unfair to accuse MissKim of racism. Well, I don't know her personally and she may be a member of the KKK (unlikely though, being Korean), but what she wrote is, in my humble opinion, common sense, not racist. Equal opportunities are a big thing in all European countries, and I'm sure in the US, too. One cannot create equal opportunities on the lowest common denominator.

Over here, we have a welfare system that will offer financial and practical support to immigrants who don't speak the national language. At the same time, immigrants are expected to get their arses in gear so that they find work. And they won't find work without a good grasp of the local lingo. Period. But most will find work eventually, many go self-employed or find proper employment, as opposed to casual labour.

I think _that's_ fair. Are all Europeans racist? I don't think so.


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## evilporkchop (Dec 14, 2011)

I work in an a restaurant where the kitchen staff BARELY speaks english and somehow the dishes get done.,the food gets cooked,and the restaurant makes money.
And its like that in many kitchens.Ive witnessed alot of misscommunication between FOH and kitchen staff,and frustrations that could have been avoided if EVERYONE spoke the same language.

But what do you do with a workforce that hasnt got the drive to learn a new language ,but is willing to work very hard all.day at your restaurant?


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## miss kim78 (Mar 17, 2013)

Thank you, Recky. I think some people misunderstood my point. No one actually called me a "racist" in this discussion, but I can see how some people can perceive my thoughts as being "racist". When immigrants move to a foreign country, it is THEIR job to learn the native language. It shouldn't be the natives' job to learn theirs. If I were to move to Mexico, I'd make an effort to make sure I mastered Spanish. If I moved to France, I'd be studying French day and night every chance I got. I would not be expecting people in Mexico, France, or whatever other country I (hypothetically) move to, to be taking the time to learn English just so it can convenience people that don't speak the native language.


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## recky (Oct 15, 2012)

Miss Kim78 said:


> Thank you, Recky. I think some people misunderstood my point. No one actually called me a "racist" in this discussion, but I can see how some people can perceive my thoughts as being "racist". When immigrants move to a foreign country, it is THEIR job to learn the native language. It shouldn't be the natives' job to learn theirs. If I were to move to Mexico, I'd make an effort to make sure I mastered Spanish. If I moved to France, I'd be studying French day and night every chance I got. I would not be expecting people in Mexico, France, or whatever other country I (hypothetically) move to, to be taking the time to learn English just so it can convenience people that don't speak the native language.


In everything you say I can hear the "fully integrated immigrant child". I have lived and worked abroad myself and wouldn't have coped without learning the language (English is not my native language). And I certainly never expected any concessions from the locals.

I am aware of the fact that US kitchens are very unique in their excessive use of a Latin American workforce, and from the outside it may even seem quite "multicultural", but when you look at it more closely, it really isn't all that romantic. It's nothing to do with equal opportunities and a lot with lacking opportunities.

While I know that the Spanish-speaking kitchen workforce is hard-working and generally quite talented in this area, the lack of English is far from a good thing in my book.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

I have worked as the only English speaking person in an all French kitchen. Now THAT'S fun.......You never know when you are being cussed at or being made the brunt of a joke.

I have commanded a kitchen of 85% Hispanic people where English was spoken just fine.

As in all things........it depends upon the person.

I agree that immigrants should learn the language of the country they live in.

Americans aren't putting enough effort into the cultural evolution of our country.

Everybody keeps hammering on the need for the immigrant to learn our language, but the fact of the matter is, the population of our country will cause a 2nd or even a 3rd language to come about.

It will happen. There as so many different cultures here already that it is enevitable.


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

I  to worked in a kitchen where everybody was French. I learned it.  I worked many years ago for a chef that told all the staff  ''   I will pay you in the currency of the country who's language you speak''   Funny everyone learned English????????


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## mano (Dec 16, 2010)

If we don't personalize any of this issue, the OP is left with the fact that her decision limits her professionally.

FWIW, the Spanish speaking BOH employees are usually terrific. The fact some don't speak much English limits them, as well. Some people, regardless of intelligence and effort have a hard time mastering new languages.

Her belief that "When immigrants move to a foreign country, it is THEIR job to learn the native language. It shouldn't be the natives' job to learn theirs." baffles me. If that logic was applied in the rest of the restaurant everyone would do "their job" and nothing else. Native's learn the language of immigrants because the world works better that way.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Miss Kim78 said:


> Why should immigrants from other countries work their asses off to learn English while the Spanish speakers won't even bother?


Sometimes I wish that I didn't understand English.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Miss Kim78 said:


> When immigrants move to a foreign country, it is THEIR job to learn the native language. It shouldn't be the natives' job to learn theirs.


You can't tell people what their job is. Here's a good exercise in imagination. Everytime you encounter something that you think shouldn't be the case ask yourself if you can come up with three reasons why that might be. For example, a seemingly healthy person parking in a handicap parking spot.


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## miss kim78 (Mar 17, 2013)

Why does it sound like most people here are so anti-learning English? 

Mano, to your comment, "Her belief that "When immigrants move to a foreign country, it is THEIR job to learn the native language. It shouldn't be the natives' job to learn theirs." baffles me. If that logic was applied in the rest of the restaurant everyone would do "their job" and nothing else. Native's learn the language of immigrants because the world works better that way." - Since natives are learning the languages of immigrants, does that mean the natives are going to learn every immigrant language there is? Going to pick up Vietnamese, German, Italian, and yada yada since "the world works better that way"? I don't see how it's fair to apply your concept solely to Spanish speakers. The USA is a melting pot, home to people from all over the world. If we spent our time learning the immigrant language of every country, then really "nothing else" would get done. If might be fun, and an asset to learn a new language. But why should there be any favoritism towards the Spanish language?

What I have seen is that many of the Spanish speakers don't make an effort to learn English because they DON'T WANT TO. I'll give props to those that do try and make an effort because they really want to learn. But many of them don't want to because they feel they don't have to. Even my Spanish speaking coworkers have told me this. They expressed the mentality that there is no need to learn English, so they DON'T WANT TO (the same way I DON'T WANT TO learn Spanish). Use Ed Buchanan's former chef's approach and pay people to learn English. I'm sure they are going to then WANT TO.

So what do you do when your recipes are written in English? How are you going to trust anyone without the command of the language, to flawlessly follow through? Evilporkchop, attitude is important too. But there are times the language barrier can cause issues. When vital information needs to get relayed, they often misunderstand or not understand at all. Without a fluently bilingual staff member nearby to translate, there's bound to be distress.


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## mano (Dec 16, 2010)

Your absolutist interpretation of my comment and way of looking at things speaks for itself. 

Let's make it easier for everyone. In the context of working in a professional kitchen, where many of the employees speak a different language that someone else is capable of learning, it makes sense to learn that language as best one can. By not doing so, their professional options and growth are likely limited.


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## miss kim78 (Mar 17, 2013)

"Someone else is capable of learning" this "different language," Spanish, the same way "someone else" is "capable of learning" English. 

It's almost like you are saying since "natives learn the language of immigrants because the world works better that way," it's the responsibility of the natives to learn the immigrants' language while they make ZERO effort to even bother. It's like you are in support of them not even having to bother learning English because we (the English speakers in this case) will do all the work in making efforts to learn THEIR language to accommodate them.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

I've traveled rather extensively during my tenure as a World Bank consultant and have arrived at the conclusion that the USA is one of very few countries that tolerates something other than the country mother tongue for government or commerce.


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## mano (Dec 16, 2010)

Miss Kim78 said:


> It's almost like you are saying ... It's like you are in support...


Neither of those assumptions are remotely true. Take my statement at face value without believing I'm implying anything else. My statement applies equally to everyone, whether their primary language is Spanish, English, Japanese; whatever.

Sorry if I'm unclear, but I've done my best.


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## recky (Oct 15, 2012)

From my perspective, there seems to be a bit of reverse discrimination going on! It's actually a political issue, and us Europeans, we love to discuss politics, but you Americans don't do it. We can openly say "if you wanna live in this country, learn our ***ing language" without being regarded as racists. Saying the same thing in the USA does not seem to be quite as PC...


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Miss Kim78 said:


> But why should there be any favoritism towards the Spanish language?


My wife is an ER nurse. They have translators for Spanish, Russian, Chinese languages, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Punjabi. So much for favoritism.


Miss Kim78 said:


> What I have seen is that many of the Spanish speakers don't make an effort to learn English because they DON'T WANT TO. I'll give props to those that do try and make an effort because they really want to learn. But many of them don't want to because they feel they don't have to. Even my Spanish speaking coworkers have told me this. They expressed the mentality that there is no need to learn English, so they DON'T WANT TO


The beauty of our free enterprise system is that people that want to excel are allowed to take the steps necessary to insure success and rewards for their efforts. People that are content with their station in life are not required to do what I deem to be "the way" and may simply continue with the staus quo enjoying the freedoms that this great country offers while still being totally oblivious to my visions for them. They don't have to live up to my expectations. Imagine that.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

I live in a town of about 55,000, approximately 60% Hispanic, in the Central Valley of California. In 2001, I decided to campaign for City Council and I was invited to participate in a Candidates Forum targeted at Hispanic voters. I do not speak Spanish nor any of the dialects, however I do speak Arabic in addition to my American Mother Tongue (I say _American_ because English speakers around the world are separated by a common language /img/vbsmilies/smilies/crazy.gif).

When my wife and I entered the venue, we were greeted and asked, "Are you bilingual?" Without pausing to consider what the question might mean, I responded in the affirmative. The followup was "Oh then you do not need a translator". My response was "yes, I do need a translator, I only speak English and Arabic". The greeter's response? "Oh, you are not bilingual then!".

Learning a second, third, or another language is an individual choice. If one chooses to live and work in a country where the common language is different from their Mother tongue, then they may choose to learn the common language and enjoy the benefits of such knowledge or they may choose not to, which will result in difficulty with one or more situations.

Now, one who already speaks the common language also has choices that have consequences, one of which is learning another language. It is a *choice* to be exercised by the individual. However, I do not feel it should be a requirement for a job to learn anything other than the common language of the country where one wishes to be employed ( I know, I KNOW! Canada, in many areas has two common languages /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif)


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## miss kim78 (Mar 17, 2013)

I feel like I am being attacked here. And before I go on any further, I'd like to make it very clear that my belief does not apply only to the Spanish speaking community. Yes, the title of the thread is called "Spanish in the kitchen," but it has more to do with my belief against condemning those that don't speak a foreigners' language. And "Spanish in the kitchen" was picked as an example. I did mention that "if I were to learn a foreign language, I'd be taking up French, Japanese, or Italian." And the exact same belief applies here. Even if I were to pick up any of the foreign languages of my choice, there is no way I'd tolerate a company (unless the specific position calls for it) requiring employees to have mastery of that language because of the fact that the other staff members aren't willing to learn the native language. 

My statements have nothing to do with racism (as Recky said). It is about my belief that when a person moves to a foreign country, they should at least try to make an effort to adapt (without losing the sense of identity of where they come from). And learning the native language is one of the first steps in adapting. Of course, they don't have to. It is their choice. But when they make that choice not to make an effort, and they go out to work (where not everyone speaks their language), what is to become of the language barrier? Does every company "learn the immigrants' language" so "the world works better that way"?

I have friends from Korea (that have not been in the country very long..and some that have been here for a long time) that have expressed their reluctance to learn English. They have made comments such as, (translated from Korean to English) "I feel no need to learn English. I work at a Korean company, deal with Korean speakers all day, have Korean speaking friends, and attend a Korean church. I don't NEED to learn English." My belief applies to them too. They are Korean just like me. But I don't agree with their unwillingness to make an effort to adapt. I don't work with them. But if I did and I did not speak Korean (HYPTHETICALLY speaking…I DO speak it btw) and I were to work at a place where the majority of the staff members were Korean, I would not accept the company's policy of expecting me to learn Korean just to accommodate the Koreans that don't speak English. I mean, if the position at the company required fluency in Korean (ex: translator, dealing with overseas matters with Koreans in Korea, Korean language teacher, etc.), then surely, there is no question about it that fluency in Korean would be required. But while living in America, the company should not expect anyone to learn Korean just because the other employees don't speak English. 

Mano, I am not making assumptions and I don't think I am off in interpreting your statements. My response to your previous comment(s) was, "Since natives are learning the languages of immigrants, does that mean the natives are going to learn every immigrant language there is? Going to pick up Vietnamese, German, Italian, and yada yada since "the world works better that way"? I don't see how it's fair to apply your concept solely to Spanish speakers. The USA is a melting pot, home to people from all over the world. If we spent our time learning the immigrant language of every country, then really "nothing else" would get done. It might be fun, and an asset to learn a new language. But why should there be any favoritism towards the Spanish language?" 

In your response, you mentioned, "In the context of working in a professional kitchen, where many of the employees speak a different language that someone else is capable of learning, it makes sense to learn that language as best one can." I understand that "many of the employees" is referring to the Spanish speakers since "in the context of working in a professional kitchen," most of immigrants do come from Spanish speaking countries. 

When I expressed my belief that when foreigners move to another country, that it's their responsibility (I'll rephrase "job" with "responsibility"), your reply was, " If that logic was applied in the rest of the restaurant everyone would do "their job" and nothing else. Native's learn the language of immigrants because the world works better that way." So if immigrants (in this case Spanish speakers "in the context of working in a professional kitchen"), aren't learning English since the natives are to "learn the language of immigrants" since "the world works better that way, you are suggesting that natives be the ones to take classes, listen to the tutorials tapes, whatever it takes just to learn the language in order to communicate with the Spanish speakers, at their (Spanish speakers') convenience since "natives learn the language of immigrants because the world works better that way"? In none of your comments do I see an implementation of encouraging Spanish speakers ("in the context of working in a professional kitchen") to learn English since the natives are learning the language of immigrants to make the world a better place. 

Cheflayne, props to your wife. ER nurses are life savers. But how can you compare life or death emergency situations (where every minute, every second is crucial) to one's reluctance to learn a language when they've had years, decades (seen people that have lived here 20-30 years and not know the language) to learn. My aunt speaks fluent English, but when she was rushed to the ER, the nurses had questions translated in Korean. They stated that even when patients speak English fluently, when they are in a vulnerable life threatening panic situation, sometimes, they feel more comfortable speaking in their mother tongue. 

And yes, no one is forcing foreigners to learn the country's native language. BUT them not speaking the native language puts the responsibility on the native speakers to learn their language. If one side does not learn the others' language, the language barriers can present problems. It leads to the question of who learns whose language. And I still strongly believe that responsibility should not lie on the natives to learn a foreigners' language, especially when some foreigners are reluctant to even bother.


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## foodnfoto (Jan 1, 2001)

Jeez, get over it. Grow a thicker skin and face the reality of the industry we work in.  

One does not learn English, or any other language, overnight-it's a gradual process of memorizing vocabulary and then grammar.  All the Spanish-speaking kitchen staff I've worked with have been open to fellow employees helping them learn the language and make a huge effort to increase their mastery.

Heck, it's not hard to learn some rudimentary kitchen Spanish anyway.


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## miss kim78 (Mar 17, 2013)

Foodnfoto, I never said anyone should be expected to learn a new language overnight. I have much respect for people that actually TRY to learn. What I have an issue with are the people that refuse to learn (as I mentioned, after living here for years and years, having NO intention of even learning EVER) the native language of a country because they expect natives to learn theirs. I don't go to Mexico, China, India, Russia, etc., start working there and expect people there to learn English just to accommodate me. If I were to make a decision to move to a foreign country, I'd do whatever it takes to master that country's language.

And FYI, I DO speak and understand some "rudimentary" Spanish. But that is beside the point. It's the principle.


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## foodnfoto (Jan 1, 2001)

The people you keep going on about are in the most extreme minority from what I've experienced.

There are ignorant people with an inability to learn in every culture, not just Spanish speakers. As a matter of fact, I have an English speaker working for me now who fits into that category.

It's frustrating, sure, but you just need to learn to work around it. It's not worth continuing to make such blanket judgements about people.

If you supervise them, help them find what positive contribution they can make, then encourage them to move forward and increase their abilities.

Sitting back and judging people does nothing to improve the situation and just makes you look like a bitter, nationalist grump.

Try to keep in mind that if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

> Originally Posted by *Miss Kim78*
> 
> Cheflayne, props to your wife. ER nurses are life savers. But how can you compare life or death emergency situations (where every minute, every second is crucial) to one's reluctance to learn a language when they've had years, decades (seen people that have lived here 20-30 years and not know the language) to learn.


I wasn't making that comparison, I was responding to your comment about favoritism being shown to Spanish language speaking in our culture.

It is no big deal, but the bottom line is that you get frustrated and have a hard time understanding why people don't behave the same as you.


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## foodnfoto (Jan 1, 2001)

> the people that refuse to learn (as I mentioned, after living here for years and years, having NO intention of even learning EVER)


How many of these people do you actually know? Are you a mind reader who can decipher every person's deepest intentions?

I've been in this business in one form or another for 35 years, working with people from latin America, Viet Nam, Korea, Japan, France, Switzerland, Guayana and many others and cannot apply this judgement to anyone I've met.

Believe me, there is very little favoritism shown toward Spanish-speakers in the greater scheme of things.

What YOU would do is YOUR decision based on your life experience. Stop worrying about what others do, think, or decide and be a positive force for everyone's aspirations.

Sitting back on your principles is a lonely, hard place


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## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

Ugh when did she mention favortism? You guys have turned what I see as a simple question

to other chefs in kitchens into some deeper racial attitude which doesnt even apply here.

It just keeps building on each pervious post, like a growing entiity.

And I see the OP's continuing efforts to explain what she meant to people who cant

or wont understand her meaning resulting in borderline exasperation on her part.

The way I see it, she has personally experienced recently, in HER kitchen, a tendency

on the part of spanish speakers to make no effort to learn english, even stating it to her.

And she was venting a little (Gee anyone else ever do that here? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gif) and was wondering

if others had experienced this attitude themselves. Its unfortunate so many in here decided to take

it so personally, and make some general issue out if it. You guys cant speak against HER personal

experience and defend those she works with any more that she can use her experience

to point at the entire Spanish speaking populous. And the way I see it, she wasnt.

And you're not IN her kitchen, she is.

Further, no one here has even properly addressed her statement that they write labels in

Spanish only. That's not only inefficient and just plain wrong, but can be dangerous.

In the end, it comes down to the owner or manager mandating any policies within the kitchen

to make it operate smoothly, language policies inclusive.

And just for the record, reading through this it looks to me like Miss Kim IS being attacked.

And somewhat ganged up on. Starting with the second reply and kind of escalting from there.

And I also get an underlying sense of a bit of double standard going on as well.

I mean if this post had centered on kitchen staff refusing to learn english whose native tongue

was....Cantonese for example... I just can't help but wonder how differently this thread

might have progressed.


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## miss kim78 (Mar 17, 2013)

Thank you Chef Meez. Well said. Finally, another person who is taking my content for what it is for and nothing more. 

I grew up in a very multicultural area. I have learned to embrace cultures from all over the world at a very young age. So do not insinuate that I am objected to embracing other cultures other than my own. And I, too, am a minority, a child of immigrant parents, mother tongue was not English…so I am not oblivious to what it means to adapt. 

Foodnfoto, to your comment of "how many of these people I actually know", as Chef Meez mentioned, I speak from my own experience,- in the kitchens I have worked in the past and the kitchen that I work in now. And if "what others do" affects the overall well-being of the environment, it is something I need to be concerned about (SINCE IT AFFECTS ME). In the kitchen that I work in now, I work dinner (where everyone except the dishwasher speaks English at least well enough to get by). But for the lunch crew, there are a couple of folks that do not speak it. They have trouble understanding even basic questions. They label things in Spanish (some of the items are used by both lunch and dinner crew). Situations like this is asking or assuming that others have knowledge of Spanish. And when I write vital notes on a label such as "use first" or "need to add so and so", then what? Am I expected to go out and learn Spanish for these types of situations? Does it make more sense that I learn Spanish or they learn English (in a country where the main language spoken is English)? 

Cheflayne, our country DOES make it easier for Spanish speakers compared to immigrants from other countries. Press 1 for English. Press 2 for Spanish. Where is press#### for Punjabi, Korean, German, etc.? But that is a whole other endless debate. And please don't make this about a racial issue because it is anything but.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Miss Kim78 said:


> Cheflayne... And please don't make this about a racial issue because it is anything but.


I don't believe that I ever even came close to hinting that it was a racial issue.


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## miss kim78 (Mar 17, 2013)

cheflayne said:


> I don't believe that I ever even came close to hinting that it was a racial issue.


Sorry, that quote wasn't aimed directly at you...but to those who apparently have.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Meezenplaz said:


> Ugh when did she mention favortism?


I didn't put words in her mouth, she mentioned in post number 25

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Miss Kim78*

But why should there be any favoritism towards the Spanish language?


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## berndy (Sep 18, 2010)

I have seen more native Spanish speakers speak English than native English speakers speak Spanish.


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

I think MissK's post provoked some negative responses because it seems pretty obvious to anyone who isn't blind how she feels about employees in the kitchen who don't speak English, and I also think it's obvious that her issues go deeper than the language barrier. Being of Korean-American descent and having family who have struggled with immigration doesn't automatically endow them with sympathy and compassion for others.

I find it interesting that some of the posts defending Spanish-speaking employees were construed as accusations towards the OP for being a racist and a bigot when no one actually said either of those words, yet some of us cannot logically come to the conclusion that her posts come off as racist although she didn't spell it out..
I think we're all moderately intelligent individuals here, and to deny that her post didn't reek of bigotry, is insulting, and ignorant.

When you use caps for your plural pronouns to refer to any ethnic group such as "THEY" is demeaning and devaluing. The same goes for "their Arses" as well.

This is America, not Europe, and anyone who is an American is well aware that Hispanics are a strong work-force in our economic and social system. Many of those Hispanics have found a niche in the food industry. Demanding that all Hispanics exclusively speak English in a kitchen is like going to Miami-Dade and being angry that most residents are Latino's who speak Spanish.

It's not about "favoritism", but about understanding, compassion, and meeting less fortunate individuals who will probably never be seen with equality no matter how much they work and sacrifice halfway. I am compassionate towards ALL immigrants, of all ethnicities because I have tried to imagine what it would be like to live in a country so totally different than where I was raised. Please, honestly imagine how that would be for yourself, and how it would feel to be treated poorly on top of it all.

90% of the utility workers at my last job spoke very little English, and by little I mean perhaps 30 words, but understood enough English to get by on a daily basis. I realized they wanted to learn English but were embarrassed because some of the English speaking crew members would mock their accents when they tried. I'd always encourage them to speak English and praised them when they did, and you could see how happy they were when someone appreciated their efforts. I even went as far as to print out locations in our area that offered English classes to immigrants wanting to take the citizenship test. Perhaps you can also be a positive influence in some their lives and instead of judging them. I'm sure it would be a very enlightening experience in your life.

I know what it's like to learn a language from scratch because I myself relentlessly studied a foreign language for 9 months in order to visit a country and be able to understand the native language. I did not expect everyone to speak English just because I was a tourist, but I had the luxury to study because I don't work 65 hours a week, I don't have a second job, and I don't have small children in my home.

Sadly, there are some people who no matter what you just can't get through to when it comes to this issue. They hear the word "immigrant" or "immigration" and out they come with their torches. I often choose to just ignore them.

This comment speaks volumes of your attitude towards people who speak Spanish.


> > And I do understand and speak a little Spanish (enough to know when someone is talking sh*t about me)


I hope for the sake of your own happiness you're able to look at this from an objective standpoint and see that perhaps your approach is a bit intolerant.


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## chefboy2160 (Oct 13, 2001)

Having lived in Puerto Rico during my high school years I learned that islands Spanish and it has been a boon to me in this culinary career. Just an FYI not all dialects of Spanish are the same as with the English language. Also the Latinos are here to stay so we need to be realistic. As most chefs also know there is a lot of diversity within the south American countries and even within the States of Mexico there are many mixed feelings on those from other regions. The latinos have there own communities here in the USA much like the Irish, Italian, Chineese, Korean,Vietnamese,German, Scandanavians and on and on and in there communities they have there own markets, stores, restaurants and even entertainment. What a lot of them do not have is a formal education and is why the ranks of culinary employees are loaded with Latinos. I can say in over thirty years running kitchens Latino crews have been the most loyal, dependable, hard working group of people I have had the privilege of working with. To the OP I can understand frustration on your part and congrats on your ability to assimilate into the laungage and culture of America but today you can be considered a minority among the minorities as many people have not the time or even the ability to do what you have done. If it really bothers you perhapsou can change your application questions by adding a quote from Jules ( Pulp Fiction) , English [email protected]#$%&*, do you speak it?


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## greg (Dec 8, 1999)

Thread locked, pending discussion with the ChefTalk moderation team. Some of you need to realize that your perceptions of what people communicate over the internet are not fact. Disagreements are fine, but everyone needs to make their points respectfully.


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