FL Government Worker Fired for not Learning Spanish

SteveStromberg · 06:32 AM

This is just outrageous to me.
Note edited to correct spelling error.

Zita Wilensky, was fired by Florida's Miami-Dade County government after 16 years of service for failing to learn Spanish in 60 days.
http://www.englishfirst.org/wilensky.htm

masraum · 02-26-2005, 06:59 PM

I went to college in Tampa FL (I'm from FL). When I went to vote for the president in '88 I also got to vote that English would be the state language of Florida. I shouldn't have had to make that vote.

stevepaa · 02-27-2005, 11:35 AM

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/3241498.htm?1c

Maybe we should let the courts play this out. It looks like she lied on her apllication, and failed to do the work assigned.

juanbenae · juanbenae's Garage

que' ??

Superman · 02-28-2005, 08:12 AM

Aren't you guys glad a gubmint worker is "getting theirs?" Next step is to cut the budget of that office, right?

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

Interesting tidbit, although probably not deserving of it's own thread: I saw an advert on a bus this morning - in Spanish - for a college tuition assistance program. Doncha think that by the time you're considering higher education in the US, you're at least be speaking English?

masraum · 02-28-2005, 06:09 PM

I live in a predominantly white little city/suburb of Houston. It's kind of a pricey area with high taxes (great schools for the kids). In my neighborhood around the corner is a guy with a for sale by owner sign in front of his house that is all in Spanish. I've seen the guy and his family, they look like whiteys. I know that can be deceiving, but not usually around here, Mexico city yes, Spain, yes, but not usually in Houston in a predominantly white suburb.

The thing that I most wonder is does this guy really want to sell. He'd have a lot more people asking about buying if his sign was in English.

I dunno, whatever.

I'm perfectly happy for people to speak other languages, actually, we should be multilingual, but the people that get cranky if I, for instance, don't speak Spanish and they don't speak English, and we are both living in the US.... I just don't get it sometimes.

Jims5543 · 03-01-2005, 05:25 AM

Living in or near South Florida I have seen countless cases of this happening. My wifes best friend is Puerto Rican but cannot speak spanish. She can understand it if its spoken to her but she cannot speak it fluently. She had a hell of a time finding employment because of this. You have to be bilingual to work in Miami/ Dade County.

I love the hispanic culture, I love the flavor it gives to South Florida, but, I cannot understand why they refuse to learn to speak english. Back in the old days immigrants would work their butts off to learn english and were proud to be able to come to America to start a life.

I walked into a McDonalds in Dade City 12 years ago and the menus were in Spanish. It was a huge problem that I wanted to order in English. I had a easier time communicating in Mexico that I did in Miami.

It's sad when the State government considers making spanish an official language. There was a group in Miami that wanted to change the street signs to spanish a few years ago, it got shot down.

Its sad someone would lose their job for speaking english in America, you have to wonder if there is more to this?

Paco Anton · Paco Anton's Garage

I guess it is time I consider moving inti the US!!! If English is not a problem I could use my Spanish to secure a job.

Now seriously, we also have a lot of inmigration here in Spain and some people find it easier to live within their "cultural bubble" than adapting to their new country customs. The only difference is that here in Spain, South American inmigrants happen to know Spanish.

This problem will grow in the future because inmigrants tend to have more children than locals.

Superman · 03-01-2005, 05:38 AM

I like the idea of having an official language, or at least I notice that it would be convenient to be able to expect English to be spoken anywhere and everywhere in the USA. On the other hand, what we're seeing is a collision between the way people actually behave and how communities evolve on the one hand, and government regulation of individuals on the other hand.

Yeah, I'm the token Liberal here and not the slightest bit embarrassed. I know for a fact that "industry" needs to be regulated. Absolutely. Not that they are bad, but they have no incentive to be responsible for the sake of society, and every incentive to be irresponsible where profits can be made that way. People need to be regulated also, and that's why we have laws against murder, etc. But here's the part I have a hard time understanding. Conservatives seem to be negative on the topic of regulating businesses, and very quick to regulate persons. "Freedom" is indeed a word with a changing definition.

Yes, it would be convenient to be able to expect that English be spoken everywhere. But that's telling people how to talk. Indeed, what would be even better is if folks were functionally multi-lingual. Language influences how we think, by the way. So, learning another language actually expands your ability to see problems from a variety of vantage points. It increases our mental flexibility, and teaches us words that have meanings which no English word has.

But then, rather than have diversity, and expanded thinking patterns.......Well let's just mandate that English be spoken everywhere. That's kinda the conservative "way."

mikester · 03-01-2005, 05:56 AM

I think Steve spelled "outrageous" wrong; That's ironic considering the topic.

No singling you out Steve so please don't take it that way.

notfarnow · 03-01-2005, 06:00 AM

I bet native americans were very annoyed by all the pilgrims that flooded into the continent. They refused to learn the native dialects, and hung on stubbornly to their european culture. Next thing the natives knew, THEY had to learn english in order to get by... in their own country!

turbo6bar · 03-01-2005, 06:23 AM

Yeah, but the natives enjoyed the day labor immigrants. Back then, you could go down to the river and pick up a few immigrants. The immigrants didn't speak a lick of tok-tok, but they could pick berries all day long. The best part was the natives didn't have to pay social security and medicare taxes. What a racket!

gaijindabe · 03-01-2005, 06:23 AM

It is bit of a myth how immigrants all used to learn English and how they dont now.. In Brooklyn, their a plenty old Italian grandmas who understand no more than "hello" and "goodbye". Where I have a problem is when kids grow up and are forced into second-class crappy "bi-lingual" education. Not only do they not learn English well, they dont even master their native languages..

SteveStromberg · 03-01-2005, 06:24 AM

Hey I am a gearhead not a typist.
Thanky Sie für von diesem Micheal heraus zeigen

lendaddy · 03-01-2005, 06:59 AM

If a private business wants to cater to Hispanics or Asians or whatever, well live it up. It's a business decision for them. I cannot imagine anyone wants to make it illegal to speak foreign languages

. Now Gubmint should stay the hall out of it. Don't tell me I "shall" do business in Spanish.

I have one guy that works for me that won't learn English period. I offered to pay for the lessons, still not interested. Now he's a great guy but if he needed English to function in society I can bet you he'de learn it

We're not doing these people any favors. It's similar to the welfare mentality....make them comfortible in failure. Sad......My $0.02.

Jims5543 · 03-01-2005, 07:12 AM

The funny thing is that English is spoken most everywhere in the world. Most Europeans speak multiple languages. Most Americans expect everyone else to speak English no matter where thay are in the world. Fortunatly one of the benefits of being the most powerful country in the world is that this is true. Most everywhere you go people speak at least their native language and English if not 2 or 3 more on top of that.

I am embaressed that I only know one. My family is Italian and imigrated 4 generations ago. My Great Grandfather insisted everyone learn English and not speak Italian. Now none of us can speak Italian.

I have been wanting to learn Spanish for a while now. Someday I will actually get to it and start learning.

mikester · 03-01-2005, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SteveStromberg
Hey I am a gearhead not a typist.
Thanky Sie für von diesem Micheal heraus zeigen

Good sport too...

I myself studied Spanish and French in college and highschool. It was very interesting but I never picked up the ability to speak it. I can understand it when spoken slowly and clearly but beyond that I'm useless (in a lot of ways).

RickM · RickM's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by widebody911
I saw an advert on a bus this morning - in Spanish - for a college tuition assistance program. Doncha think that by the time you're considering higher education in the US, you're at least be speaking English?

Many colleges offer ESL programs (English as a Second Lanquage). Typically an advanced/intensive 1-2 year course.

My mom emmigrated here in the early fifties after marrying my dad and didn't speak a lick of English. She made it a point to speak as well as possible. She was of the opinion that if she lived in this country she'd master the language...and that she did. God love her.

Ever wonder what the first European language spoken here in this country was?