the groups "it's america, we shouldn't have to press 1 for english"

One thing that troubles me and maybe I'm imagining it but it's seems more and more people don't indentify themselves as just American.

I'm Irish American, German American, Afican American etc.

Be proud of your heritage, but if you were born in this country your American and you should be proud to just say I'm AMERICAN.

I' ll step off my soapbox now.

 

slappyman, I see what you mean, but America is unique in the sense that we are a "nation of immigrants". I am the first generation in my family to live here. I consider myself a world citizen, and I'm not particularly happy about the way that this country has been represented over the years. So, I'll keep my title of World Citizen, thank you!

 

Its principle. There are a lot of people out there who feel that as Americans we as a majority speak english, and it shouldn't be any other way.
Yeah, it annoys me a bit, and its irritating that these days you have to be bilingual, but I go with the flow. I begrudgingly learn Spanish from my Mexican coworkers, and hey, it is helpful. I figure if speaking Spanish is becoming increasingly common, like it or not, it doesn't hurt to learn.
The way I see it, on the one hand, I shouldn't have to, but I kinda do, if that makes sense. If Spanish language is becoming increasingly common, adaptation is key to survival.
And knowing a bit of Spanish is helpful. I know my best friend would have died in a Mexican jail had he not known enough Spanish to speak up and defend himself and get the fuck outta there.

 

I think the groups are gay. All I'm concerned about is if I press 1 for english, when they put me on the line with a real person that person should be someone whose native language is english and I can understand - not someone in India

 

I consider myself just American, plain and simple, and even that label I use rarely. I'm not sure exactly what my heritage is; Caucasian, some mix of half Italian, some British and German, but I feel like I'm just me, a human, a woman.

 

Most Indians speak English as a native language lol

 

yeah but not well enough to understand, have you ever tried talking to a call center in india?

 

I'm sick of pressing 1 for english goddamnit!!!!

 

Press 1 for Suomi
Press 2 for Farsi
Press 3 for Urdu
Press 4 for Swahili
Press 5 for Mandarin
Press 6 for Romansch
Press 7 for Calalan
Press 8 for Cajun French
Press 9 for Quebec French
Press 10 for Langue d'oc French
Press 11 for Langue d'oil French
Press 12 for Swiztzerdeutch
Press 13 for Plattdeutch
.....(if you have a lot of patience, you'll get to US English)
Press 67 for Confederate States English
Press 68 for Yankee English
Press 69 for Midwestern US English

 

They're understandable to me maybe that says something about your own communication skills, rather than theirs..

 

Yeah, out of the billion english speaking people I have talked to my entire life with no problem it's my fault I can't understand this person in another country trying to talk to me. Nice logic there.

I don't blame anyone for not being able to speak english well, it's a hard language that makes next to no sense. But people with accents -are- hard to understand and it's perfectly reasonable to deny someone a job where they need to be understood because you can't tell what they are saying. The melting pot has it's benefits and it has it's problems.

 

Technically, America doesn't even have a national language (look it up, I tell no lies). And as such, it makes sense that a company would want to cater to both English and Spanish speaking people, as 10% of our population speaks Spanish as their primary language. If you don't offer a Spanish speaking option on the telephone, you're alienating 1 out of 10 potential customers/clients/whatever. Regardless of your views on illegal immigration, you have to accept the fact that there is a large population of Spanish speaking people in our country, and as such we have to adapt to that growing population.

And in the end, if pressing one number on your phone is your greatest concern, you must have a pretty good life, because other people have much larger problems than that.

 

I think starting this thread is showing your intolerance just as much as starting those groups is showing theirs.

 

The person who started this thread started it by clearly presenting herself as opposed to those groups who whined about pressing one number. Why would that show intolerance? I'm not trying to attack you or anything, but I honestly do not understand how a thread made in clear opposition to people who are intolerant of other languages is intolerant.

 

Okay technically being intolerant of intolerance is intolerant but being intolerant of some things is fine. Quit splitting hairs

 

I don't think I'm splitting hairs at all -- I don't see any difference.

The press one option is there to accommodate Spanish speaking citizens -- the people on Facebook make Internet groups being intolerant to that.

The people on Facebook are making Internet groups to vent their frustration caused by their own intolerance -- OP and numerous posters are posting to vent their frustrations over other people's intolerance - caused by their own intolerance of intolerance.

Then people post things like

not realizing their hypocrisy at all.

Both the makers of the Facebook groups and those bashing them are missing the same piece of wisdom: live and let live.

Hate breeds hate breeds hate breeds hate.
I'm not always one for all that love and peace bull: but this is a rather pointless cycle yins are in.

Hopefully the post above illustrated my point; but if you still aren't getting what I mean, just tell me and I'll try explaining my position in a more concise manner