Asklemmy

43874 readers

1516 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

Open-ended question
Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

Lemmyverse: community search
sub.rehab: maps old subreddits to fediverse options, marks official as such
!lemmy411@lemmy.ca: a community for finding communities

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

129

Why do some Americans get angry at other people for not speaking English? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 4 months ago by TheImpressiveX@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

119 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I've hears stories of some Americans telling other people who are speaking a non-English language "This is America, speak English!" even if the conversation has nothing to do with them. Why do they do this?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] mozz@mbin.grits.dev 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Forgiveness answer: At least for me, hearing someone speak in a foreign language near me if I’m trying to do something is like Kryptonite for my concentration. I basically just have to leave and go somewhere else, or else abandon the idea of getting something done until it stops. It’s just impossible for my brain to not pay attention to it. I don’t think I would ever blame it on the person who’s just trying to have a conversation, and if I’m just standing in line or something it doesn’t bother me, but I do understand how it can be irritating.

Probably more realistic answer: Because living in America leads to a spiraling hell of stress and unhappiness, and so if you’re an asshole, and some innocent person presents themselves that you can take it all out on for literally any made up reason at all, then it’s go time. Also explains a lot of taking it out on customer service people for literally no reason at all.