When you’re a minority, the world can be a scary, sometimes confrontational place. What makes those bad days worse, though, is when no one takes the time to stick up for you (or you know, be a decent human being).
That was not so on this day, though, when writer Jamie Primak found herself on the ugly end of a racist comment telling her to “stop speaking Spanish” on a flight.
This man just asked me to “please stop speaking Spanish” on this plane to NYC (in his defense it’s very early and he’s racist) so the man next to him STARTED SPEAKING SPANISH and then the flight attendant and my GOD i have never wanted to get up and dance more than i do now.
— Jaime Primak (@JaimePrimak) July 16, 2019
Before she could gather herself and reply, the nearby flight attendant started to speak Spanish, too.
Hope you kept speaking Spanish. There are over 800 languages spoken in NYC. This will be him. pic.twitter.com/f6pBWERz3S
— Darryl Wharton-Rigby ダリル・ワートン-リグビー (@whartonrigby) July 16, 2019
Everyone should have gotten up to dance – the flamenco or something equally Latin, just to top off the point.
https://twitter.com/scr*pchallenge1/status/1151296309309165569
Basically everyone on Twitter agreed, with most voicing a yearning to have been there…
https://twitter.com/snurri/status/1151584412200574976
….or to be in a similar situation one day…
I can't speak Spanish anymore either. Lost it all. But in solidarity, I just downloaded a conversation in Spanish from YouTube, cued up. I'm ready for my close up Mr. DeMille.
— beegsf🌊🌊🌊 (@beegSF) July 18, 2019
…to put their own Spanish skills to work!
https://twitter.com/JoTrainChoo/status/1151212586387607554
Seriously, in Europe and other parts of the world, people are celebrated for knowing more than one language! Imagine that!
Gringa here who just took a break from my Spanish homework to check Twitter. I used to teach French and spoke it to my kids. Funny how that never bothers anyone. Estoy Contigo!
— Tatiana Blackington James🌻🌻🌻 (@TBJLA) July 16, 2019
Then again, it seems like some people don’t have that great a grip on what should and shouldn’t embarrass a person these days.
In his defense, that's some very polite racism when you say "please". (NOT) Seriously, what's w/ some people about speaking multiple langs? It's so common, so normal, and part of the richness of life. Power?Fear, but of what? In Europe you'd be embarrassed not to know more than 1 pic.twitter.com/DkOGHJVSuW
— toni_nh 🌻 (@toni_nh) July 17, 2019
But more fun for us, right?
https://twitter.com/heathencandor/status/1151567667821764608
Just sayin… 😀