Many Korean immigrants have recently found themselves in the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center taking classes in—what else?—Spanish. People like Sue Choe, who owns a laundromat in Koreatown, see many reasons to learn the language that many of her customers speak.
Aware of an ugly history between Korean-Americans and African-Americans–one that erupted into violence in some cities in the 1990s–Korean business owners are trying to soothe mutual suspicions with Spanish-speaking workers and customers. The effort is mostly born of an increasingly interdependent employer-employee relationship.
It is just one of the ways in which new waves of immigration and intermigration between neighborhoods is fast changing the city, mixing new combinations of ethnic groups together and forcing them to search for ways to coexist as so many previous generations of immigrants did.
Beginning a community dialogue is important, especially recalling the 1992 race riots in Los Angeles. It’s also important because Koreans and Hispanics don’t just live in the same communities, they work together too. Hispanics have become the primary labor pool for Korean business owners, and cultural differences have erupted in the workplace.
Latino workers, many earning less than the minimum wage, complain that their Korean bosses neglect to pay overtime and are often callous about days off or job-related injuries.
In turn Korean owners, at times unfamiliar with U.S. labor laws, see ingratitude and disloyalty in their employees’ complaints. They argue that their up-from-the-ground businesses are a team effort that also has the owners working long hours.
Disputes have hurt both sides. Learning to understand the cultures around you (and their languages) is a great start. Read the full Chicago Tribune article about this issue here.
Want to learn the languages spoken in your neighborhood? Visit MultilingualChicago.com to learn about language classes and workshops in your area!
A hotel owner in Taos, Texas recently asked that all his Hispanic employees “shorten” their names to something a little more “American.” According to an article posted by Asylum, the new boss mandated the following upon his takeover:
1. No speaking Spanish in front of the boss.
2. Everyone’s fired and has to re-apply for their jobs.
3. It’s “strongly suggested” that employees shorten their long, silly Spanish names. (”Who has the time to say ‘Marcos?’ Why not Mark or Bill?” That’s actually a real example.)
Roberto Ruiz of the San Antonio Public Policy Examiner sees this as a strong case against America’s declaration as of late that we live in a “post-racial” society. He also points out that Hispanics make up the majority population in Taos.
It usually comes as a surprise to people when I mention that our republic does not have an “official language.” Wisely, this nation’s founders decided not to declare an official language, their reasons included “a belief in tolerance for linguistic diversity within the population, the economic and social value of foreign language knowledge and citizenry, and a desire not to restrict the linguistic and cultural freedom of those living in the new country.”
In a previous blog post, “What’s in a Hispanic name,” we’ve looked at the Hispanic naming system and how it is often confused in the United States, resulting in a loss of culture and identity for many Hispanic Americans (click here to go to the post).
More than 400,000 children work on farms nationwide, making up about 20% of the U.S. farm workforce. The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Program wants to put a end the exploitation of migrant child workers. Their first stop: North Carolina.
The Children in the Fields campaign is working to build grassroots support in North Carolina and four other key states to combat the exploitation of U.S farm worker children.
“This state (North Carolina) has thousands of migrants in the fields and is an area with a lot of agricultural activity, where the problem of children working in dangerous conditions is very large and growing,” [regional coordinator Emily] Drakage told EFE Thursday.
Children are permitted to accompany their parents in the fields at the age of 12, and by the age of 14 can work hours that do not interfere with the school day. No child under the age of 16 can perform any “dangerous” activities, as defined by the Department of Labor.
However, kids as young as 6-years-old have been found laboring in the fields for 12 hours a day, around plants “treated with pesticides, in extreme weather conditions and surrounded by machinery with sharp blades.”
In addition to the dangerous conditions, migrant worker children also face linguistic barriers due to missing school and educational growth.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 17% drop in Hispanic fatalities between 2008 and the year before, from 937 to 774 deaths. CNN reports:
Since records began being collected in 1992, statistics have shown that Hispanic workers are killed in the workplace at a higher rate than other ethnic or racial groups.
In 2001, the disparity was the most striking. Hispanics suffered fatal injuries at a rate of 6 out of 100,000 workers that year, while the rates for white and black workers were 4.2 and 3.8, respectively.
The statistics released Thursday show the gap is closing.
The gap may be closing somewhat, but the drop is probably related more to the poor economy and lack of work than an improvement in conditions. “I think we will see an increase when activity picks up,” said Teresa Molina, president of the board of directors of Sunflower Community Action in Wichita, Kansas.
Lack of understanding safety issues because of the language barrier, as well as exploitation (workers not being provided proper safety tools, and being overworked) are factors that contribute to the disproportionate rates of injuries and fatalities of Hispanics on the job.
A recent construction fatality caught the attention of the U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association. Worker Fontino Cortes Cruz lost his life when he was struck on a highway by a speeding motorist, who then fled the scene. Unfortunately, this happens all too often.
Construction comes in second behind mining as the most dangerous career: an average of 3.3 people, 2.4 of whom are Hispanic, die every day in construction (and often highway) related accidents.
Research gathered by the association reports that Hispanic workers account for 55 percent of the construction workforce in Texas. Fuentes said research gathered by The Bureau of Labor Statistics states foreign-born Hispanics account for 76 percent of all Hispanic construction workers and account for 66 percent of federal injuries.
Despite these numbers, OSHA has not adequately provided safety guidelines in Spanish, Fuentes said, even after former President Bush passed legislation in his first term that required building codes to be translated.
These startling numbers are a testament to the importance of all workers, especially non-English speakers, understanding safety guidelines of their workplace, whether on the highway or in a skyscraper. The association offers OSHA training courses to construction workers, whose goal is to educate construction workers in their native language.
Though only 3% of Baton Rouge children are Hispanic, that’s almost double the pre-Katrina percentage. School bus drivers are responding to the language barrier by taking Spanish classes so they can communicate with children and their parents.
While many of the drivers spoken about in an online Louisiana periodical are pleased that learning Spanish opens their horizons, they’ve got the immediate gratification of being able to communicate their message to their small riders.
Both said they are excited to learn how to speak some Spanish as a way to broaden their overall knowledge, but their immediate concern is about trying to communicate with their often unruly student riders. Lee rattled off the Spanish phrases she wants to know right away.
“Sit down, sit down right now,” Lee said, laughing. “Be quiet. I’m calling your parents. Put that down there. This is my last warning.”
An article in QSR.com describes the growing number of Hispanic people working in the food service industry, issues that arise from language barriers, and tools to combat these barriers for increased safety and productivity.
While these workers exhibit a willingness to learn and improve on the job, there is one drawback: effective communication. A large number of Hispanic workers in restaurant kitchens are not fluent in English; likewise, many restaurant managers are not fluent in Spanish. As a result, time is wasted trying to convey instructions between staff members. The fallout is more than just inefficiency; it also poses a potential safety hazard.
The article also described the movement in quick serve restaurants toward increased cultural competency and resources for learning so that ambitious employees can get the language skills necessary to progress in a company. There are various books and software-based language learning resources mentioned in the article. But companies interested in investing in their non-English speaking staff may also consider worksite English classes for workers or worksite Spanish classes for management and other employees.
In Maryland, foreign-trained nursing professionals are getting the help they need to overcome the language barrier and licensing difficulties that prohibit many immigrants from working in the profession that they studied in their home countries. Like many other states, Maryland faces a shortage of nurses and by working with foreign-trained nurses. This program, formerly named the Latino Health Initiative and now the Licensure of Foreign-Trained Nursing Professionals Program assists immigrant nurses to work in the career they previously had as well as address the shortage of nurses.
The program also enables hospitals to capitalize on Maryland’s well-educated foreign-born population and address diversity issues:
In August, the Urban Institute released a study reporting that 40 percent of Maryland’s immigrants from Latin America and Africa with college degrees work in unskilled professions.
The study also said 43 percent of Maryland’s immigrant workforce has a four-year college degree, compared to 36 percent of native Marylanders…
…Hospitals lacking diverse staffs are likely to struggle with the cultural and linguistic barriers to providing quality health care. These barriers often lead to inefficient treatment, poor communication and patient dissatisfaction, said Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association at a summit on Maryland health care disparities.
To read the article, which cites interviews with program participants, click here.
As workplaces become more linguistically diverse, this question often comes up. Diversityinc.com’s answer highlights using respect and commensense when decided when and where workers should use their native language:
“When you’re having a personal conversation with a colleague in a hallway or over lunch or at their desk, and you’re speaking in Spanish–as long as you’re doing it in a tone and in a way that’s professional, I think that’s fine,” advises Mims. “[It will be less offensive] when it’s done in the right time, in the right place and in the right way.”
It just seems strange that monolingual English speakers always automatically assume that people speaking another language are talking about them. In most instances, people just revert to the language that they feel most comfortable with and as long as it’s not disrupting business or alienating potential customers, what’s the harm?
The reality of today’s workplace is that there will be many people with different native languages, and being inclusive of people who speak another native language is an important part of moving toward a diverse, culturally competent workplace.
Katie Hunter offers commentary on Barack Obama’s suggestion that we start teaching our children Spanish in Juan Guillermo Tornoe’s Hispanic Trending blog. No matter how loudly people protest the phenomenon of “press 1 for English, press 2 for Spanish,” the fact is that Spanish-speakers are here to stay and their buying power is increasing.
What does having 15 million Spanish speakers who don’t speak English “well” mean for us?
So here’s the translation: Those needs increase the demand for doctors, teachers, lawyers, writers, radio hosts, construction foremen, salesmen and many other types of blue and white collar U.S. workers who can speak Spanish. This need has already begun impacting hiring practices. Bilingual job fairs and Web sites are increasingly popular, and nearly half of corporate managers are starting to target Spanish-speaking job candidates. More schools have begun targeting Spanish-speakers too, even shelling out bigger bucks for bilingual teachers.
In the nonprofit sector, the ability to speak Spanish is often required and at least highly desired for many direct service positions. I’ve also often seen a salary differential paid for those who are bilingual and trilingual.
As we become more and more of a multilingual country, those who are willing to learn a new language are not only using their brains in new and beneficial ways, but are also increasing their ability to command a higher salary.
Many Korean immigrants have recently found themselves in the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center taking classes in—what else?—Spanish. People like Sue Choe, who owns a laundromat in Koreatown, see many reasons to learn the language that many of her customers speak.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 17% drop in Hispanic fatalities between 2008 and the year before, from 937 to 774 deaths.