English-speaking Americans facing job discrimination

Patrick Maitland-Feb 12, 2016

Ordinary people, especially African Americans, are facing major job discrimination from employers who all to common add the following words to their job descriptions: “Must be bilingual” or “Spanish speakers preferred.”

The United States boasts the most diverse population and culture in the world, with approximately 337 languages spoken, 176 of which are indigenous. Languages brought to the country by colonists or immigrants from Europe, Asia, or other parts of the world make up a large portion of the languages currently used.

However, despite the absence of an official language at the federal level, an estimated 80 percent of Americans speak English. And most do not speak a foreign language. In most cases, it is compulsory for students to be proficient in English at the tertiary level.

We are disturbed by the trend in recent years of our education system pushing our children to learn Spanish. Most African-Americans are educated in America’s public education system, but learning a foreign language has never been a requirement to graduate from high school.

However, as we scour the landscape of the increasingly challenging job market, we are now discovering that the most preferred candidates are those who are bilingual or Spanish speakers.

This puts African-Americans at a very disadvantageous position. Sadly, Spanish-speaking job seekers, some with poor command of the English language, are selected over more well-rounded and better-qualified English-speaking Americans.

Therefore, the practice of employers, including several city and state agencies, demanding “bilingual” or “Spanish speakers preferred” be included on job postings should be a case for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to investigate. The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

Nonetheless, all across the United States, the Spanish-speaking population is growing every day. Almost 20 percent of Americans do not speak English as their native language, and much of that percentage is made up of people who mainly speak Spanish.

During the past four decades, states such as New York and Florida have been experiencing a high influx of immigrants from Spanish speaking/Latin American countries to the extent that they (Latinos) now comprise up to 35 percent of registered voters. But, only a small number of these people speak Spanish only, as is the case in Florida.

However, these numbers are very important to politicians looking to boost their popularity among Latino voters. Politicians across New York City have been placing advertisements and making appearances aimed at attracting Spanish-speaking New Yorkers. It would appear that politicians, in their quest to attract voters, are promoting a “campaign of discrimination against people who don’t speak any Spanish.”

In our diverse communities, we must provide space for everyone to survive and be comfortable, but denying an American a job because he/she is not a bilingual or Spanish speaker should not be tolerated.