#4344 Today at my work I was helping some young asian children with their order for food. I could tell their english wasnt that great and I was trying my best to help them out, speaking slower, using different words. This order took awhile because of language difficulties but I tried my best with a smile to get everything right. When their order was complete, the next person in line came up to me and said I cant believe you cant speak chinese. I was in complete shock and I just choked and didnt know what to say. So I just said the first thing that came in my mind. Im sorry. I was so in shock from what that guy said, and he wasnt even chinese. He was Caucasian. He probably thought, if those kids had problem with english I should just speak chinese to help them out. In fact I noticed after the parents of the kids were also saying the same thing while they were waiting for their food, that I should know Chinese. After my shock period ended and I thought about it some more, what he said was completely uncalled for. Who says just because you are chinese you have to know how to speak chinese, we have people who were born and raised in canada not just first generation but we also have second, third generation, all the way back to when the railway was being constructed. I dont speak mandarin or Cantonese at all (though I can understand parts of it), I wish I could but I cant. Should that be a problem? I was born and raised here all my life so why am I expected to know chinese (which is also another vague term because there is so many dialects.)? Because of my black hair? Thats like saying to a german guy you should speak german because you are german. I regret apologizing because Im not sorry. I wish I could speak chinese, but there should be nothing wrong about me not knowing chinese. Im Canadian born and raised. I speak english. I get that other people may not speak english or arent the best at it and Im patient and try to help them out. I dont assume everyone speaks English, therefore I dont think its fair that I HAVE to speak chinese, just because I am chinese. I cant believe this kind of ignorance still exists today. - from a Chinese CANADIAN
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 04:00:22 +0000
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