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A friend in the US got in touch with a depressing, and sadly revealing, story.
She was out shopping with her daughter, and the two of them were chatting normally. A passerby overheard them and approached to tell them that Trump had won the election, and he had signed an executive order making English the official language of the United States.
So, the person told them, they shouldn’t be speaking Spanish.
The daughter, born in the US, started to reply in perfect English, but the stranger shouted, “Go back to your country.”
It’s a story of nasty verbal aggression and sadly not unique. However absurd, dangerous, and frustrating incidents like this are, they tell us something important – and present us with at least one tricky question, which we’ll put to you, the reader.
First, it’s absurd because, the interrupter clearly doesn’t understand what “official language” means. The clue is in the name: a language used for official purposes. It’s to direct how government agencies and such should operate and interact with the public in an agreed tongue.
An official language is most certainly not about what individuals are allowed to speak in public. If we have freedom of speech, we certainly have the freedom to speak in whatever language we choose.
Still, incidents like this reveal something dangerous. When politicians come to power after making hatred of immigrants central to their campaign, they want to prove to supporters that they are fulfilling their promises.
They do this with laws, executive orders, rules, and other formal ways, as well as with their overall tone.
With actions and words, Trump and his administration have been adding layers of fear and anxiety in immigrant communities. Some now avoid going to church or the hospital. Many children don’t go to school.
It’s not just raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that people are worried about; it’s members of the public, riled up in their racist hatreds by a president who’s sending all the worst signals. Meanness is the message, and it is received loud and clear.
It’s all so frustrating and enraging. You can rationalize that such rude behavior stems from ignorance and gutter hatred, but when you’re face to face with it, what do you do?
For the mother and daughter pair, it was a terrible experience. They were so shocked, they didn’t know what to say to the person. There’s always a temptation to stand your ground – but then, what if things escalate beyond words?
The daughter wanted to say something; the mother pulled her back.
“Let’s go. Don’t argue.”
Later, she wondered if they did the right thing and asked friends and family, “What should we have done?”
We agreed to ask Daily Brief readers: What would you have said and done?
How do you deal with people who’ve been so worked up by politicians – and likely other hateful voices in media and social media – that they think they have the authority to tell you how to speak? And they do so in person, in your face?
What’s the right response?
Dear readers, let’s hear your ideas, please, via email, Instagram, Mastodon, LinkedIn, or Bluesky. We’ll collect your responses for a future edition of the Daily Brief, so let us know if we can use your name or not. Thanks.
