interesting topic, calibasco...

i hate to continue this topic, but you make a good point. my pet peave: we are looking for bilingual and multicultural people to fill this position. meaning that unless you are a bilingual us hispanic, then you need not apply for this job. i am finding that a lot of spanish speaking jobs are looking for us hispanics or people from spain, south and central america and mexico. their reasoning is is that they need someone that can relate to their own. i think that that is b.s. and totally racist and eventually those people are going to get sued for discrimination. at my job we deal a lot with latin america and iberia, but because i am a bilingual american-african, they would prefer me to not market to this demo, saying that i can't relate... therefore, they have a person from spain, who doesn't speak very good spanish, marketing to them, because they feel that she can relate better to the argentine or mexican culture than i can and that is totally b.s. i love the latin culture and have studied it, lived it, loved it, and experienced it for over ten years. i probably know more about the differences in cultures than the average person does. it is not fair that the only way to work for certain companies is if your race is the same as the demographic that you are marketing to? i swear, that is one reason why i hate america. this country breeds RACISM! let's not become what we fought for so long to overcome...roses

[ 07-31-2001: Message edited by: roses ]

Amen to that!!

Just because I wasn't born speaking Spanish doesn't mean I can't communicate as well if not better than native speakers!! I've been studying Spanish language, culture, people for over 15 years, and like you, roses, I have found that I know much more about the cultural differences than many native speakers with whom I have come in contact. I'm not saying native speakers are illiterate or unable to communicate, but just as many English speakers can not communicate very well in English, many SPanish speakers can not communicate very well in Spanish. How many people say words like "soder" instead of soda or "ain't" instead of isn't, or, for instance when I received a letter from a Spanish friend and he told me "Te hecho mucho de menos". What's that supposed to mean? WHAT did he do to me? It's supposed to be ECHO DE MENOS!!!

Anyway, the point is, the employers should test your language/cultural knowledge (whatever is going to be used in the job) rather than only asking what your native tongue is.

I'm sorry if this has been too strong, I'll get off my soapbox now!!!

GG (Who's had another long day at her not-so-satisfying mono-lingual job!)

[ 07-30-2001: Message edited by: GranadaGirl ]

Granada Girl and Roses, you are absolutely correct about the bilingual nonsense! I run into it all the time! I don't know what makes people think that people of ethnicity x can be bilingual and bicultural for ethnicity y, but that it is IMPOSSIBLE for the reverse to happen!

Sounds like we need to get together and go bowling...

When I was a HS Spanish teacher, I found it interesting that we had a Bolivian, a Costa Rican, a Chinese and a bunch of "whities" working in the Spanish department (9 of us). Never at any moment did I ever feel that my opinions and experiences were of any less value by those "natives" in the group. We all respected each other and the variety of experience we'd brought to the table: Of the "whities" we had myself who'd lived in Spain for two years, another who'd done the same in Argentina, and another who'd done the same in Chile. We had a WEALTH of knowledge from all over the Spanish-speaking world, and it wasn't a hindrance, it was a boon.

Corporations, apparently, aren't any different. I was hired by my last employer because I spoke Spanish...not because I understood the Mexican psyche (which I think I do)...they needed someone to explain widget construction in Spanish...the factory was the only culture I needed to know.

Sounds like "LatPro" is run by an idiot who is neither "Lat" nor a "Pro". :p

I can't be of any specific help but when Calibasco mentioned "factory" I think of my fashion/garment industry and how so much is being done in Latin America.It's not very glamorous but it seems there must be some needs for bilingual personel to coordinate various aspects of import businesses. Maybe a list of US companies doing business in Latin America from,perhaps, the Dept of Tresury?

Bowling? Yes, a bi-lingual sport if I ever know'd one. You have to learn to cuss in Chinese and Russian so you don't offend the ladies.

Cali, you also have to promise not to say, "You bet'cha! 'ey?" after each strike you get.

Being from Wisconsin, I'm always reminded that we're supposed to wear a clean bowling shirt to weddings and other social activities. Heck, I still got the one I was married in. You can always tell which gal is the bride in a Wisconsin wedding. She's the only one allowed to wear a white bowling shirt.

That said I have to go polish my bowling balls.

Wolf (Who has three bowling balls, and his wife has two, Minnie & Mickey Mouse believe it or not. )

[ 07-31-2001: Message edited by: Wolfgang81 ]

I agree a hundred times! I am having a nearly impossible time finding a job where I can speak Spanish (and I am looking in NYC, come on....), after years of everyone telling me how "marketable" I would be post-graduation. But I guess the web sites want someone like my friend who is medio cubano/ medio español (but never lived in Spain), who I met in Barcelona, who writes me: "Por sierto uno de mis dias favoritos en Castellfelt (Castelldefels is the real name) fuero con tigo." It is stunning that a company would hire someone like my friend to write things in this horrendous Spanish while not giving me a second look!

Majesty:

I am sorry to hear this. I think you should have been selected if the candidates were like that.

In Spain, too, no matter how long have you been studying, trips, forums, et al you may have in your resumee, it is very difficult to find a job where you can use this kind of skills, unless you are in areas related to tourism.

Calibasco: perhaps you are right. in construction, computers, engineering... it's your skill set first, then your language. But, from my experience when trying to land a job working in marketing or pr for a latin base company, it's impossible. they want someone that can relate to their culture.

A positive upside to all this, most american companies prefer to hire americans to run their businesses overseas, such as paramount international television, hbo, mtv, crown, coke, etc... so if the native companies don't want to hire spanish speaking americans, then don't lose hope. our own companies will glady give us the chance. because for those companies the most important language to speak first is of course english, with advanced spanish studied. good luck to all those trying to land that dream job.

-roses

I don't know if anyone wants to work and speak Spanish enough to move out to the great Southwest, but from time to time there are openings here. There is a full time Spanish teaching position open at this very moment...and they WILL hire non-natives for this.(grades 6,7,8)
www.tusd.k12.az.us/contents/employment/jobann.html


There are also a couple of other jobs...one for a case manager and other for an economic development planner (Bisbee, AZ) The salaries won't be anything to write home to mom about (they pay us in frijoles and sunshine here) but you get to speak Spanish!