MIAMI
Melissa Green’s mother spoke Spanish, but she never learned because her father forbid it. Now, the 49-year-old flower shop owner and Miami native said her inability to speak Spanish makes it difficult to conduct business, seek help at stores and even ask directions. She finds it “frustrating.”
She is not alone. Today, inability to speak the language is a frequent problem in this city where the English-speaking population is outnumbered.
“It makes it hard for some people to find a job because they don’t speak Spanish, and I don’t think that it is right,” said Green, who sometimes calls a Spanish-speaking friend to translate for customers who don’t speak English.
“Sometimes I think they should learn it,” she said.
In many areas of Miami, Spanish has become the predominant language, replacing English in everyday life. Anyone from Latin America could feel at home on the streets, without having to pronounce a single word in English.
