Last weekend, Crystal attended a house party with some friends. Things were relatively relaxed, with everyone sitting around and chatting.
Friends and Acquaintances
The party was hosted by one of her friends, so some attendees were more her acquaintances than close friends, but it wasn’t a big issue. They all got along well.
Crystal’s New Language Journey
The night was going well. While chatting with a few people, one of Crystal’s friends mentioned that Crystal had recently started learning Spanish.
A Chat in Spanish
One of the guests, Abby, spoke decent Spanish and engaged in a brief conversation in Spanish with Crystal, asking how she was, among other things.
Short and Brief Convo
They exchanged just a few sentences, given that Crystal had just begun her Spanish learning journey. They then switched back to English.
Accent Inquiry
Abby asked why Crystal didn’t learn the “standard” Spanish accent taught in their English school. They were in England, although Crystal wasn’t English.
For the Love of Telenovelas
Crystal explained that she was learning the accent that aligned with her interest. She’s a big fan of Argentinian telenovelas, and wanted to learn Spanish specifically to understand the shows better.
Diverse Dialects
Learning a new language wasn’t new to her. She already learned English to be able to read specific books. Based on her experience of learning languages, she thought it was best to learn Spanish with that accent as it differs quite a lot, and there are quite distinct pronunciation differences.
Accusations Begin
Stella joined the conversation, expressing her belief that learning a language solely for watching TV was a form of cultural appropriation.
Cultural Appreciation
Crystal disagreed, considering it a form of cultural appreciation. She said it was a way to connect with a country’s culture, even if it only involved watching TV or movies.
Stella’s Inquiries
Stella disagreed and questioned whether Crystal planned to visit Argentina or Latin America.
Future Possibilities
Crystal mentioned having no immediate plans but left room for the possibility in the future. She referred to her experience of learning English before she ever planned to move to the UK.
From Cultural Appropriation to Racist
At this point, Stella abruptly changed her stance, suggesting that Crystal’s choice to learn a language with a specific dialect and without immediate travel plans of visiting the country was racist.
Conversational Clash
Frustrated with the conversation, Crystal told Stella off, ignored her, and changed the topic.
Misunderstandings Unfold
Now, it appears that Stella has been spreading the word about how Crystal treated her poorly, claiming she was only trying to point out her mistake.
Uncertain Crystal
Crystal wonders whether she was wrong for telling Stella off. Is Crystal justified?
100% Justified
One user couldn’t believe what she was reading and expressed frustration with the idea that even learning a language could be deemed racist. Learning a language for different reasons, such as communicating with in-laws, planning to move, pursuing a bilingual job, or watching specific shows, are all legitimate motivations. “What difference does it make to anyone?” she argues.
Pro-Bilingualism
Another commenter responded, asserting that she was not in the wrong and expressing support for her endeavor to become more cultured by learning a new language. They dismissed Stella’s interference and encouraged bilingualism, commending her learning efforts.
No Harm Done
“Why is some random girl bothered that you’re taking your time out of your day to learn a new language?” another user asks. “My Black African friend is learning Korean so she can watch more K-dramas as she heard the subtitles are actually inaccurate. It’s not cultural appropriation or racist in any capacity.”
Hits Close To Home
“I am from Uruguay, and for people up North to think we (or anyone else) are so fragile that something so insignificant would hurt us or our culture in any way, sounds pretty racist to me, to be honest,” claims another user.
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Susan is the founder of Susan's Socials, a social media agency focused on Flipboard. She is also a content curator, encouraging a healthy lifestyle through topics such as pets, food, travel, home decor, gardening, and fashion.
