Why do people look down on Spanish?

LAA   Sat Sep 30, 2006 6:54 pm GMT
Now this is not to say that everybody looks down on Spanish, but I can certainly say at least from personal experience, that a lot of people seem to treat Spanish with a measure of disdain, as if it's the language of peasants and poor immigrants. A lot of Anglos and northern Europeans who study French find it to be far more romantic. They see French as the language of love. They see it as a symbol of sophistication, and they associate it with amorous France. But, (and in some cases subconciously), they see Spanish as the language of a bunch of third world countries in Latin America, or they might associate with Spain, which is often seen in the light of its backward past, when it was one of the least industrialized and modern countries of Western Europe. Spanish, along with Italian, are beautiful languages. But it seems as if many Americans associate these languages with the "poor, loud, mamma mia" stereotype, and therefore look down on it.
Aldvs   Sat Sep 30, 2006 8:17 pm GMT
>>>Now this is not to say that everybody looks down on Spanish, but I can certainly say at least from personal experience, that a lot of people seem to treat Spanish with a measure of disdain, as if it's the language of peasants and poor immigrants. A lot of Anglos and northern Europeans who study French find it to be far more romantic.<<<

To answer your question, eloquently. Anglos of the U.S are naive of geography, most Americans don't even know that Africa "a fourth-world country" some* SPEAK French. Americans (U.S) think they have it bad with the Latin-americans, THINK again! They should go to France and observe all the middle-easterners and africans migrating there ilegally/legally and establishing a life in France. Example of differences, the foreigners attend daily mass, while the native Frenchmen don't even attend daily mass, the native French are individualists while the foreigners are disincline to that.


Another thing, the U.S has it easy with their immigrants. The europeans nowadays are flooded with immigrants (especially, France) from the middle-east and africa, which are most likely to harvest terrorists. I'd suppose the saying, "know your enemy" applies very well with the U.S {{in the sense that the U.S knows their invaders "language, religion and western-thinking."}} Contrast to European foreigners.
Joe   Sat Sep 30, 2006 9:18 pm GMT
***they might associate with Spain, which is often seen in the light of its backward past, when it was one of the least industrialized and modern countries of Western Europe***

In my eyes it is STILL one of the least modern countries of Western Europe considering their bloody bullfights! Barbaric that is...
Jo   Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:19 pm GMT
I thought it was a North American country that was one of the least modern countries as in allowing for bludgeoning the heads of baby seals
Pauline   Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:28 pm GMT
here spanish is very popular and people associete it with the sun, holidays, salsa, wine etc... I never did heared that someone look down on spanish. If there are backward countries in europe they will be roumania, bulgaira and other eastern ones.
Guest   Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:38 pm GMT
Spain is a modern country, what do you mean less industrialized?
THEY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS TO BE PART OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, WHERE OTHER EUROPEAN CONTRIES DON'T

other thing, i hear that americans call "spanish" everyone that speaks spanish.

FOR EXAMPLE THEY CALL MEXICANS, COLOMBIANS SPANISH.
THE CORRECT TERM IS HISPANIC NOT SPANISH.
SPANISH ARE THE HABITANTS IN SPAIN.
wilmer   Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:40 pm GMT
thats very true, that just shows a bit of ignorance from the americans.
Pauline   Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:48 pm GMT
it's only ignorant people who will look down on others, so it's better not take notice :-)
Jo   Sat Sep 30, 2006 11:01 pm GMT
«««A lot of Anglos and northern Europeans who study French find it to be far more romantic. They see French as the language of love. They see it as a symbol of sophistication, and they associate it with amorous France. But, (and in some cases subconciously), they see Spanish as the language of a bunch of third world countries in Latin America, or they might associate with Spain, which is often seen in the light of its backward past, when it was one of the least industrialized and modern countries of Western Europe. Spanish, along with Italian, are beautiful languages. But it seems as if many Americans associate these languages with the "poor, loud, mamma mia" stereotype, and therefore look down on it. »»

Are you, LAA, now speaking on behalf of the Northern Europeans?
As a Northern European I can tell you that whatever we may think of the Spanish, we do not think of the Spanish language as just something spoken by a bunch of third world countries.
As for 'loud' speakers , ever stopped to listen to a bunch of half drunk firstworld Americans?

I hate spam
secastian   Sat Sep 30, 2006 11:07 pm GMT
Spain is a "first world country" i think people see spain as a country of lots of history and a rich culture. with a long past

I think you mean the mexicans?
they are reallt looked down.

i hace watched mexicans movies and its all about traficking and violence, and border corssing. thats what they are teaching the youth.

if spaniards were living in mexico instead of mexicans things would be different.

the problem is not mostly between mexicans and americans but also agains centre americans.

mexicans hate centre americans and centre americans hate mexicans

so mexicans are pretty much hated everywhere
Guest   Sat Sep 30, 2006 11:09 pm GMT
MEXICANS SAY ORALE.

MEJICO (ISTEAD OF MEXICO) THEY DONT KNOW THE LANGUAGE
Guest   Sun Oct 01, 2006 12:17 am GMT
if spaniards were living in mexico instead of mexicans things would be different.

I don't think so because this whole third world mess in Latin America is Spain's fault, the Spanish costumes, the Spanish form of organization, their lack of modernization and the Spanish blood, were the seeds that caused the misery and corruption these days in Spain's formers colonies.

England for example invested and encouraged development in her former colonies instead of only explotating them and you can see the results, the US and Canada are both first world countries.

Spaniards and the of rest Latin Americans are pretty much the same stuff even with the so called differences. (They have the culture of corruption, they are very lazy, they don't care about saving money or modernization, they don't think in a rational way, they put the religion first before rationality (remember Spain was the most religious fanatic country in Europe and taje a look at her former colonies, they are all a bunch of countries wich are fanatics in a insane way, religion was inherited by Spain). The theory of modernization explains this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernization_theory

Spain started to improve when she got a membership to the European Union, and when she started to receive the money of other countries to improve their "Spanish mess" of corruption and poverty, before that Spain was always the most poor and Undeveloped country in Europe. Even now if you compare Spain with England or with Germany, Spain is still third world country but obviously if you compare Spain with any Latin American country it is not.
Aldvm   Sun Oct 01, 2006 3:16 am GMT
I don't use to comment on 'guests' comments so I'll only say that they are speaking only pure sh*t.
Pauline   Sun Oct 01, 2006 9:36 am GMT
Hello Brennus,

<< from what I've read, Spanish still remains the most popular foreign language in the U.S. today surpasing even French and German. So you have a paradox here. >>

I think it's not really paradox ; if you like a certain language this has notign to see with the language you will study at school. At school you will learn the langauegs obligatory, and those will be the ones who have a tradtion in your country, and for which there's a teacher. In the US the 2nd language is logic to be spanish -this is because of the proximity of all those spanish-speaking countries and immigration percentages.I suppose trade, business also but i know litlle about those.
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<< In Europe, I've heard that French, German and more recently English are the most studied languages while Spanish gets short shrift much like Serbocroatian and Romanian. Indeed, most people from Europe I've met know lots of French and / or German but no Spanish. As powerful as the Soviet Union once was, Russian seems to be little known or studied by Europeans too. >>

It depend of what country -europe has many diverse countries. For sure English is the most studied foreign langauege on this continent. I think you're correct to say that French and German are very studied, but Spanish will take over them (my opinion) . This can't be immediatley ;first the generation must studuy the language, then become the school teachers. This is ocurring, gradually. Russian will remain little known/studied i anticipate.
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Hello Guest,

First you write this :

<< if spaniards were living in mexico instead of mexicans things would be different. >>

Then you write this :

<< Spaniards and the of rest Latin Americans are pretty much the same stuff even with the so called differences. (They have the culture of corruption, they are very lazy, they don't care about saving money or modernization, they don't think in a rational way, they put the religion first before rationality (remember Spain was the most religious fanatic country in Europe and taje a look at her former colonies, they are all a bunch of countries wich are fanatics in a insane way, religion was inherited by Spain). >>

I disagree completely with you, but you disagree with you it seems also !


<< religion was inherited by Spain >>

inherited from who ? many countries in the world have religion. Spain had a catholic and fascist dictatorship in the middle of the last century, Germany had a fascist dictatorship but you consider germany the same that those countries mentioned ? Spain is not more 3rd world that Germany. If you see the PIB, you will notice that spain have a lower one that Germany but absolutely not 3rd world, also it's very modern.

for you, religion = fanatic = insane ?
Guest   Sun Oct 01, 2006 9:58 am GMT
FOR EXAMPLE THEY CALL MEXICANS, COLOMBIANS SPANISH.
THE CORRECT TERM IS HISPANIC NOT SPANISH.
SPANISH ARE THE HABITANTS IN SPAIN.
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THE HISPANICS WERE THE HABITANTS OF HISPANIA. THE CORRECT TERM IS NOT HISPANIC, IT IS LATIN AMERICAN. THEY ARE NOT A LANGUAGE. THE LANGUAGE IS SPANISH THEY ARE SPANISH SPEAKING PEOPLE, NOT SPANISH PEOPLE. THEY SPEAK A HISPANIK LANGUAGE THEY ARE NOT A LANGUAGE. THEY ARE NOT HISPANIC PEOPLE. THEY ARE HISPANIC SPEAKING PEOPLE.