Marquez the author of "Why and When we speak English in public" explains in her essay why she and many other bilingual's in America choose to speak a foreign language. Why people choose to speak which language is a complete mystery for many people who only speak one language. For Marquez it's a matter of respect and holding onto tradition. It is the tongue of her family, and ancestors and to not speak to them in their native language, whether in public or in private is disrespectful to her. She does understand and makes a point of the fact that many people do not understand this why she and others who are bilingual make this choice and distinction. She stresses that, at least for her it's not meant to offend anyone and most of all not that she's attempting to disrespect those round her, it's merely an issue of respect.
In the later part of her essay Marquez goes on the defensive and states some specific examples of when she chooses to use English instead of Spanish. In the example she provides she explains that in the company of those who speak only English she will switch to using only English as not to make the person feel segregated from the conversation. It's difficult to understand why people fear and mistrust people such as the author of this essay. Perhaps it's ignorance or a lack of respect, regardless it's a difficult issue that many people have to deal with everyday.
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