I’m sure we’ve all seen it. That teeth-grinding video of a scene in that JCPenny store in Louisville, Kentucky featuring an older white woman yelling at two Latina women over a “line-cut.” The conversation spirals out of control and eventually the older woman yells, “Speak English, we’re in America.” This attack was completely uncalled for and unrelated to the disagreement at hand. Why should somebody's first language warrant a vitriolic attack when cutting in line is more often than not a simple misunderstanding? When you watch the video, you notice that many customers gawk and do nothing to defend these women. What's sad is that none of this is new. People who speak English as a second language are automatically considered part of a lower tier of society compared to native English speakers. Why have certain American citizens decided that English must be the only language spoken in a country marked by its considerable diversity? What makes them so uncomfortable with people who speak languages other than English?

Americans are obsessed with the ideology that anyone who doesn’t speak English is inferior. This idea is manifested through various news stories, viral videos and blog posts in which bilingual or English-Language Learners, (many of whom are people of color) are harassed, degraded and mocked just for speaking a language that is not “the standard” in the United States. This language ideology, a belief about language and its use, negatively impacts people and can be damaging to their sense of identity and confidence as they grow up and/or attempt to make a new life for themselves in America.

This ideology is psychologically damaging to bilinguals, immigrants and English-Language Learners. In society, being bilingual is often considered "cool" when the languages one speaks are “pretty to listen to.” But, if your language is often associated with racial stereotypes or a low socioeconomic status, you are unconsciously perceived as less than other people who were raised speaking English. This phenomenon is not unique to a single race or specific ethnic group. Everyone holds language ideologies, whether they be positive or negative, whether they acknowledge it or not. It's human nature.

As a former ELL (English-Language Leaner) student, I remember how embarrassed I was when I had to go to my ELL class during the school day. It made me feel alienated and almost dumb. Of course, ELL and other English Emergent Language classes are vital for immigrants to settle into society. They helped me improve my writing and inspire my blossoming journalism career.

The stigma surrounding ELL makes children associate it with inferiority. That feeling of stumbling over my words in class made me feel lost, as I couldn’t express myself through English words that my other classmates would understand. Just because it took me a little bit longer to string my thoughts into phrases does not make me stupid. But, sometimes I still feel that way.

To the people who think we should only speak English in America and the older woman in the JCPenny store, why? It doesn’t affect your life or negatively impact you in any way if the people around you speak a different first-language. To put down someone based on their language to feel better about your own insecurities is not only completely unnecessary, but disgusting. Next time, please just put in some headphones in and mind your own business. Stop projecting your discriminatory and racist language ideologies onto others.