A quick stop at a small, pizza-by-the-slice shop turned into a cultural lesson this week. I am unsure if the cultural dissonance was due specifically to language, culture or idiosyncratic/personality, but I suspect it was a bit of all three.
After ordering my pizza slice from a serious man, and then navigating the many questions regarding where I was planning to consume the pizza and beverage, I paid at the register. The man would only respond to, and speak Italian. The woman at the register was smiling and using English words, even telling me my total in English. When my classmate went to pay, I heard her tell the woman she had a slice of pizza and a bottle of water. I noticed the man behind the counter give her a stern look, so I told my friend to say "acqua" instead of "water". When she said "acqua", he nodded his head approvingly and started speaking rapidly in Italian to us. From what I could make out, he was basically saying, "In Italia. Parliamo Italiano." The English translation would be something like, "In Italy, we speak Italian." The entire time he was telling us to speak Italian, the woman at the counter was apologizing and saying she was okay with our English because she wanted to practice hers.
I understand the importance of trying to assimilate through language, but as a customer from a country with strong capitalist values, I found it surprising to be spoken to in such a direct manner by a business owner. It was also interesting how other person in the shop, the woman at the cash register, was trying to speak to us in our native language. She made an effort to lessen the severity of his advice, while practicing language skills that will help her assimilate in English-speaking cultures. This experience will certainly make me more sensitive to non-English speakers I encounter in the future.
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