Opinionated Blog post (post 4)

For my fourth blog post the issue that I wanted to give my opinion about was the stereotypes of non-native English speakers. I chose this issue because I myself am a non-native English speaker and I am bilingual, so i have unconsciously known this topic since my early years living. I believe that the stereotypes towards non-native English speakers are unethical and prejudicial because overall it undermines the person's value in many ways and damages them.

     The reason why I believe it undermines the person's values is because the native English speakers believe they have a certain power over the non-native speaker just because of the language barrier. In Amy tan's essay "Mother Tongue", The author describes how her mother was treated poorly because of the lack of empathy and help that the hospital provided for her when they said they had lost her CAT scan for a brain tumor, in which the mother was anxious to see due to the fact that her family members had died of brain tumors in the past. They simply told her to make another appointment "next time" for more information since they could not find it and to me that is leaving someone hang out to dry. In addition, you would expect that a hospital purpose's is to provide service in health and safety. I do not see the author's mother's health and safety being noticed or even considered in the beginning to the hospital in anyway from their actions. In the end the hospital is being ethnocentric for not showing empathy towards the mother, implying from the hospital's actions since she cannot speak (non-native English speaker) like we do, why should we treat her the same in the first place if we're not the same (native English speakers). 

     However, when the mother is clever enough to know that her English has limitations and the prejudice she has from the hospital, she tells the doctor in the hospital she won't leave unless they call her daughter  (the author). We as the audience already know that the author has what's considered "good" English as she's a writer and was an English major in her first year of college. When the author calls the hospital that is when they actually do show empathy and provide a service for her for whatever she wants. Before the author called the hospital, they did not even apologize for making the mother anxious, but when the author did call they assured the CAT scan would be found and promises already that a conference call would be held on Monday. That clearly shows how when the author spoke, not only did they show empathy and help but they even did their jobs and provide them an exact date for them to go and get the mother's CAT scan.

     I just know in anyone’s opinion with morals that setting an appointment on a date sounds and feels more assuring and guaranteed than "until the next time".