This article examines the influence of language ideology on
interactions between English-speaking Anglo and monolingual
Spanish-speaking employees in an Anglo-owned Mexican restaurant in Texas.
In directives to Spanish-speaking employees, Anglo managers typically use
English with elements of Mock Spanish. Because the Anglo managers fail to
question whether their limited use of Spanish is sufficient for
communicative success, Spanish speakers are almost always held responsible
for incidents resulting from miscommunication. For Latino workers, Spanish
provides an alternative linguistic market in which Spanish operates as a
form of solidarity and resistance. The competing functions of Spanish
serve to reinforce racial segregation and inequality in the workplace.I am greatly indebted to the restaurant workers
who shared their experiences and opinions with me. For helpful discussions
and comments, I would like to thank Eriko Atagi, Mary Bucholtz, Elaine
Chun, Erin Debenport, Jane Hill, Jennifer Palmer, Robin Queen, Otto Santa
Ana, Teresa Satterfield, Keith Walters, Albert Zapata, and an anonymous
reviewer.