One day in a galaxy far far away, when I had 3 other roomates, me and one of them who is also Puerto Rican and whose first language is also Spanish were speaking by her room, in Spanish about some inconsequential shit.
My other rommate, a white American woman, whose room was on the 2nd floor, took it upon herself to yell at us from the top of the stairs talking about:
"I DON'T APPRECIATE YALL TALKING IN A LANGUAGE I CAN'T UNDERSTAND. YOU NEED TO SPEAK ENGLISH. STOP BEING RUDE."
The rommate I had been speaking with was very shy and unsure of herself so I could already tell she was super anxious and wasn't going to say shit...well not this bitch.
"Ill be right back"
Stomps my ass up the stairs.
"Listen... I don't know what kind of people you're used to living with or what kind of environment you came from but this is going to be the first and last time I ever tell you this. You do not have any fucking right to tell me what language I get to talk to my friends in especially when Spanish is my first language and it's her first language as well. I don't need to speak to her in English. You don't need to understand what we're saying because it's none of your fucking business. And if you think that we're sitting downstairs talking about you... I hate to break your bubble but you're not that important. And I'm going to tell you this... Any day I have any problem with you or need to say anything to you whether it's nice or not I'm just going to say it to your face like I am right now. Who the fuck do you think you are telling me I can't speak my own language when and where I please?
I am not the fucking one."
"Mumbled apologies. You're right blah blah didn't think about it that way blah blah."
"It's all good. Next time think about the implications of what you are saying. "
We became really good friends after that but the friendship ended when she made a post on Facebook talking about voting should be mandatory by law and I checked her on it and she lost her fucking mind, got all emotional, blocked me on Facebook and I sent her a text which effetively ended the friendship.
I still miss her sometimes... But I should have known.
The same reason why she would want to be able to decide how I speak in my own space to whom I choose is the same reason that would let her think that making voting mandatory by law is a good idea.
It be what it be.