It probably another american thing... they look down to anyone who doesn't speak english 24/7

It implies a migrational background. In Switzerland everyone learns different languages beginning in elementary school (German, French or Italian and English) so multilinguisme is part of our culture and is well regarded. There is of course still xenophobia against imigrants but if you learn the local language any additional languages are regarded as an asset in your professional life regardless of your background.

Someone else said it. It's a subset of racism and xenophobia. If you speak English and Spanish or English and Creole, or English and any other language that is associated with underdeveloped countries or regions. It's sad. Technically it's getting better. But not fast enough. Going to take a few more generations of education go get us stupid single language folks sorted out. One thing I think that is helping is the increase of immersion language programs in public schools. My kids are learning math in French since 1st grade. (French is what the closest school offered.) So hopefully that will play into more general acceptance of those around us.

It would, of course, depend on the languages. Japanese or Swedish: first class! Most African languages: not so much. Racism at work: you can have "good" and "bad" foreigners depending on their home countries' image/wealth. /s

I grew up in a tourist town. If you were poor, speaking multiple languages, it was assumed you were working low wage hospitality jobs. If you were rich, speaking multiple languages meant you were educated and "cultural".

It means when you speak a different language with your parents or grandparents, because you aren't "proper" (insert nationality here). Rich people learn different languages at school

I think they meant it in terms of being a poor immigrant. My mother and I have been told off many times by white "Karen" types for speaking Cantonese together in public, especially in this more recent climate of hate towards Asian people because of COVID and its place of origin. While we're not poor immigrants, a lot of racist type people don't care about our financial status, they just seem to be offended that we have the audacity to know and speak another language. These types of people would be appalled to know that my mother fluently speaks four languages and I fluently speak three and am learning a fourth. Edited to add that we live in the United States. Mom came here in 1970 and holds dual citizenship and I was born here, as were my three siblings.

Because people think down of immigrants I think is what they meant. Depends on the language. Me speaking English on a french Caribbean island made ppl think I am an immigrant from a poorer Caribbean island. Walk through Paris talking Arabic language, you'll get really bad stares from the people. They just don't get that multicultural background is amazing I guess.

I've noticed that in America if you're Latino and speak both Spanish and English, people might think you're an illegal immigrant or something. It's stupid

Speaking your parents' language is never an advantage when you're an immigrant. Like I'm a white middle-aged French woman and I can speak Italian or Swahili, wow, but pizza delivery boys or cleaning ladies often speak 3 languages and don't get paid extra

When you're speaking another language in public and some a**hole tells you to "speak English or go back to your country"

I’m America, think Hispanic people who speak English & Spanish….unfortunately they are def looked down on by LOTS of people

Only if it’s not a European language. At least here in good ol USA😒

They are implying that if you are poor and speak multiple languages you are prob. an immigrant 😞

If you speak English and Spanish an awful lot of people assume you swam the Rio Grande to illegally enter the country. If you speak English and Italian you must be a jetsetter.

A rich person who can speak several languages, may see any it as "pointless" for a less well off person who speaks the same languages, to speak or know those languages. Like if they know French and Italian, and travel to France and Italy often. To them, what's the point of a person who has no financial freedom to travel abroad bothering to fluently learn either language, if their family is neither nationality, or their "job" doesn't call for fluency in either? Another thing is Japanese. It's considered trashy if you desire to learn because you're find of anime, versus if you plan to learn Japanese for business reasons, since so many large companies and firms have Japanese clients or offices.