Misguided advice for recent graduates

[Monello]

Anthony Bourdain gave a commencement speech at some culinary school. Here's part of his speech.

Learn Spanish! I can't stress this enough. Much of the workforce in the industry you are about to enter is Spanish-speaking. The very backbone of the industry, whether you like it or not, is inexpensive Mexican, Dominican, Salvadorian and Ecuadorian labor-most of whom could cook you under the table without breaking a sweat. If you can't communicate, develop relationships, understand instructions and pass them along, then you are at a tremendous disadvantage. Should you become a leader, Spanish is absolutely essential. Also, learn as much as you can about the distinct cultures, histories and geographies of Mexico, El Salvador, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. A cook from Puebla is different in background from a cook from Mexico City. Someone who fled El Salvador to get away from the Mano Blanco is not likely to get along with the right-wing Cuban working next to him. These are your co-workers, your friends, the people you will be counting on, leaning on for much of your career, and they in turn will be looking to you to hold up your end. Show them some respect by bothering to know them. Learn their language. Eat their food. It will be personally rewarding and professionally invaluable

At least he's being honest when he says that the food service industry is flooded with inexpensive immigrant labor. I don't disagree with his advice. But I do disagree why people working in America should be accommodated language wise instead of learning English.

 

[rio]

I agree that someone in America does not need to learn Spanish to accommodate immigrants that have not learned English, and may not even be trying. However, I know a lady who worked in a restaurant owned and 99% operated by a Mexican family. They all spoke English well, and served the customers, etc... my friend was their only non family employee. To make life easier she learned Spanish for when she was in the back of house and it was all the family talking, joking, and giving orders in their native language, as it came more naturally t them. It made sense for her to learn in their restaurant as their employee, not because they wouldn't or couldn't speak English to her, but because they did, respectfully, and kindly.


Learning just to accommodate someone working as a line cook in back of house because they're cheap labor for someone else's business...thats different!

 

[Gilligan]

Anthony Bourdain gave a commencement speech at some culinary school. Here's part of his speech.



At least he's being honest when he says that the food service industry is flooded with inexpensive immigrant labor. I don't disagree with his advice. But I do disagree why people working in America should be accommodated language wise instead of learning English.

I still remember how surprised I was at the food when I first arrived in El Salvador in 1974 for an extended stay. The average daily meal was about as bland and tasteless as anything I'd ever encountered. And, of course, I arrived with visions of Taco Bell "plus" Mex/Tex food in my mind...

 

[Clem72]

These graduates couldn't have been too recent considered the dude died in 2018.

 

[Monello]

These graduates couldn't have been too recent considered the dude died in 2018.

I just finished reading his book Kitchen Confidentials. It was part of 1 of the chapters. That book was published in 2000, so the book was written last century. Good chance, that commencement was over 25 years ago. I think this advice is truer today than the day he first spoke those words.