Neighborly

A café in my neighborhood recently changed staff and the new Chinese couple appear to be right off the boat, as we say in America. They speak almost no Spanish. Every time I go there, I witness innumerable acts of patience, kindness, sweetness, and charm from the Spanish patrons as they walk the couple through the intricacies of how to work a corner café. I’ve never witnessed any unkindness and no taunts along the lines of “Why don’t you speak Spanish?” or “Why don’t you go back.” This isn’t to say that there is no racism here, but it isn’t toxic, it isn’t literally killing people.