Speaking a language other than English comes across as "un-American" to some. And it only gets worse when you consider who gets harassed and who doesn't: These modern incidents mostly involve a white person harassing Brown or Black folks. Have you ever heard about someone asking a white French or German person to speak English in the same "you don't belong here" tone? There's a reason it's acceptable for white Europeans to speak their native language while it isn't for people of color. (Hint: It's the Euro-centrism that drives the white nationalist movements . Or in layman terms, racism.)