I saw a video this week that really frustrated me.
In South Florida, a woman named Rachel Montgomery pulled into a Taco Bell drive-thru expecting to grab a quick meal.
Instead, she was denied service.
Why? Because she was speaking English.
This is a problem—nadie habla inglés, nadie. No bueno, amiga. No one speaks English, and English is the language that unites us. https://t.co/V4tE6Ymchd
— Erica “AmErica” Neely (@Neely4Nevada) April 24, 2025
According to her video, the worker refused to take her order unless it was in Spanish. At one point, the employee even said, “We don’t speak English.”
In the United States of America, an English-speaking customer was told she couldn’t be served… because she was speaking English.
Language Shouldn’t Be a Barrier — Not Here
I grew up speaking Spanish. I understand how diverse America, especially places like South Florida, can be.
But this isn’t about being bilingual or helping folks in their native tongue — it’s about refusing to serve someone because they weren’t.
That’s a line we shouldn’t be crossing.
America’s strength has always come from people of different backgrounds coming together. In order to do that (and I’m vastly over-simplifying here) a common language was decided — English.
You don’t have to speak it perfectly, but if you’re working a customer-facing job, being able to understand basic English isn’t too much to ask.
I’ll go a step further. There were other options than simply refusing service.
You’re telling me no one had a smart phone with the ability to use Google Translate?
Taco Bell Responded — But Lightly
Once the video gained traction online — especially on X — people were understandably frustrated.
Taco Bell put out a statement saying the incident “did not meet their expectations,” offered Rachel a gift card, and said they were “looking into it.”
But I don’t really think that’s good enough.
Think about it in reverse — a Spanish-speaking customer is denied service in their home country for speaking their official national language.
It sounds outrageous.
This Isn’t Anti-Immigrant — It’s Pro-Common Sense
No one, especially not me, is saying people shouldn’t speak Spanish, or any other language.
It’s a beautiful thing when businesses accommodate people in multiple languages. That’s a good thing.
But refusing to serve someone in English — in America? That’s absurd.
This country has always welcomed people from all over, but there’s a difference between being welcoming and being nonsensical.
If we can’t agree that English should be understood at the counter of a national fast-food chain, we’ve lost our grip on basic expectations.
We Deserve Better
Working a drive-thru isn’t easy — especially in a busy area with lots of different people.
But it’s not unreasonable to expect the person taking your order at a chain like Taco Bell to understand the national language.
That’s not prejudice. It’s called doing your job.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
