Job hunt futile if you don't speak Spanish

I was laid off six months ago from a company that I worked at for five years. Before that I had a strong resume with lengthy stays at jobs.

I am now 50 years old, and most jobs I apply for I don't have a chance at. No, not because I am 50, but because I do not speak Spanish. Most school districts want someone who can speak both English and Spanish, and so do most nonprofits.

I just found a job that would be perfect for me in the nonprofit world but it says bilingual a must. And even when it says "preferred," I usually lose out to one who speaks both languages. So what is someone who is 50 to do? Go back to school and learn the language? What are my children who are in their 20s to do? Learn Spanish in order to succeed in their careers?

Here is an idea: Why don't the people coming here learn to speak English? And if you don't want to then have an interpreter available when you are signing up at a school or a park district or at a state agency. Why should I have to learn a different language to survive in my own homeland? It is bad enough so many of us are laid off due to the economy but when this comes up as a hurdle it is just wrong.

My grandfather came here from Italy and my grandma from Poland and they had to learn the languages in order to get jobs and services many years ago. I also know of some school districts that have special classes for those speaking Spanish but I know of a little Polish girl who hardly spoke English and she was put in a regular class.

Donna Reboletti

Addison