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in case it wasn't clear because i get the impression from some of the posts that it isn't, the mexican guy behind the counter obviously spoke english well. the white kid knows this, yet decides to speak spanish to him anyways as if to say "hey i speak a little bit of spanish. you are mexican. even though i know you can speak english perfectly fine i am going to make a big scene out of your ethnicity and my acknowledgment of your ethnicity by talking to you in 3rd grade level spanish. you are different than me (read: white american) and i will demonstrate this point by insulting/belittling your ability to speak english."

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This may indeed be the case. However, another way to look at it would be this:

"I'm aware that you're an immigrant and away from your original home, so perhaps I'll make an effort to speak in your own langauge so as to make you feel a little more welcome."

or how about;

"I'm studying Spanish and I really need the practice so I might take this opportunity to try using the language."

Seeing that I am an immigrant to a country with another language, and seeing as I returned home a couple fo times early on, I've found myself in both of these situations. The first one being the Mexican, and the second one being the student. I think that they're both reasonable alternatives to your own hypothesis on the situation.