#320, of course you are right. This situation is easily comparable to colonialism and slavery.

2 simple rules of the road for meeting and greeting foreigners in America: 1. Assume that they know English and ask them in normal English first if you are going to talk to them at all. English is probably the most studied second language in the world due to the financial gain that ESL students can achieve by learning it. 2. Foreigners are not deaf, use hand signals as a last resort, and only if they don't know a lick of english. If someone came up to you and spoke slowly while waving their hands around in your face, what would you do? You might think... that they think that you're retarded. You might react in a hostile manner, yes? I know I would if someone was treating me like an idiot.

#20 said it best ROFL! I know the OP *was* trying to help - and as soon as the other person opened his mouth, OP realised his mistake - but that's the point: OP made a mistake that was very easily avoided, and which displayed a rather prejudicial mindset.

How about assume that if the guy or girl has chinky eyes, he/she is more likely these days able to speak better English than you? There's a reason Asians are known for being smart.

It's not even FYL. It's just FY. Even if they were of Asian descent and looked like tourists, they could've been from another part of America. And can you seriously be from San Francisco and still think that Asians can't speak English? You foolish white man.

#24, I hear that. What a horrible assumption to make. I don't care if you were trying to be a "diplomat," there is nothing correct about treating those people that way. Next time, think before you speak, jackass.

OH BEING ASIAN AND LIVE IN VANCOUVER. I WANT TO CUT YOU SO BADLY

Way to go, generalizing all Asians. Totally deserved that.

hahahaha you're such a fag ! if you said that to me, i would've kicked your ass ! but still, i understand that you had good intentions :P

Gotta learn somehow... >_