A Cuban woman residing in Indianapolis shared her experience at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) on TikTok, where, according to her account, she was not helped because she did not speak English and used Google Translate to complete her paperwork.
In the video, the young woman named Susana Pérez (@susana_perez97 on TikTok) explains that when it was her turn, the lady asked her how she could help. "I, using Google Translate, told her the procedure I wanted to do. Immediately, she opened a drawer, took out a sheet of paper, and showed me a notice that said they could not assist people who used Google Translate or with the help of third parties. I needed to bring someone who spoke English," she says.
Faced with this situation, she decided to go to another DMV office, as they did not allow her to complete the process at the first place. Upon arriving at the second DMV, she observed a scene that surprised her: "A man approached and told me he was deaf, that he wouldn’t know when he would be called. I thought that if they didn’t assist him, he was going to make a scene. However, the DMV staff communicated with him using sign language and a sheet of paper, helping him with his process."
When it was her turn, she feared that they would not assist her again for speaking Spanish, but the response was different. "The man who helped me tried to speak Spanish, and although he didn't speak it very well, with the help of Google Translate I was able to complete my process without any problem," she said.
The Cuban concluded the video with a reflection on the disparity in treatment: "Are they going to stop serving all the people who speak Spanish at the DMV where they didn’t want to attend to me? I was left lost, but thanks to the second DMV, I was able to resolve my problem, and the deaf man too. I don’t understand if by not speaking English you can’t carry out a process like getting a license plate for a car."
The experience of this Cuban has generated multiple comments on TikTok, where some users have shared similar cases and reacted to the incident she lived through.
"There are simply people who don’t like to do their job, but there are others who are very nice," "I even took my practical driving test and didn’t know English, the person who evaluated me told me what I had to do through a translator and I passed. They were very kind to me," "Don't worry, the same thing happened to me. I went to another one and it went wonderfully," "We are in the USA," "You have to make the appointment in English; they are not obligated to adapt to you, they do a lot just by having another office that speaks Spanish," "When they feel like working, they find a way to help; a simple example is that the other DMV helped me without any problem," "It happened to me in Charlotte, they treated me very poorly for not understanding English," "That’s crazy; even in court, they have let me use my phone for the translator," or "In Virginia, it’s the same way; the place where I was treated the worst in this country was that one, the woman even asked me why I had come to the USA as if that were immigration."
What do you think?
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