Amid anti-immigrant sentiment, some Spanish speakers wary

PHOENIX, Arizona - Until recently, Lilly Mucarsel has spoken Spanish just about everywhere since arriving in the United States from Ecuador three decades ago: at the library, the movies, the grocery store. She raised three daughters who also speak Spanish and are passing on the tradition to her US-born grandchildren.

These days, the 62-year-old Southern Californian finds herself shifting to English when she attends a baseball game or goes to a restaurant with her husband to prove that yes, she knows that language too, and to avoid the nasty looks she unfortunately gets while conversing in her native tongue.

"I notice more now with this current government that people are more impatient and there's more of a lack of understanding," said Mucarsel. "When you speak Spanish, they automatically judge you, thinking you don't speak English, and that is a huge ignorant idea."