Amy Tan Response

The reactions that "broken" English receives, like with Amy Tan's mother in the hospital, was interesting to me. I know that "broken" English speakers are typically at a disadvantage to "correct" English speakers, but the fact that this exists in settings where service and information is presumably vital, such as the hospital, highlights the unconditional and (I think) broadly social aspect of the double standard. Is it socially common to regard "broken" English speakers with less attention or pertinence? Does it come from a stigma that places "broken" English speakers alongside the uneducated, or does it come from the unwillingness of people to take the extra effort to help someone who is hard to understand? I really can't say--it's probably some combination of the two, mixed with a little racism--but it's interesting to consider.