The mother and daughter were speaking Spanish while walking home from dinner in a Boston neighborhood, where more than half of the residents are Latino and more than half were born in another country.

Suddenly, two women attacked the mother and daughter on the street — punching, kicking and biting them, according to prosecutors and the mother.

The two women yelled: “This is America! Speak English!” according to the mother, who asked to be identified only as Ms. Vasquez to protect the identity of her daughter, who is 15, and to prevent her from being harassed.

On Thursday, prosecutors filed felony hate-crime charges against the two women — Jenny Leigh Ennamorati and Stephanie M. Armstrong, both 25 and both of Revere, Mass. — in connection with the Feb. 15 assault in East Boston.