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There was one hispanic who was in the country 20+ years in front of congress in Spanish. He knew English but wanted to speak in Spanish.
The congressman called him disrespectful.
That is one example.
Exactly, and one poster in here demanded that we learn Spanish just because "supposedly" the Spanish were here first even though English was our adopted de facto language nationwide. To demand that English speakers learn Spanish is disrespectful to our nation's language.
English is no longer respected in this country by foreigners.
You know what, nope some are too dense to get it, they never will understand. For gosh sakes my friends who are Mexicans, say the same thing, why can't they learn English, among other things?
Exactly, and one poster in here demanded that we learn Spanish just because "supposedly" the Spanish were here first even though English was our adopted de facto language nationwide. To demand that English speakers learn Spanish is disrespectful to our nation's language.
Thank you, and give me a break here, my daughter and the employees where she works part time while going to college, can tell you the demands made on them by Mexicans who have lived in this Country a long logng time, but never learn English.
You don't think so, ask the superviors, and the security of the Mall. They make wide demands, and demand to know why the employees do not speak Spanish, because they should. They change prices on merchandise, and pull all sort of things, like taking in old merchandise from another store and trying to get money for it. One idiot Mexican, even put a hand on my daughter, wanting to know why she did not speak Spanish to him, and asked her what she was accusing him of. He and his family got escorted out of the store, after making a spectale of themselves.
Stop making stupid ignorant remartks, if you live in a Country, any Country for at least 5 years, don't ya think your going to learn that Language, or at least some words just by hearing them. Sorry i do know Mexicans in this Country and yes legally, where some have been here more then 20 years, and i cannot understand a thing that comes out of their mouth. Nope they do not speak English. Husband does, kids do, Wife, and Inlaws do not. To me only it is a injusustive to not learn the language of the Country you live in, how much more simple things would be if you did know the language.
I have taught myself Italian from online, so give me a break, if i can learn Italian from online, and hold conversations, and understand reading and the writing, anyone can do it. Yes i agree with you, too many want us to change our lanugage to accomodate them, don't work that way.
This isn't respecting a language at all though or insinuating disrespect though insulting a language. The SENATOR felt disrespect, not a language ( obviously) and of course the senator was told that Spanish is allowed and welcomed on Texas state premises in order to gain a fuller testimony if needed. Whatever personal and emotional issues the senator has with Spanish speakers doesn't reflect " disrespecting" a language.
What you mean is you feel disrespected because people speak another language in front if you. I say this not to personalize the issue per se but to take the issue out of this mythological and quasi religious area where English itself must be respected and more to a practical you don't like people speaking languages you don't know in front of you.
Valid points.
My wife and I often speak Thai in public when we want whats said to be private. I know it bothers some people but I dont care, its private.
Now when standing before a committee on gov business I think it is reasonable to expect the language of our gov to be used or have an interpretor translate to english. To simply use an alternate language because you speak it is not appropriate IMO.
The problem is that that isn't the reality of the situation. Immigrants, not just Mexicans are learning the language and cross generational studies show it. English will continue to be the lengua franca of the US ( and the world) and because of that people will still learn it.
I can agree to a point, but not all will learn it, i know firsthand there are some who have never ever learned it. And have been here a long long time.
This isn't respecting a language at all though or insinuating disrespect though insulting a language. The SENATOR felt disrespect, not a language ( obviously) and of course the senator was told that Spanish is allowed and welcomed on Texas state premises in order to gain a fuller testimony if needed. Whatever personal and emotional issues the senator has with Spanish speakers doesn't reflect " disrespecting" a language.
What you mean is you feel disrespected because people speak another language in front if you. I say this not to personalize the issue per se but to take the issue out of this mythological and quasi religious area where English itself must be respected and more to a practical you don't like people speaking languages you don't know in front of you.
Point is they know English but refused to speak it.
If I come to your house and you speak Chinese. I know Chinese & English, but speak English to you and your family, how would you feel?& what would you do?
Thank you, and give me a break here, my daughter and the employees where she works part time while going to college, can tell you the demands made on them by Mexicans who have lived in this Country a long logng time, but never learn English.
You don't think so, ask the superviors, and the security of the Mall. They make wide demands, and demand to know why the employees do not speak Spanish, because they should. They change prices on merchandise, and pull all sort of things, like taking in old merchandise from another store and trying to get money for it. One idiot Mexican, even put a hand on my daughter, wanting to know why she did not speak Spanish to him, and asked her what she was accusing him of. He and his family got escorted out of the store, after making a spectale of themselves.
Stop making stupid ignorant remartks, if you live in a Country, any Country for at least 5 years, don't ya think your going to learn that Language, or at least some words just by hearing them. Sorry i do know Mexicans in this Country and yes legally, where some have been here more then 20 years, and i cannot understand a thing that comes out of their mouth. Nope they do not speak English. Husband does, kids do, Wife, and Inlaws do not. To me only it is a injusustive to not learn the language of the Country you live in, how much more simple things would be if you did know the language.
I have taught myself Italian from online, so give me a break, if i can learn Italian from online, and hold conversations, and understand reading and the writing, anyone can do it. Yes i agree with you, too many want us to change our lanugage to accomodate them, don't work that way.
Some, few, all? Who is this "they" you are talking about? I suppose you mean those immigrants that can speak English but some reason don't.
I can only speculate the reasons why you think they do that, but I wouldn't imagine that there is some overarching ideological reason among immigrants who you feel do this. They didn't have a meeting to discuss ways to disrespect you and on some level I think you know that.
I do know that as having been an expat living with other expats it is easy to slip up and speak my native language with other expats even in front of natives because sometimes it is frustrating to formulate a complex thought in another language when the other person speaks your language. Keep in mind I am fluent in that language. I am dating a Mexican flight attendant now from Monterrey right now and when she flies in we speak English, not out of a mythical respect for English or even because she is in the US but because her enthusiasm for English is greater than my Spanish.
I have had friends that have spoken Spanish to each other in front of a non Spanish speaker as a kind of power play and I regard them as jerks when they do it. I have also had friends who have met old German friends in front of me and converse in German but I don't get offended because I know their meet up is more important than my feelings.
All of this points to the conclusion that all of these decisions are personal and independent and are negotiated as a matter of personal etiquette, not a "respect for a language" or a country. And these choices are individual. Take the man in the video. Let's say he chose to speak Spanish on purpose to prove whatever he wanted to and let's say it was disrespectful. I wouldn't think it would be disrespectful based on some mythical allegiance to English or country but a personal breach of informal etiquette ( he can speak any language he wants for his testimony). He may feel he had some reason to do it and I really don't care what it was. There is no transcendental "they" who as group, decided to not speak English in front of you just to be jerks.
Thats what I see here where I live.
Also if you saw the testimony to congress in Spanish you would see the same thing.
They are refusing to assimilate.
Why do I have to press 1 for English & 2 for Spanish?
What is the reason for bilingual schools when everything is all in Spanish?
Go to Kmart & home depot there are subtitle signs in Spanish.
Do you have to go through this again where Benitar quotes a study that she believes shows that Hispanic immigrants aren't assimilating when in reality it says that Hispanics, while assimilating slower than Asians or Africans are assimilating faster than other immigrant groups did in history, or the Pew report that shows that language assimilation is occurring steadily and rapidly. There isn't a refusal to assimilate there is assimilation at various stages progressing towards a common outcome.
At what point in history did we have bilingual Russian, French, & Italian signs & schools?
I swear to God, if I hear "press 1 for Polish" ONE MORE TIME...
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