How much does an immigrants inability to speak English irritate you? (deport, war)

[Kabluey]

Originally Posted by Prinny

We cannot even walk into Wells Fargo Bank without everything being posted first in Spanish then underneath it English. I don't feel everything should have to be bi-lingual. Seems we are encouraging people not to have to speak English.

The school systems are now requiring that administrators be required to know how to teach Spanish speaking children. Many children come here illegaly and register into the schools without knowing how to speak any English. The schools then have tutors and all kinds of programs set up to teach these children. It costs money and under NCLB it then becomes the teachers responsibility. It takes away resources and also shifts responsibility away from the parents who are either here illegaly because registration into the schools doesn't require proof of citicenship or a SS card, just current immunization/ birth certificate and turns responsibility to either the school system or US society.

It is outrageous that the then parents of these children can carry on in society and not function in English because walk into a bank, or call a toll free number anywhere and you always have a Spansih speaking option. Make a purchase of anything that needs directions and one page will be in Spanish. It is totally unreasonable.

But are you going to tell a private institution to do something that will hurt its business outreach? What kind of country is that? Not a capitalistic democracy...

[Kabluey]

Originally Posted by prim2007

I was at a Subway during an off peak lunch hour so I guess the manager decided to go on break. I had to wait 10 minutes for him to return and interpret what I was requesting. I wanted my sandwich in a wrap instead of a sub. I also wanted to pay the extra ten cents for a bottled water to go with my value meal versus the normal drink. Apparently this was too complicated for the workers to understand.

Here's the solution whenever a company does something that alienates you as a customer. DON'T RETURN, AND LET THE MGR/OWNER KNOW WHY... In a civil but firm manner, of course.

[TKramar]

Originally Posted by Prinny

We cannot even walk into Wells Fargo Bank without everything being posted first in Spanish then underneath it English. I don't feel everything should have to be bi-lingual. Seems we are encouraging people not to have to speak English.

The school systems are now requiring that administrators be required to know how to teach Spanish speaking children. Many children come here illegaly and register into the schools without knowing how to speak any English. The schools then have tutors and all kinds of programs set up to teach these children. It costs money and under NCLB it then becomes the teachers responsibility. It takes away resources and also shifts responsibility away from the parents who are either here illegaly because registration into the schools doesn't require proof of citicenship or a SS card, just current immunization/ birth certificate and turns responsibility to either the school system or US society.

It is outrageous that the then parents of these children can carry on in society and not function in English because walk into a bank, or call a toll free number anywhere and you always have a Spansih speaking option. Make a purchase of anything that needs directions and one page will be in Spanish. It is totally unreasonable.

THe last directions I've looked at had about six or seven languages on it. Including French, German, and either Japanese, Chinese, or Korean. I can't read the kanji.

[Tom9]

Originally Posted by TKramar

THe last directions I've looked at had about six or seven languages on it. Including French, German, and either Japanese, Chinese, or Korean. I can't read the kanji.

I have found that traveling around the country you can find several different language choices on your phone today that were not there just 20 years ago. The same for TV programing although the history of foreign language TV is much older going back to the late 60's. If you are in the New England states along the border with Quebec you can get French programming. it is for the citizens of new England not the Canadians especially because Americans in that area have spoken French for more than 150 years. I don't know if this is true in the Cajun South but it wouldn't surprise me. The coastal areas of NE have programming in Portuguese. In Pennsylvania in German (mistakenly called Pennsylvania Dutch). In CA, and WA local programming in Japanese, Chinese and Korean. In Detroit and Chicago in Arabic. In the South West and Florida as well as other places in Spanish. NY in Italian. And we are not talking about cable TV, local programming. This is all fine with me because TV is the free market. Where it is not so good is in government. Printing voter registration cards in (Chicago) Chinese, Spanish and Arabic cost tax dollars. if you want to vote, you must be a citizen. If you have been naturalized you had to speak English so there is no need to give voting instruction in any language other than English.This is just one of many areas where the government, federal, state, and local are wasting money printing all this stuff in other languages. Let's be practical..we are already allowing government to waste our national funds and treasures enough as it is. We have to cut back. This is one area that we can start with. These immigrants don't expect this when they get here but because of our own doing they soon come to demand it. It is not their fault it is this nanny state government that wants to pamper everyone at YOUR expense.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by Tom9

I have found that traveling around the country you can find several different language choices on your phone today that were not there just 20 years ago. The same for TV programing although the history of foreign language TV is much older going back to the late 60's. If you are in the New England states along the border with Quebec you can get French programming. it is for the citizens of new England not the Canadians especially because Americans in that area have spoken French for more than 150 years. I don't know if this is true in the Cajun South but it wouldn't surprise me. The coastal areas of NE have programming in Portuguese. In Pennsylvania in German (mistakenly called Pennsylvania Dutch). In CA, and WA local programming in Japanese, Chinese and Korean. In Detroit and Chicago in Arabic. In the South West and Florida as well as other places in Spanish. NY in Italian. And we are not talking about cable TV, local programming. This is all fine with me because TV is the free market. Where it is not so good is in government. Printing voter registration cards in (Chicago) Chinese, Spanish and Arabic cost tax dollars. if you want to vote, you must be a citizen. If you have been naturalized you had to speak English so there is no need to give voting instruction in any language other than English.This is just one of many areas where the government, federal, state, and local are wasting money printing all this stuff in other languages. Let's be practical..we are already allowing government to waste our national funds and treasures enough as it is. We have to cut back. This is one area that we can start with. These immigrants don't expect this when they get here but because of our own doing they soon come to demand it. It is not their fault it is this nanny state government that wants to pamper everyone at YOUR expense.

As you stated.

[macmeal]

Originally Posted by Tom9

These immigrants don't expect this when they get here but because of our own doing they soon come to demand it. It is not their fault it is this nanny state government that wants to pamper everyone at YOUR expense.

EXCELLENT point, one seldom mentioned. I've known a number of Mexican immigrants...some of whom did arrive illegally, some legal. But to a surprising degree, (surprising to SOME of us, that is) these folks speak DISPARAGINGLY of attempts to 'coddle' their kids by shunting them off into bilingual education. I've known more than a few people who find this "borderline insulting" and a few have gone to great effort to see that their kids are put in an ENGLISH language situation in school, reasoning "they can have all the Spanish they want at home...at school, I want them to pick up English, and as quickly as possible". The adults, too, often scoff at the tremendous number of programs designed to 'help' them in their own languages. Most of this stuff, they reason, is 'overkill'. THey neither need it, nor (as Tom9 says) do they really expect it.

Don't want to offend any readers, but this is hardly a rare sentiment, out there among the "real people'...similar to the sentiment expressed by my one-time black mentor and classroom instructor, that "The black man's greatest enemy is the white liberal"..Simplistic? of course. But he was making the point that too much "help" can quickly turn to condescension. Guess that's what those immigrants were talking about, too.

VERY good point, Tom9.......

[TKramar]

Originally Posted by Tom9

I have found that traveling around the country you can find several different language choices on your phone today that were not there just 20 years ago. The same for TV programing although the history of foreign language TV is much older going back to the late 60's. If you are in the New England states along the border with Quebec you can get French programming. it is for the citizens of new England not the Canadians especially because Americans in that area have spoken French for more than 150 years. I don't know if this is true in the Cajun South but it wouldn't surprise me. The coastal areas of NE have programming in Portuguese. In Pennsylvania in German (mistakenly called Pennsylvania Dutch). In CA, and WA local programming in Japanese, Chinese and Korean. In Detroit and Chicago in Arabic. In the South West and Florida as well as other places in Spanish. NY in Italian. And we are not talking about cable TV, local programming. This is all fine with me because TV is the free market. Where it is not so good is in government. Printing voter registration cards in (Chicago) Chinese, Spanish and Arabic cost tax dollars. if you want to vote, you must be a citizen. If you have been naturalized you had to speak English so there is no need to give voting instruction in any language other than English.This is just one of many areas where the government, federal, state, and local are wasting money printing all this stuff in other languages. Let's be practical..we are already allowing government to waste our national funds and treasures enough as it is. We have to cut back. This is one area that we can start with. These immigrants don't expect this when they get here but because of our own doing they soon come to demand it. It is not their fault it is this nanny state government that wants to pamper everyone at YOUR expense.

I mentioned the Social Security office? Instructions in Polish, Czech, Laotian, Vietnamese...yes, it was a sign telling them about how to get a translator, but still...

[barbarazo]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

And; most of those children (especially those that arrived before age 12) prior to the institution of that bi-lingual nonsense tended to speak unaccented American English (admittedly factoring in regional US accents) by adulthood.

Today; I see in particular, Latino kids born/raised here in the States who sound like they just immigrated here-------their accents really make them stand out.

I agree that a full immersion accelarated year in English is a better option,
regarding the statement about the accents in young kids, it has to do with the times we live in, I hear all kind of kids including anglos speaking in slang, is the rap culture my friend, has nothing to do with bi-lingual education.

[JMGC]

I agree that they should learn English if they plan to move here and live here for a long time, but most immigrants move to a community that talks mostly in spanish. Still,unless it becomes a requirement to learn english in order to become a citizn, some won't learn the language. It took me 6 months to learn english fully after i came here from Venezuela, and i can tell you that most immigrants that come here legally learn english.

[breeze823]

I am lol'ing at the option of "only hear English speaking" yeah right!
Now, my problem with "immigrants" not speaking English is because it's very one sided as to which immigrants are doing this. I don't hear alot of French, German,Russian, in fact, I never hear it! There's the one and only language we cater to and that's what infuriates me. Why do we cater to them? Why not make them learn English? So, I guess you know which way I voted