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It bothers me because Americans are being discriminated against in their own country for jobs and more. Even the welfare offices handing out the food stamps and welfare checks are required to speak Spanish for the Mexicans because they refuse to learn English.
So many people in the world want to come to the USA and most would be willing to learn English and would like to be Americans and we're instead taking those who have little ambition to learn anything about this country but come for the money only.
It's another way that we end up paying for illegals (and possibly legals) - we have to have interpreters for anyone in hospitals, etc. (that costs money), AND we have to have bilingual education in some states.
There are a lot of inaccuracies thrown on this thread against those that expect immigrants to speak English. I haven't seen anybody say that immigrants shouldn't speak their native tongues at all. All I have seen is the people expect immigrants to attempt to learn English thereby making it easier on everyone, ESPECIALLY, the immigrant. When I hear two people speaking Spanish to each other no matter where they are, it doesn't bother me one bit. It is clear that they can understand each other and it's nobody else's business as to what they are saying. I do have issues with those people who have been living here for a few years that still don't know a lick of English. Why is that?
For those that brag that they know 6 languages and don't understand why Americans get ticked off at people speaking Spanish are being a bit hypocritical. Would it not be in the best interests of the immigrant to know English as well? Learning English would hasten their assimilation into American society.
Some people say Americans expect people of other countries to speak English when the American is visiting that country. Is this fair of the American to expect that the population of another country speak a language that is foreign to them? No. It's not. It is then up to the American to attempt to learn the language of the country they are visiting enough to get by. Now, if the American planned on living in that country, it would be expected of them to learn that country's language. Is this not reasonable?
Is it fair to the citizens of the other country that the government has to spend extra taxpayer dollars to print public documents in the native language and English so the Americans can understand it too? Is it fair that the Americans expect hospitals to hire people in said country to serve solely as translators? Is it fair that Americans sue a hospital in the foreign country because they received incorrect blood due to a loss in translation?
I didn't think so.
We're not asking immigrants to speak only English. We request they learn enough of it to communicate to people outside of their families to avoid any miscommunication. Trust me, we will help you communicate if we see you know a little English and ensure there is no miscommunication. It's for the sake of the immigrants more so than citizens. Don't be surprised if you don't get your request answered if you are speaking with someone who doesn't know Spanish and you don't know English. I shudder to think about those immigrants who lack basic English and need immediate medical attention. Who helps them then???
Oh, and don't say that expecting someone to speak English is racist. The same can be said then for someone who refuses to speak English.
It bothers me because Americans are being discriminated against in their own country for jobs and more. Even the welfare offices handing out the food stamps and welfare checks are required to speak Spanish for the Mexicans because they refuse to learn English.
So many people in the world want to come to the USA and most would be willing to learn English and would like to be Americans and we're instead taking those who have little ambition to learn anything about this country but come for the money only.
Its not discrimination. IF they are the majority recieving the help, then so be it.
Do any of you honestly have proof that 2nd generation children of Mexican immigrants refuse to speak English in America?
I would venture a guess that many immigration waves in the past didn't learn the language, but their children did and assimilated. I think many of you are purposely tough on hispanics, even though they are following the same track.
If they were willing to learn English then it would be costing us the billions of dollars to provide Spanish classrooms, Spanish ballots, Spanish interpreters -- free of charge of course in every hospital and clinic. Spanish speaking welfare workers and so on.
Some second generation learn some English but a large percent watch nothing but Mexican television and listen to Mexican radio and are more patriotic to Mexico than they could ever be to the USA. Not all of course -- there are some who come here to become American and adapt to American ways.
I would disagree with Americans going to live permanently in another nation but insisting that everything must be provided to them in English because they had no intention of ever adapting to that country.
You really don't see the immigrants of other nations like India or China, etc demand all services including classrooms in their own language.
And if that graph were true then you wouldn't see the spread of all-Spanish television channels, radios, and we wouldn't have all the Spanish classrooms, or the need for signs in stores in Spanish. Social workers wouldn't be required to be fluent Spanish speakers.
Or does that "1st generation" in that graph mean the USA born offspring of immigrants?
In some areas of the country now, it would be difficult for Spanish speakers to hear enough English to learn any of it.
And if that graph were true then you wouldn't see the spread of all-Spanish television channels, radios, and we wouldn't have all the Spanish classrooms, or the need for signs in stores in Spanish. Social workers wouldn't be required to be fluent Spanish speakers.
Or does that "1st generation" in that graph mean the USA born offspring of immigrants?
In some areas of the country now, it would be difficult for Spanish speakers to hear enough English to learn any of it.
And it may well turn out that Southern California ends up officially bi-lingual.
Don't go to So. Cal and it won't bother you.
Knowing English does not require one to abandon Spanish.
And it may well turn out that Southern California ends up officially bi-lingual.
Don't go to So. Cal and it won't bother you.
Knowing English does not require one to abandon Spanish.
It's not just So. Cal -- I live in an area that is far more Spanish speaking than California. Many areas of this country are no longer English speaking for the most part.
We no longer require any thing of immigrants, they are not expected to adapt, to change in any way but it's not as though we have a shortage of people who would move to this country and there are many who would be willing to learn English and become American.
It's not so much about immigration although I can't see why we think we can briing the whole world into the USA when we can scarsely provide enough oil and social services for the large population we already have. Immigration should be limited to those who wish to become American, have the ability and desire to adapt to this country.
It's not just So. Cal -- I live in an area that is far more Spanish speaking than California. Many areas of this country are no longer English speaking for the most part.
We no longer require any thing of immigrants, they are not expected to adapt, to change in any way but it's not as though we have a shortage of people who would move to this country and there are many who would be willing to learn English and become American.
It's not so much about immigration although I can't see why we think we can briing the whole world into the USA when we can scarsely provide enough oil and social services for the large population we already have. Immigration should be limited to those who wish to become American, have the ability and desire to adapt to this country.
Well first off I think you are being silly. I have a number of Hispanics among my clients and friends. They are about as eager to be "American" as one could possibly hope.
But note the history. We don't fully integrate the first generation. Aside from the well educated they are too fearful of our society. But we got virtually all of the second and then the third. By two generations you can't tell them from the rest of us.
This is not new. It is what has happened with each immigrant group. The Hispanics will be no different.
I too believe we must gain control of this process. We lost it with the Mexicans particularly when we failed to enforce what was in place after the amnesty of the late 80s. To try and deport such a group, with its deep roots and fifth column support is silly. It simply is not going to happen. A bad economy is likely a much better tool than hard enforcement. And at that the vast majority of the illegals will pull in their belts, hanker down, and outwait the economy.
But now we need to regularize the status of the illegals here and set up the systems to insure the number does not again increase without limit.
Can it be done? Maybe. But as we concentrate our efforts and will on impossible goals it only gets worse.
Please refer to the OP and stay on topic or thread will be closed. There were so many off topic comments and personal insults to delete and it would be easier to just close the thread if it veers again.
Last edited by madicarus2000; 04-12-2008 at 08:33 AM..
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