Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Many factors play in when they don't speak English. A willingness not to learn English could also play a factor. One, they work long hours working in places where a lot of Hispanics work therefore Spanish is the primary language they use. Often using the joke "Why waste our English?". As you could imagine, they must work long hours with little pay and when they come home, they usually want to rest.
Not saying this is true for most Hispanics but from my experience, this has certainly been the case. My own mother didn't speak English for numerous years upon coming to the U.S. Because my dad had a good job, there was no need for my mother to work. She simply took care of my siblings and I until we were all old enough to go to school. This is when she began taking English classes at the adult school, ultimately ending up in college.
When my father came here in the late 1960s, he spent a year in intensive English education before being "mainstreamed" in class.
Maybe some supplemental ESL classes after school are Ok....heck, give em some "instructional DVDs to take home".... but gosh, sucks to be the immigrant kid who comes from a family that DOESN'T speak the predominant "second language" in the community, huh?
Many factors play in when they don't speak English. A willingness not to learn English could also play a factor. One, they work long hours working in places where a lot of Hispanics work therefore Spanish is the primary language they use. Often using the joke "Why waste our English?". As you could imagine, they must work long hours with little pay and when they come home, they usually want to rest.
Not saying this is true for most Hispanics but from my experience, this has certainly been the case. My own mother didn't speak English for numerous years upon coming to the U.S. Because my dad had a good job, there was no need for my mother to work. She simply took care of my siblings and I until we were all old enough to go to school. This is when she began taking English classes at the adult school, ultimately ending up in college.
Good for her, and I mean that sincerely. I am sure (and I am speaking as a mother myself here) she found the need to speak english even more important once you started school in order to communicate with your teachers.
America has always had immigrant communities, where the native tongue was still spoken. What is the difference between then and now? There were huge waves of immigrants from Italy, Germany, and shtels of eastern europe yet the US government didn't start making forms in italian, german or yiddish to accomadate the newcomers. They were expected to learn and they did. Why the difference now? Why the 'coddling'? If learning english was a priority, then it would be learned and there would be no need of spanish only signs throughout the city, spanish only radio stations and spanish on all signs in places like home depot and walmart.
Basically what I am saying is that due either through political correctness or the machinations of the self appointed leaders of hispanic immigration i.e. mecha et al, it has become easier to not speak english. And even that wouldn't be so bad if those who aren't learning english weren't so damn arrogant about it --- I can't speak english, you learn spanish bs that has been going around.
Yes, Austin city council voted to be a sanctuary city a few years ago.
I would strongly advise you to get as many of your friends, family and neighbors together and start a letter writing campaign and push back hard. Otherwise, it will only get worse. Good luck to you!
Good for her, and I mean that sincerely. I am sure (and I am speaking as a mother myself here) she found the need to speak english even more important once you started school in order to communicate with your teachers.
America has always had immigrant communities, where the native tongue was still spoken. What is the difference between then and now? There were huge waves of immigrants from Italy, Germany, and shtels of eastern europe yet the US government didn't start making forms in italian, german or yiddish to accomadate the newcomers. They were expected to learn and they did. Why the difference now? Why the 'coddling'? If learning english was a priority, then it would be learned and there would be no need of spanish only signs throughout the city, spanish only radio stations and spanish on all signs in places like home depot and walmart.
Basically what I am saying is that due either through political correctness or the machinations of the self appointed leaders of hispanic immigration i.e. mecha et al, it has become easier to not speak english. And even that wouldn't be so bad if those who aren't learning english weren't so damn arrogant about it --- I can't speak english, you learn spanish bs that has been going around.
I think a lot has to do with business. Back then you didn't have a lot of advertising as you do now. In a sense the Hispanic market is getting "massaged" by companies catering to their language. About 10 years ago there was no "Mexican food" section at the local grocery store. The Government isn't too far behind the companies catering to the Hispanic market.
I think a lot has to do with business. Back then you didn't have a lot of advertising as you do now. In a sense the Hispanic market is getting "massaged" by companies catering to their language. About 10 years ago there was no "Mexican food" section at the local grocery store. The Government isn't too far behind the companies catering to the Hispanic market.
I think that by catering to them, they are also holding them back. If your mom couldn't speak english, would she have gone to college? If education and learning english werren't a priority in your home, how would your life have been different?
I try very hard not to get out the reynolds wrap and make myself a hat, but I am becoming more and more convinced that there are a lot of different groups with a lot of different motivations that want to keep an hispanic underclass permenant. And that is a damn shame that the people themselves don't see themselves as being used....even by those who say they want to 'empower' them.
I think that by catering to them, they are also holding them back. If your mom couldn't speak english, would she have gone to college? If education and learning english werren't a priority in your home, how would your life have been different?
I try very hard not to get out the reynolds wrap and make myself a hat, but I am becoming more and more convinced that there are a lot of different groups with a lot of different motivations that want to keep an hispanic underclass permenant. And that is a damn shame that the people themselves don't see themselves as being used....even by those who say they want to 'empower' them.
By catering to them in Spanish, that is holding them back.
Yeah I got the jist of what you were trying to say. No worries.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.