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05-13-2009, 12:13 PM
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Is the lack of English spoken by Miami's "new immigrants" a question of literacy?
"New Immigrants" to Miami are poorer than previous waves, and they may include Central Americans, Mexicans, South Americans, and various Caribbean peoples... They are very slow to take to English, more so than previous generations of new immigrants. I was wondering if this had to do with literacy.
It was fairly easy for me to learn to speak Spanish because I was always strong academically, with English and writing being my strongest subjects. If many of Miami's newest immigrants find it so difficult to learn English, maybe it is because they failed to complete secondary or even elementary school. Or maybe their quality of education was so poor back in the 3rd world that they did not learn how to write....  This would make it really hard to learn a new language. |
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05-13-2009, 03:32 PM
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Who knows what their problem is. But a huge part of it at least for the hispanic immigrants to Miami is they don't need to learn English to get a job.
And as long as there is no motivation for them to learn the language they will not. If English was a requirement for a job like it is in many other parts of this country they would learn english pretty quick.
Someone the other day did tell me something close to what you said, just that the new immigrants that are coming to Miami, are the poorest of the poor (less educated), vs the wealthier more educated ones that can back in the 60s and 70s.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cuba libre
"New Immigrants" to Miami are poorer than previous waves, and they may include Central Americans, Mexicans, South Americans, and various Caribbean peoples... They are very slow to take to English, more so than previous generations of new immigrants. I was wondering if this had to do with literacy.
It was fairly easy for me to learn to speak Spanish because I was always strong academically, with English and writing being my strongest subjects. If many of Miami's newest immigrants find it so difficult to learn English, maybe it is because they failed to complete secondary or even elementary school. Or maybe their quality of education was so poor back in the 3rd world that they did not learn how to write.... This would make it really hard to learn a new language. |
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05-13-2009, 03:42 PM
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No. I don't think that is the reason. I remember back in the early 80's the "anglos" bitching about Cubans not speaking English. They were referring to "old immigration Cubans as well as Mariel. The reason the new immigrants do not speak it is exactly that, they are new. Less time to learn. The children of all recent immigrants (Central Americans, South Americans, whatever) all speak English, usually as 1st Language. Spanish is more predominant now because the Hispanic percentages overall are higher now, not because the "old immigration" were more assimilable and the new refuse to learn.
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05-13-2009, 03:57 PM
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don't feed them or they will multiply
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05-13-2009, 04:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Loggerhead Shrike
No. I don't think that is the reason. I remember back in the early 80's the "anglos" bitching about Cubans not speaking English. They were referring to "old immigration Cubans as well as Mariel. The reason the new immigrants do not speak it is exactly that, they are new. Less time to learn. The children of all recent immigrants (Central Americans, South Americans, whatever) all speak English, usually as 1st Language. Spanish is more predominant now because the Hispanic percentages overall are higher now, not because the "old immigration" were more assimilable and the new refuse to learn.
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Literacy correlates directly to the wealth, social status, and education opportunities immigrants had in their respective countries, and visa versa.
Many people coming to Miami now are from places that make Cuba seem like a wealthy first world country, places that have few schools and no books, almost like Africa! 
Countries where 'literacy' may be come into question for Miami-bound immigrants ~
-Haiti
-Dominican Republic
-El Salvador
-Guatemala
-Nicaragua
-Honduras
-Mexico
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05-13-2009, 04:49 PM
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Location: Miami-Fla-U.S
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cuba libre
" New Immigrants" to Miami are poorer than previous waves, and they may include Central Americans, Mexicans, South Americans, and various Caribbean peoples... They are very slow to take to English, more so than previous generations of new immigrants. I was wondering if this had to do with literacy.
It was fairly easy for me to learn to speak Spanish because I was always strong academically, with English and writing being my strongest subjects. If many of Miami's newest immigrants find it so difficult to learn English, maybe it is because they failed to complete secondary or even elementary school. Or maybe their quality of education was so poor back in the 3rd world that they did not learn how to write.... This would make it really hard to learn a new language. |
Lie, lie, lie, the poorest immigrants were and always will be the Cubans.
South Americans bring $$$. They mainly come to Miami to invest in businesses and buy properties...
On the other hand... Cubans come illegaly on a boat..and receive free federal housing + food stamps + free college education.
Please...you talk Non sense BS...
They would assimilate more in USAs culture if Cubans would not have overpopulated Miami. Cubans scared the hell out of the U.S. Americans decades ago...
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05-13-2009, 05:03 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eduardo983
Lie, lie, lie, the poorest immigrants were and always will be the Cubans.
South Americans bring $$$. They mainly come to Miami to invest in businesses and buy properties...
On the other hand... Cubans come illegaly on a boat..and receive free federal housing + food stamps + free college education.
Please...you talk Non sense BS...
They would assimilate more in USAs culture if Cubans would not have overpopulated Miami. Cubans scared the hell out of the U.S. Americans decades ago...
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I can't believe you said you worked in a school one time. Scary |
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05-13-2009, 05:03 PM
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Senior Member
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Location: miami
904 posts, read 337,806 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eduardo983
Lie, lie, lie, the poorest immigrants were and always will be the Cubans.
South Americans bring $$$. They mainly come to Miami to invest in businesses and buy properties...
On the other hand... Cubans come illegaly on a boat..and receive free federal housing + food stamps + free college education.
Please...you talk Non sense BS...
They would assimilate more in USAs culture if Cubans would not have overpopulated Miami. Cubans scared the hell out of the U.S. Americans decades ago...
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south americans cubans central americans are all the same. |
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05-13-2009, 05:04 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cuba libre
I can't believe you said you worked in a school one time. Scary |
he taught speeling
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05-13-2009, 05:05 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dadeguy
south americans cubans central americans are all the same.
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Exactly!  |
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