Press One For English (Miami: restaurant, move, phone)

[♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥]

Originally Posted by Loggerhead Shrike

Regarding what Banx said, there are English-speaking commnities in Latin America. English-speaking blacks all along the Caribbean Coast of Central America. No one in those countries has a hissy-fit when English is spoken. Also tons of American retirees in Costa Rica (they even have their own newspaper) and Mexico. Many don't speak a lick of Spanish and no one is up in arms worrying about the safety of Spanish. Also, Black-Americans united with White-Americans? Regarding a few issues (like Spanish) maybe but they are a far cry from being united.

I agree with your post, especially with the Black and white united comment... please, in what alternate universe?
However the only reason that English is not a threat there is because the percentage of people that speak it is very small and people don't fell out of control.

I don't English will ever go away in this country. I believe English did to the world what Esperanto couldn't and one of the main reasons that English has been so successful is that its grammar is fairly easy(try Spanish or German for a headache) Even children that are born bi-lingual will rather speak English. I think it has a lot to do with verb conjugation and phonetics(the mouth moves more in Spanish and people are lazy)

[cuba libre]

Originally Posted by Loggerhead Shrike

Also tons of American retirees in Costa Rica (they even have their own newspaper) and Mexico. Many don't speak a lick of Spanish and no one is up in arms worrying about the safety of Spanish. Also, Black-Americans united with White-Americans? Regarding a few issues (like Spanish) maybe but they are a far cry from being united.

That is a perfect example of rich Americans imposing English on the poor Moderator cut: Trolling masses of Costa Rica. The smartest, best looking, and most English fluent people in all of Costa Rica work at these resort communities. The bartenders, servers, and scuba guides at these resorts are truly lucky people and live much better lives than the average Costa Rican. I am not a 'resort person', and anyone who would marginalize Costa Ricans for trying to better their lot by learning English and working at one of these resorts is a coward.

In Miami you have the opposite; an enormous, poor, burgeoning underclass imposing their language on an ever thinning, educated, English speaking population.

Originally Posted by lolita305

As a Miami resident I would be more worried about Miami's economy. It seems Miami had a fake economy and corporate America doesn't seem to be interested in investing here, or that corrupt politicians are preventing investments with high corporate taxes. I don't know which of the two is the problem.

Too many poor people, too few jobs. Stop the flood and wages will rise and the economy will get better. Also, enticing more whites/English speakers back from Broward wouldn't hurt the mix either...

[Loggerhead Shrike]

Low crime, importance given to education and democracy existed there before tourism. It is something they have been proud of for a long time. Tourism has brought lots of good to Costa Rica but unfortunately tourism has brought about lots of ills to their society. Drugs and sex with minors is often fueled by tourist demands there.

[cuba libre]

Originally Posted by Loggerhead Shrike

Low crime, importance given to education and democracy existed there before tourism. It is something they have been proud of for a long time. Tourism has brought lots of good to Costa Rica but unfortunately tourism has brought about lots of ills to their society. Drugs and sex with minors is often fueled by tourist demands there.

Well, they could all give up speaking English Moderator cut: Trolling

I have been to Costa Rica twice (1995 and 2005) and I have never met more polite, courteous and generally nice people.

[Marlin331]

Originally Posted by cuba libre

In Miami you have the opposite; an enormous, poor, burgeoning underclass imposing their language on an ever thinning, educated, English speaking population.

Moderator cut: Trolling When it works for your argument, you whine about the burgeoning upper-middle class/upper-class Hispanic population and sometimes you choose to swing the other way and whine about the burgeoning poor Hispanic population. Which is it going to be? Certainly more of the former, but neither is entirely true, as it seems to me that the greatest growth in the Hispanic population since 2000 has been in the middle class.

Originally Posted by cuba libre

Too many poor people, too few jobs. Stop the flood and wages will rise and the economy will get better. Also, enticing more whites/English speakers back from Broward wouldn't hurt the mix either...

What does this have to do with white people? Both Miami-Dade and Broward are majority-white, and in both counties the great majority of people speak English. We're not talking about East Saint Louis or Detroit here, we're talking about South Florida, where the majority of people are white Americans (and a substantial percentage of people in addition to this immigrated to this country years ago and now speak fluent English).

[cuba libre]

Originally Posted by crisp444

This is trash and you know it. When it works for your argument, you whine about the burgeoning upper-middle class/upper-class Hispanic population and sometimes you choose to swing the other way and whine about the burgeoning poor Hispanic population. Which is it going to be? Certainly more of the former, but neither is entirely true, as it seems to me that the greatest growth in the Hispanic population since 2000 has been in the middle class.

Well, judging by the median income in Miami-Dade, I doubt you could call that middle class, especially by non-Miami standards... If they just learned English Moderator cut: Flaming, this thread wouldn't exist.

Originally Posted by crisp444

What does this have to do with white people? Both Miami-Dade and Broward are majority-white, and in both counties the great majority of people speak English. We're not talking about East Saint Louis or Detroit here, we're talking about South Florida, where the majority of people are white Americans (and a substantial percentage of people in addition to this immigrated to this country years ago and now speak fluent English).

67% of Miami-Dade residents speak Spanish as a first language or at home (per 2007 Census). That is the 600 pound gorilla you have yet to tackle.

[Marlin331]

Originally Posted by cuba libre

Well, judging by the median income in Miami-Dade, I doubt you could call that middle class, especially by non-Miami standards... If they just learned English Moderator cut: flaming, this thread wouldn't exist.

I am so sick of having to post these statistics over and over again. Look them up yourself or find them in my post history. You know damn well that most of the middle class areas of Miami-Dade County ("middle class" is a national median standard, and not should not be localized, remember) are middle class and not low-income. To whom are you referring when you say that if "they just learned English instead of being lazy and ignorant" ? - honestly, I needn't even ask. You're referring to "Hispanics", after I have repeatedly demonstrated to you by both empirical statistics and my personal observations that the great majority of "Hispanic" people do speak English in Miami-Dade County. Unbelievable.

Originally Posted by cuba libre

67% of Miami-Dade residents speak Spanish as a first language or at home (per 2007 Census). That is the 600 pound gorilla you have yet to tackle.

Moderator cut: Personal Attack

By the way, your 67% statistic refers to people who speak any language other than English at home, including people who speak both English and that other language at home, including me and several other assimilated, white (because it matters so much to you) Americans I know. Moderator cut: Trolling

[Leovigildo]

Originally Posted by Thomas Jefferson

Why not? I'm Hispanic and I'm sure that like me there are others who will easily vote for a skilled-immigration policy instead of the actual family-reunification-immigration policy; which is a total disaster.

-----

Thomas

Unfortunately the usual pandering to Hispanic votes will be prevalent in the future.

Not the first time in American history, the same happened with Polish, Irish, etc. Moderator cut: Trolling

[Leovigildo]

Originally Posted by ♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥

I was talking about legal residents in Miami. Illegal immigration is not a major issue here. Most hispanics in Miami are Cuban, and Cubans are authorized to work as soon as they get here. Remember also that there is still a large percentage of wealthy latin Americans(legal and Illegal) speaking Spanish out there, and those will not work below minimum wage either.

Lately though I have been seeing more anglos than ever. Are they moving from other states? Did they come back? Is the economy? Some are even working low paying jobs. The worst I've seen is an anglo handing out flyers at a street intersection. The economy must be really really bad.

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Anglos handing out flyers in a street intersection? Are you sure there were not Polish or Slavics?

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by Banx

Ooooo you're such a rebel... I'll tell you what if I end up unemployed, broke and homeless and starving in the streets of Miami cause I can't get a job cause I can't speak my own language in MY OWN country, or if one of my friends or relatives die cause they can't communicate to the hospital staff in this country's native language, I'll be sure to come knocking on your door and shake your hand for a job well done. Maybe if there were English speaking communities in Latin American I would be more laxed, but there AREN'T, and they would throw a fit if people tried to start speaking English in communities in Columbia, Honduras, Dominican Republic, (insert Hispanic country here). You need to get real and get our of what ever little bubble you live in. This is an English speaking country, and we can only unite truly as one if we all speak the same language. It may sound nationalistic, but it's true. An imposition of a different language, just as the same with religion, only creates more boundaries and creates more friction between two groups. You think African-Americans and whites would be as close as they are now if African-Americans were still speaking native African languages from when they were first brought here? Realistrically, I don't think so. You're delusional, get you're head straight. And it's true, most Latin-Americans would think you are rediculous for that statement... and you know what? I'm half Mexican, and pretty much fully fluent in Spanish. I arrest my case.

Good post and do not "arrest " your case ... it made a lot of sense