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Oh, that's just a myth. Nonna usually wasn't able to speak English very well, however succeeding generations acquired English fluency. It does take time and it is easier to know the language when you're younger. That's not changed.
Anyway, to puncture your illusions, today's immigrants acquire English at the same rate or faster as the mythical Europeans of yesteryear. And that includes Latinos.
In any case, it doesn't justify getting rid of ESL classes, because they ARE useful to immigrants for language acquisition, even it if offends your nativist myopia. Isn't that what you always demand of immigrants who come to this country?
Not real true. MOST Asians who get here at 12 years old or younger usually speak proper English by 18, even the ones born in Vietnam and so on. Way too many US born Hispanics speak poor English with worse grammar than me AND with a heavy accent by 18.
You just need to accept the fact that MOST "Asian" cultures seem to mesh real well with our Anglo Saxon 1 here in the US. Period. Another "non white" group who usually do real well in the US are Black people from Nigeria, Kenya and so on.
Not real true. MOST Asians who get here at 12 years old or younger usually speak proper English by 18, even the ones born in Vietnam and so on. Way too many US born Hispanics speak poor English with worse grammar than me AND with a heavy accent by 18.
You just need to accept the fact that MOST "Asian" cultures seem to mesh real well with our Anglo Saxon 1 here in the US. Period. Another "non white" group who usually do real well in the US are Black people from Nigeria, Kenya and so on.
I know you've lost the ESL argument with me when you try to "whitesplain" cultures to me, an Asian American.
That's funny, as an Asian American - back about 100 years ago, we were thought to be incompatible with so-called Anglo Saxon culture and only good to wash laundry and operate restaurants. And now we're supposed to be more compatible? You're just tying yourself in knots and using the tired old model minority myth to hate on Latinos. Oh and by the way, America these days is becoming less Anglo Saxon. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
I know you've lost the ESL argument with me when you try to "whitesplain" cultures to me, an Asian American.
That's funny, as an Asian American - back about 100 years ago, we were thought to be incompatible with so-called Anglo Saxon culture and only good to wash laundry and operate restaurants. And now we're supposed to be more compatible? You're just tying yourself in knots and using the tired old model minority myth to hate on Latinos. Oh and by the way, America these days is becoming less Anglo Saxon. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Just stop it, please. I'm of Irish family and WE were NOT counted as "white" either back when the Chinese had a rough go of it. OTOH; word was in some of the Jim Crow states, many Asians WERE "white" under the law.
If one learns English but will never use it as their primary language of usage in this country or will only speak it when they have to what's the point?
Just stop it, please. I'm of Irish family and WE were NOT counted as "white" either back when the Chinese had a rough go of it. OTOH; word was in some of the Jim Crow states, many Asians WERE "white" under the law.
Yeah - and the minute they became "white" the Irish turned on the blacks. Like the Southies in Boston. Noel Ignatiev's How the Irish Became White is a good read about that.
Well, perhaps in Mississippi, Chinese folks were "honorary whites" only to the extent or degree of not being discriminated against like the blacks. But I really doubt a good ol' boy was going to let his Miss Betty marry a Chinese boy. In California, however, there were plenty of real estate covenants that were racially restrictive that included Asians.
One thing that's important to remember is European countries and the U.S. developed completely different. Most European countries developed around a common racial and cultural identity that evolved over centuries if not millennia. The entire idea of America was a melting pot from the beginning. With that in mind, I think racial and cultural issues have to be looked at in a different context in Europe than they should in America.
Nativists said the same thing about the Jews, the Irish, the Italians, etc. Nothing new here from the people who were once immigrants themselves.
How many of these immigrating Jews, Irish and Italians lived among us for years, attended our schools and collected welfare benefits before blowing up children with homemade bombs?
And they are. And they're changing what it means to be American - a culture doesn't stay static, it evolves.
Sorry but you don't have a monopoly on what "American" is defined as, or you no longer do. Deal with it.
Well said
The definition of 'American' is changing with the changing demographics, the dinosaurs will have to evolve along with it or be left behind. It's as simple as that. Being 'American' is a term that is no longer exclusive to monolingual White people.
In the United States of today we see a collision between tho two great cultures of the Americas - Anglo America and Latin America - and I believe we should make it work for the better. Neither culture will be able to overwhelm the other ... it's impossible. Instead, gradually over time the two cultures will mix and match into one, and we will be a better nation for it.
Maybe the countries that so many want to emigrate from need to look themselves in the mirror. And fix their ****.
Why should America have to deal with those who can't "make it" where they came from…but when they come to America, they prefer to pretend it's still the crap hole country they left, but gotta keep the culture, the religion, the flag, the language, etc., and demand they be "recognized" in the US and the US adapt to them?
Stay where you are if where you came from is so great & fix your own country. Stop trying to make the USA the crap hole you came from.
Yeah - and the minute they became "white" the Irish turned on the blacks. Like the Southies in Boston. Noel Ignatiev's How the Irish Became White is a good read about that.
Well, perhaps in Mississippi, Chinese folks were "honorary whites" only to the extent or degree of not being discriminated against like the blacks. But I really doubt a good ol' boy was going to let his Miss Betty marry a Chinese boy. In California, however, there were plenty of real estate covenants that were racially restrictive that included Asians.
Uh; you need to have a talk with the "Siamese Twins" in North Carolina before the Civil War because they NEVER got the word they should NOT marry AND have kids with white ladies. LOL!
Those anti asian laws were ONLY meant for Asian born "Orientals", NOT their US born kids. They WERE able to buy land, even in Cali. I think the "Ark" decision cleared that up because the kid was US born to LEGAL aliens from China.
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