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Fun fact: Spanish was the first European language that many western tribes learned way back in the day.
Many members, again in the west, have Spanish last names.
Why is wrong for the president to acknowledge that not all Americans have the same background?
I don't think this is an issue, I have Spanish background, my great grandfather was from Spain. I still appreciate my country speaking English, for one I never took up Spanish. None of my family speaks Spanish, English was expected of us.
Fun fact: Spanish was the first European language that many western tribes learned way back in the day.
Many members, again in the west, have Spanish last names.
Why is wrong for the president to acknowledge that not all Americans have the same background?
Fun fact: in spite of what you have said our government decided to make English our de facto national language. All of our government documents are in English and most U.S. citizens speak English as their primary language of usage.
What does having a Spanish last name have to do with that? There are many citizens of this country that have non-anglo surnames. Shall we cater them all because they come from different ancestoral backgrounds most of whom were born here and not in some foreign country? How many of these Spanish speakers were born in Spain rather than here?
Does that include the Navajos and the rest of the Native Americans who were speaking their languages long before the Mayflower sank anchor?
Yes it does. We need a common language as a people. The Navajo are Americans too and those that haven't learned to speak English need to. This identity politics crap needs to stop.
WRONG! We are a nation that supports multiculturalism because we are just that. This is nothing new and shouldn't be earth-shattering. The United States of America had been called a melting pot since the mid 1800's with immigration to Ellis and Angel Islands. Add that to the various religious groups and countries that settled in parts of America (French in the border with Canada as well as the Louisiana territory, the Spanish in Florida, the English song the eastern seaboard and the Hessans from Germany that fought along with the crown during the Revolutionary War.) To hate this is to hate the ideals of our nation even back in the early Constitutional days of Washington, Adams and Jefferson.
The melting pot was immigrant groups assimilating into the dominant culture with the end result being something slightly different as the immigrant group added a little bit of theirs to what preceded it.
Multiculturalism is non-assimilation with there being no expectation that immigrant groups assimilate.
The melting pot approach gives us common ground and makes us one people Multiculturalism balkanizes us into identity groups.
What country did your ancestors come from in Europe 100 years ago???
Just wanted to mention, I live in a very diverse community and associate with genealogical associations in this state and a majority of European immigrants, the first generation, did NOT learn English if it was not their native tongue. I have friend my age (I'm mid 30s) who have grandparents who are very elderly and still alive who never learned to speak English and their grandparents are primarily Polish and and Hungarian and were the initial immigrant to the USA from the "old country."
European immigrants of the past, like immigrants today, created very homogenous neighborhoods and had no reason to learn English. In my area we had a German part of town and they had church service and school was taught in German until after the first World War and only stopped due to the demonization of Germans. Many still spoke German in church until the second World War.
I went to school with the grandchildren (and great grandchildren when it comes to German) of German, Polish, and Hungarian immigrants and nearly all their grandparents never learned English because they lived in neighborhoods and had jobs to where they had no need to learn English. Its hard to learn a new language as an adult. Their kids and grandkids though learned and none of my friends from school knew how to speak their cultural language when we were in school or today. One of my friends actually did learn Hungarian but doesn't think they can speak it anymore.
You are correct on the old ethnic neighborhoods but to do that today almost guarantees a life of poverty. It is just not the same economy, plus back then we didn't have the extensive entitlements like today. That they didn't want to speak English didn't mean the rest of us had to support them. Now it does.
Fun fact: Spanish was the first European language that many western tribes learned way back in the day.
Many members, again in the west, have Spanish last names.
Why is wrong for the president to acknowledge that not all Americans have the same background?
Because Americans represent every background on earth. In addition to descending of English speaking English & Irish I also descend from French, Dutch, and German immigrants. I hardly expect the feds to put things in all those languages just to acknowledge my heritage. I am an American as are the descendants of every other ethnic group. Modern day immigrants need to decide if they really want to be American if they choose not to learn English.
Your link has a sensational headline not supported by the content of the article.
At the 1/23 Press Conference , a reporter asked Sean Spicer if there was an intention to no longer offer a Spanish version of Whitehouse.gov. Spicer replied along the lines of today is the first business day of this administration and much work needs to be done to effect a transition. The Spanish version is in the works and will be made available, soon.
But, he's going to be the president for ALL people?
If this was really true , why would the lack of other language websites make him not a president for all ? I'm sure I have relatives in my family tree that only spoke Spanish or Italian. And guess what, they still loved their country, and prospered here. They didn't demand to have signage in their native language. They either made due without, or they learned English.
He is president of the citizens of this country and you have to know English to become a citizen.
My inlaws, now deceased, became citizens without speaking or understanding a word of English.
They were provided translators. This happened in the 50's. I have no idea what rules were in place at the time or if accommodations were given to Holocaust/WW2 Displaced Persons.
There are current accommodation for those age 50 or older who have lived in the US for at least 20 years.
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