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I don't know why the US doesn't officially go bilingual (English/Spanish) rather than forever try to fight against the current. It'd do Americans good to learn another language, learn to adapt to others, and it'd connect the US to much more of the western hemisphere.
Should Spanish speaking immigrants learn English? SÃ. But vice versa should apply as well.
Why not Mandarin, too? There are a lot of Chinese immigrants in my area, as well as in other states like California.
I don't know why the US doesn't officially go bilingual (English/Spanish) rather than forever try to fight against the current. It'd do Americans good to learn another language, learn to adapt to others, and it'd connect the US to much more of the western hemisphere.
Should Spanish speaking immigrants learn English? SÃ. But vice versa should apply as well.
I agree with this. I had the good fortune of having foreign born parents, so I was bilingual from the start. More importantly, my family recognized early on the value of Spanish (having originally come into the US via South Florida) and made a concerted effort to learn it in conjunction with English.
The United States is not a true nation state and as such doesn't, in my mind, have a real claim on any single language. When a majority of your states are named in foreign languages or for foreign monarchs, or when you have historically prided yourself on being a haven for migrants, the whole "English nation" doesn't seem to hold much water for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhBeeHave
Why not Mandarin, too? There are a lot of Chinese immigrants in my area, as well as in other states like California.
Spanish forms a far more significant part of our country's culture, history, and geography than does Chinese. I don't know that there is any major region in the US where you could not get by without knowing Chinese, the same cannot be said of Spanish
Any American with a decent education in the past 50 years has learned at least two languages (may not be completely fluent since they didn't keep up with it, however).
There's no need to officially declare anything. While today, English and Spanish might be the most popular languages, in 50 years, Spanish and French might be. We were designed to be a nation that can adapt from the beginning.
Given that our Nation's founding documents are in English, wouldn't it behoove us to make English the official language?
What would happen if in 100 years there are no English speakers, only Spanish and French? Would our Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution be lost in the translation?
Given that our Nation's founding documents are in English, wouldn't it behoove us to make English the official language?
What would happen if in 100 years there are no English speakers, only Spanish and French? Would our Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution be lost in the translation?
Numerous countries have experienced drastic linguistic shifts over the course of their history. Many modern day Englishmen could not read the original Magna Carta, that doesn't mean its importance is lost.
I am starting to think that many of our country's issues are simply attributable to the fact that we are going through our adolescent years as a nation, while the rest of "the elder dames, thy haughty peers admire and hate thy blooming years."
You are missing the point. I live in Los Angeles and frequent the Glendale Galleria (probably by the same developers as the Houston one) and it's a good mix of pretty much everybody: blacks, whites, Asians of various nationalities, Hispanics of various nationalities, Persians, Arabs, Armenians...but all signs are in English and customers communicate with businesses and with each other in English. The issue is not everybody being the same color or national origin, but everyone able to communicate and practicing similar cultural ways.
This is in direct contrast to neighborhoods where you go into a national chain, such as Subway, and cannot order a dang sandwich because the people behind the counter barely speak English. Or whole blocks where shop signs are ONLY in Spanish. Or American public schools having to teach in two languages.
Doesn't really bother me any. Might be because I'm bilingual in English and Spanish, might be because I'm not into this "immigrants must assimilate, because that's the 'Murican way" crowd.
People are acting like the instances in your second paragraph are going to become the norm everywhere, where all of the sudden, every public service/sector employee won't know a lick of English.
If people want to eat that crap at Subway, just point and look at what you want if the employee doesn't understand English very well.
I also doubt the 'scared of their own shadow' crowd frequents this super-ethnic areas, often. Just a hunch.
Spanish forms a far more significant part of our country's culture, history, and geography than does Chinese. I don't know that there is any major region in the US where you could not get by without knowing Chinese, the same cannot be said of Spanish
Wait 10 years and you'll wonder why you said this.
Chinese is the future. Those who speak it fluently in addition to other major languages will enjoy an unfair advantage in the business world of the near future.
English/Mandarin/Spanish is going to be a money-making combination.
I don't know why the US doesn't officially go bilingual (English/Spanish) rather than forever try to fight against the current. It'd do Americans good to learn another language, learn to adapt to others, and it'd connect the US to much more of the western hemisphere.
Should Spanish speaking immigrants learn English? SÃ. But vice versa should apply as well.
What country bends over backward to cater to foreigners? Sorry, but I don't need to adapt for Spanish speakers. Nor should I make my ads bilingual and require my cashiers to be bilingual.
I don't understand why people hardly bat an eye when immigrants come here and don't learn the local language. Seriously, would you go live in France, Sweden, or Japan and expect people to speak English to you? It's funny that people posting here get their panties in a bunch because a lot of Americans want immigrants to speak English (which may not be our official language, but it might as well be). It is rude and disrespectful to the culture you're joining to not at least try to assimilate.
I have no desire to speak Spanish (I was exposed to it from 3rd grade onward), I grew up around a lot of Spanish speaking people. It doesn't mean I only want to speak English; I am learning another language - Spanish just isn't it. Americans already have to take a year's worth of foreign language in college, if not also in high school. It doesn't mean they'll be conversational or even use it. For many, it's use it or lose it. Given most people in America go about their day-today speaking English, I don't see why they need to be forced into being bilingual, especially English/Spanish.
Doesn't really bother me any. Might be because I'm bilingual in English and Spanish, might be because I'm not into this "immigrants must assimilate, because that's the 'Murican way" crowd.
People are acting like the instances in your second paragraph are going to become the norm everywhere, where all of the sudden, every public service/sector employee won't know a lick of English.
If people want to eat that crap at Subway, just point and look at what you want if the employee doesn't understand English very well.
I also doubt the 'scared of their own shadow' crowd frequents this super-ethnic areas, often. Just a hunch.
Subway is just one example, and the point has less to do with what type of food it is (better Subway than McDonald's or Carl's Jr.) and more to do with the fact that it's ridiculous to hire someone in a public role serving customers with whom he can't communicate.
As for this becoming the norm, the there are many neighborhoods where non-English-speaking illegals have taken over that were middle-class, English-speaking areas only three, four, or five decades ago. Nobody thought then that the areas would undergo such a massive transformation, yet they did in just a generation or two.
Me and my boyfriend almost had to move to Miami next year. He's Mexican-American. His parents and grandparents were born in Texas. His great grandparents from his dad's side were born in Mexico and his mom's side, not sure. He speaks English and Spanish is a language he's rusty and not too fluent with. He can get by in basic Spanish, but will get lost in an in depth conversation. I told him in Miami, you'll most likely need to know Spanish for even a cashier position. He was NOT happy about that. His belief is "This is America, speak what you want at home, but you should still learn English." I agree with that 100%. I'm a native Spanish speaker but even then I would hate to speak 90% of Spanish at my job, not only that, I'd mess up too many words.
Thankfully we won't have to move to Miami after all and will stay in Texas. The language problem is something Miami needs to change. It's great to be bilingual, but bilingual doesn't mean knowing only Spanish either, which in many areas outside of downtown and other neighbourhoods, is the case. Some businesses don't even have ANY one speaking English. Diversity is beautiful, but there needs to be an anchor to hold us all down, like common tongue. Language barriers do not increase diversity, they further self segregation if anything.
I totally agree with you. When you have so many coming here both legally and illegally from mostly one ethnic/linguistic group that is not diversity anyway.
What country bends over backward to cater to foreigners? Sorry, but I don't need to adapt for Spanish speakers. Nor should I make my ads bilingual and require my cashiers to be bilingual.
I don't understand why people hardly bat an eye when immigrants come here and don't learn the local language. Seriously, would you go live in France, Sweden, or Japan and expect people to speak English to you? It's funny that people posting here get their panties in a bunch because a lot of Americans want immigrants to speak English (which may not be our official language, but it might as well be). It is rude and disrespectful to the culture you're joining to not at least try to assimilate.
I have no desire to speak Spanish (I was exposed to it from 3rd grade onward), I grew up around a lot of Spanish speaking people. It doesn't mean I only want to speak English; I am learning another language - Spanish just isn't it. Americans already have to take a year's worth of foreign language in college, if not also in high school. It doesn't mean they'll be conversational or even use it. For many, it's use it or lose it. Given most people in America go about their day-today speaking English, I don't see why they need to be forced into being bilingual, especially English/Spanish.
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