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I have no problem what language people want to use when speaking to their family members. HOWEVER I do have a problem with Multi Lingual ballots and official documents. In the past immigrants that came to this country assimilated and one of the first steps in that process was to learn ENGLISH. Anyone that has lived in this country for more than two years should at least be able to communicate in English.
It is incredibly hard for adults to learn a new language and when you're talking about poorer immigrants who are working blue collar jobs, most of their time is going to be devoted to surviving/working, not learning a new language. This is no different than past times. First generation Germans moving to Pennsylvania didn't learn English. Read The Jungle and you see that the Eastern European immigrants of the late 1800s were getting bilked out of their money because they couldn't understand signs and contracts - - but they worked insane shifts that left them so exhausted, learning the native language was next to impossible.
The great thing is the children of those who come over themselves have no problem with learning the language. My wife teaches at a high school in Chula Vista, which has an overwhelmingly Mexican ancestry to it. When she does home visits she's shocked sometimes about how a student who has the most fluent English has no English speakers in the house in terms of adults. And that's how it has been since the beginning.
Learning new things is called expanding your brain. It helps combat Alzheimer's. More people should try it.
Learning things that you CHOOSE to learn vs being forced to learn is the difference. Is it your position that people born and raised in the U.S. should be forced to learn another countries language just to be able to order a burger at a McDonalds in Iowa?
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Originally Posted by MoonBeam33
OMG!!!1!! You have to HEAR another language!!! You poor, oppressed person!
And how do you know how many years someone has been here? Are you asking to see their papers? How do you know they aren't visiting family here in the states? Or are recent arrivals? You don't know and it's none of your damn business!
The point I think that being missed is it makes people uncomfortable and concerned about the intentions of people that can't be understood. Think of it like when you are in a group and a couple of people look at you and start whispering to each other. I certainly remember my parents telling me it is highly rude to do such things.
Also let's add into the mix the foreign threats to our safety that are here on our own shores (now). Right or wrong people are more paranoid/suspicious about their surroundings and being in close proximity to people who are intentionally not understandable can scare people or at least make them highly nervous.
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Originally Posted by BugsyPal
I've forgotten more about working in hospitals and nursing homes than you probably ever have known, and am here to tell you especially among the assistants/aides things are what they are. You are hard pressed to find anyone much less "American speaking" only willing to work for wages and conditions found in even some of the better places.
When I was younger I worked as a dishwasher at Denny's. I was the only person in the back of the house that didn't speak Spanish and after a couple of weeks I finally had enough of the people I was working around only speaking it. I knew for a fact that they were talking about me on occasion and I also know for a fact that it wasn't good things as I had a friend who spoke Spanish let me in on a couple of things they were yapping about. I finally quit as I didn't feel like dealing with it anymore. Was it right that they only spoke their language at work?
Another example, (true story) years ago me and my father were staying at a hotel/casino in Reno,NV. We were in our room on an upper floor when the fire alarms started going off. I looked out the window down on the street 10 floors below to see fire trucks starting to fill up the street. As a few minutes ticked by we became concerned at tried to call the front desk but got no response so I went out into the hall where the maids were running down the hall. I stopped one and asked if we should evacuate and where should we go (we were closer to the roof than the bottom) and the response was a look of confusion/panic and "I no speak english".
Turns out there was a fire on a basement level which moved into the main floor security offices which stopped all front desk activity.
I can tell you it's not a great feeling to be sitting on top of a burning building and the only employee contact you have doesn't speak your language or the language of the country they are in.
Learning things that you CHOOSE to learn vs being forced to learn is the difference. Is it your position that people born and raised in the U.S. should be forced to learn another countries language just to be able to order a burger at a McDonalds in Iowa?:
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Please. No ones forcing you. It's called having an added skill. How horrendous! you can't order a burger in Iowa? Lol, why don't you exaggerate a little more.
People need to stop wearing their hearts on their shoulders. I personally would never speak to someone like this lady is accused of doing. BUT, I learned a LONG time ago........people can be mean and nasty. If the worst thing that happens to you is someone SAYS something mean to you. Count your blessing.
Then give an easier path to becoming a legal citizen. Many people who are coming to this country are desperate - - no less desperate, I'm guessing, then 75% of the ancestors of the people who are posting onto this forum. The difference? You didn't have to go through eight to ten years of paperwork to become a legal citizen back when people were going through Ellis Island.
In 2010, San Diego, with a population of 1.3 million people, had a total of 29 murders for the year.
Tijuana, 20 miles further south, with a population of 1.5 million people, had a total of 39 murders in 2010 - - by January 8.
If you're young parents and your country is so incredibly dangerous and you see a safe haven that you could walk to, are you taking eight years to fill out paperwork to become legal? Your needs are being threatened now and every day.
Until Republican politicians start supporting ease of process for legal immigration, the problem is not going to get better. If it was my family and my choice was having my children live in a safe country now or following the legal bureaucratic steps for citizenship that will take years, I know which path I would take.
Please illuminate us on which countries people are living in that are soooo dangerous that we should just allow 'em to flood in?
You cite Tijuana to which I reply "ever been to Chicago or Detroit on an active weekend?" Is Mexico corrupt? Yep. Is it hard to survive there? I'm sure it is. So what? How is that in any way a U.S. problem as we have our own places that are just as poor,trashy and yes, dangerous.
Should we demand Canada to do for our poor what Mexicans are demanding we do for them? Maybe the people who live in the bad sections of Baltimore,Chicago,Detroit or many other major cities should just flood over the border to our north and demand,protest and steal because they're having a bad time of it at home...
How do you think that'd work out?
How about we put up a few families at your house and you support 'em?
Please. No ones forcing you. It's called having an added skill. How horrendous! you can't order a burger in Iowa? Lol, why don't you exaggerate a little more.
I have walked into a McDonalds in San Jose CA and had to literally point to the plastic menu on the counter to order because the counter person was not fluent in english enough to complete the order. So no, it's not an exaggeration at all.
I'm sure many on here have had similar experiences over the years.
In many countries most people are bilingual, especially if they are from a country where English isn't the native tongue.
I've never understood why some Americans look down on being able to speak multiple languages.
Jokes on them, businesses, especially ones where you deal with all kinds of people love to have bilingual employees.
It's a huge plus on my resume the languages I can speak. You can also make decent money working as a translator in places like hospitals, government/state agencies, the legal system etc...
Just out of curiosity, what is the 'additional' language that you feel that native Mexicans, Nicaraguans, Salvadorans, Colombians, Chileans, Venezuelans, Brazilians, or just about any other Central or South American countries speak outside of tourist areas? And I'm not talking about indigenous languages that are spoken as primary languages by native peoples.
Apparently, the family knew English though. It doesn't matter if the U.S. doesn't have an "official" language English is the de facto national language of this country. It is rude to speak loudly in a foreign language if you know English, IMO.
Nonsense! Bystanders should have no investment in your conversation.
Please illuminate us on which countries people are living in that are soooo dangerous that we should just allow 'em to flood in?
Any of them - - as we did in the past.
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You cite Tijuana to which I reply "ever been to Chicago or Detroit on an active weekend?" Is Mexico corrupt? Yep. Is it hard to survive there? I'm sure it is. So what? How is that in any way a U.S. problem as we have our own places that are just as poor,trashy and yes, dangerous
.
Republicans - - the family values party!
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Should we demand Canada to do for our poor what Mexicans are demanding we do for them? Maybe the people who live in the bad sections of Baltimore,Chicago,Detroit or many other major cities should just flood over the border to our north and demand,protest and steal because they're having a bad time of it at home...
How do you think that'd work out?
Canadians take in large numbers of immigrants. I doubt they have as many bitchers about it. Sad, considering we're supposed to be the melting pot - - the land of "give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses".
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How about we put up a few families at your house and you support 'em?
You really don't know how illegal immigration works, do you? You don't have to worry about them coming into your house. As far as them coming into my country, no, I don't care. And I live a lot closer to the Mexican border than you do.
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