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The point is that her ancestors were no more willing to assimilate than any other group, and neither were yours for that matter.
Some did really well and second gen was fully assimilated. Third gen has no idea about the language or culture of their ancestors. That is actually kind of sad. My grandparents could not speak English well but lived among immigrants from different countries and they all managed to get along and look out for each other, with the exception of one group, which was quite insular and often still is.
If you are foreign and can get along with other recent immigrants as well as Americans you are doing a good job of assimilating. Some just don't want to, it's all about their group.
Women took longer to assimilate and learn the language of their adopted country because they were housewives and seldom interacted with Americans outside of their own family and community. There was no internet or TV. Men were out working for and with other people.
I'm not a fan of Tomi but she is a damned sight smarter than her contemporaries, so if you think she is stupid....
They didn't get government assistance because it didn't exist at that point.
Instead they depended on the churches to help them. They also lived in squalor. Their homes were dirty, dark and dingy. Many of them died from diseases.
And they absolutely were thought of to be a burden on society.
Oh how our history curriculum has failed so many Americans!!!
There is a big difference legal immigrants of long ago between being thought to be a burden and illegal immigrants of today actually being a burden. Years ago it was just prejudice-based dislike of immigrants. Now it is real economic concern.
Some did really well and second gen was fully assimilated. Third gen has no idea about the language or culture of their ancestors. That is actually kind of sad. My grandparents could not speak English well but lived among immigrants from different countries and they all managed to get along and look out for each other, with the exception of one group, which was quite insular and often still is.
If you are foreign and can get along with other recent immigrants as well as Americans you are doing a good job of assimilating. Some just don't want to, it's all about their group.
Not as true as it used to be. Even though immigration 100 years ago was largely from Europe, many of those countries spoke different languages. Learning english together was what allowed the Pole to speak to the Italian as well as with the native born Americans. Immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala and Columbia already share a language. They don't have to learn anything to speak to each other, and if enough of them migrate here quickly enough they never do have to learn english and communicate with the native born citizens. They don't move here to be part of the country they move here to make their own country within a country. Some may gloat that this is no more than whitey deserves but it won't be a good thing for this nation in the long run.
There is a big difference legal immigrants of long ago between being thought to be a burden and illegal immigrants of today actually being a burden. Years ago it was just prejudice-based dislike of immigrants. Now it is real economic concern.
You're right and long ago some groups were just viewed as undesirables. Today we don't discriminate based on race or skin color. We should however, be picky about whom we allow in based on whether they will be a benefit or a burden and whether or not they will assimilate into our society and not seeking to harm us. Illegal immigration however, is totally unacceptable.
Women took longer to assimilate and learn the language of their adopted country because they were housewives and seldom interacted with Americans outside of their own family and community. There was no internet or TV. Men were out working for and with other people.
I'm not a fan of Tomi but she is a damned sight smarter than her contemporaries, so if you think she is stupid....
Unless the women were factory workers, which many were and they worked among many different immigrant groups. They had to learn some English in order to communicate among each other, except for French Canadians who just kept speaking French.
Not as true as it used to be. Even though immigration 100 years ago was largely from Europe, many of those countries spoke different languages. Learning english together was what allowed the Pole to speak to the Italian as well as with the native born Americans. Immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala and Columbia already share a language. They don't have to learn anything to speak to each other, and if enough of them migrate here quickly enough they never do have to learn english and communicate with the native born citizens. They don't move here to be part of the country they move here to make their own country within a country. Some may gloat that this is no more than whitey deserves but it won't be a good thing for this nation in the long run.
Excellent points. Early immigration came from diverse groups culturally and linguistically so in order to communicate with one another they learned to speak English. As you said, when too many migrate here from one culture and linguistic group they tend to colonize rather than assimilate and not adopt English as their primary language of usage if they learn it all.
My grandparents came from the "Old Country", and they did learn English, mainly to survive. They still spoke Russian in our home, among themselves, but spoke English when in the company of others.
Depending on source, 11-20 million people were displaced in Europe during WW2. Most had no documentation, let alone shoes.
My husband’s parents lived in a refugee camp after WW2. When the US or Canada favored families, there were massive group marriages in the camps and everyone got busy. When the US or Canada temporarily favored displaced people from one country versus another, suddenly everyone hailed from the favored country.
Husband’s parents immigrated in 1950. They, like most immigrants, got busy creating an anchor baby because that created priority for citizenship. They were uneducated, semi illiterate and had no particular skills. They were however, multi lingual.
They managed to work, buy a 3 flat, pay taxes and become citizens without understanding or speaking English.
No car. No phone. No TV. No vacations. No entertainment. Their ethnic church was their connection to the ethnic community.
My mother in law wore a babushka covering her hair when ever outside her home as was the custom in the old country. One look at them and it was obvious to the most casual oberserver, the concept of assimilation, eluded them.
If your husband's parents migrated here within the laws at the time then they didn't produce an anchor baby. An anchor baby is one born from illegal alien parents. Unless you're over 60 you have to know English in order to become a citizen.
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