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Those languages and cultures do not identify our nation as a whole. No, we are not a multi-cultural, multi-lingual nation per se. We have an identifying culture and language with minority ones living among us. That's something different altogether. Many countries have minority cultures and languages practiced within them but they also have one that identifies them as a nation. You're just not getting it.
For example, Mexico. Even though there are other languages spoken and other cultures practiced they are still Latino/Hispanic in identity and Spanish is their identifying language. Why is that so hard to grasp?
Because it doesn't matter how many times you say it, YOUR definition is not universally accepted in the US as to what our culture is. But go ahead, say it again, so you can be wrong again.
This goes to the core of what is "America", and what it means to be "American".
If a person moves to, say, Germany - and vehemently persists in refusing to learn German, or upon having learned it, remains steadfastly loath to speak it - well, there is, arguably, something chipping away at German identity, at what it means to be German. There's an element of irresponsibility by the newcomer.
The same holds for Russia, France, Spain, Ethiopia, Iran, Thailand, and so forth. There is a prevailing sense of what it means to be Thai, or Ethiopian, or German... a culture, a tradition, a national narrative passed down the centuries, that unites a people in their communal identity and nation-hood.
There is no such thing in America... not because "American culture" is somehow philistine, untutored or coarse... but because it's quite meaningless to say whether something is or isn't American, in the national sense. Indeed, America is less of a nation than a giant coffeehouse to the world, a gathering-place, a place of business or communication or just a place to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee.
America is no different than any of those countries so stop trying to make it so. If you come here to live and refuse to learn or speak English then you are no different than an English speaker (and just as rude) doing it in Germany, Thailand, Ethiopia, etc. In fact, English is a required language to learn in most European schools, in addition to their native language. But I still don't give a damn what you speak amongst yourselves.
Where did I say that speaking a foreign language if it's necessary is objectionable? I have no problem with that. What is rude and arrogant is speaking a foreign language loudly in public when you and the person you are speaking to both know English. Another thing is residing in this country for years and refusing to learn English.
No, if an American student wants to learn another language that's their proagative. However, they shouldn't be forced to do it. There are very few instances here in the U.S. where learning a foreign language is useful though.
English has been adopted as our national de facto language, not Spanish nor any other foreign language. Sorry if that irritates you.
My elderly relatives who lived in Pennsylvania spoke Hungarian when out and about. It was much easier for them than their broken and heavily accented English, which they used when talking with the public. Anybody who has an objection can f*ck themselves. Anyway they are almost all dead now.
1 English 231,122,908
2 Spanish 37,458,470
3 Chinese (incl. Cantonese, Mandarin, other Chinese languages) 2,896,766
4 French and French Creole 2,047,467
5 Tagalog 1,613,346
6 Vietnamese 1,399,936
7 Korean 1,117,343
8 German 1,063,773
9 Arabic 924,374
10 Russian 879,434
My elderly relatives who lived in Pennsylvania spoke Hungarian when out and about. It was much easier for them than their broken and heavily accented English, which they used when talking with the public. Anybody who has an objection can f*ck themselves. Anyway they are almost all dead now.
Wow, nice civil response...Not! The more you speak a language the better you will get at it. The problem isn't the past anyway. The problem lays with today's "immigrants" whom are mostly from south of our border both legally and illegally and refuse to assimilate to English out in public even many of their citizens counterparts refuse to.
America is no different than any of those countries so stop trying to make it so. If you come here to live and refuse to learn or speak English then you are no different than an English speaker (and just as rude) doing it in Germany, Thailand, Ethiopia, etc. In fact, English is a required language to learn in most European schools, in addition to their native language. But I still don't give a damn what you speak amongst yourselves.
I've never met anyone that "refuses" to learn English.
Honestly, I don't know where this crap comes from.
Wow, nice civil response...Not! The more you speak a language the better you will get at it. The problem isn't the past anyway. The problem lays with today's "immigrants" whom are mostly from south of our border both legally and illegally and refuse to assimilate to English out in public even many of their citizens counterparts refuse to.
Previous immigrants were no different. Your revisionist history is showing.
I've never met anyone that "refuses" to learn English.
Honestly, I don't know where this crap comes from.
If you paid attention it was a response to a previous poster discussing a person's refusal to learn the language of the country they moved to. Your anecdotal "evidence" is irrelevant. And if your evidence were the case then why is it necessary to have printed material and signage in languages other than English in order for people to manage daily tasks?
If you paid attention it was a response to a previous poster discussing a person's refusal to learn the language of the country they moved to. Your anecdotal "evidence" is irrelevant. And if your evidence were the case then why is it necessary to have printed material and signage in languages other than English in order for people to manage daily tasks?
Except there not "refusing" to learn English. They may not be strong in the language (and as such, we can accommodate them with information on foreign languages), but guy can be sure they will try to learn the language.
The issue at play here is that first generation immigrants not from an English-speaking country have always struggled to learn the English language very well. This is not new. If you were to move to a foreign country where you didn't know the language, you'd be in a similar situation. You might do your best to learn the language, but you'll always be more proficient in your native language.
Like always, it's the second and third generation immigrants that fully "assimilate". Go back in history, the story has always been that.
If you paid attention it was a response to a previous poster discussing a person's refusal to learn the language of the country they moved to. Your anecdotal "evidence" is irrelevant. And if your evidence were the case then why is it necessary to have printed material and signage in languages other than English in order for people to manage daily tasks?
Good point and the fact remains that many who do learn English refuse to speak it out in public anyway. If we stopped pandering to them in Spanish they'd be forced to learn and speak English but liberals won't have that.
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I have no problem with that. What is rude and arrogant is speaking a foreign language loudly in public when you and the person you are speaking to both know English. Another thing is residing in this country for years and refusing to learn English. 
