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If we are speaking of hundreds of years ago and before the U.S. became a country with a government and borders, all of our ancestors migrated here including those of the Amerindians. We were a wide open frontier and everyone had the right to migrate here. There were no immigration laws back then. Today we do have them and so does every other country in the world regardless of their histories or past conflicts. We all have internationally recognized borders today and the past doesn't change that.
If these ethnocentrics defending Hispanics in our country want to bring up the non-Hispanic European settlers of the past and any so-called killing and conquering they did they only need to look at their own Spanish Conquistador ancestors who conquered and boinked everything that moved all over the Western Hemisphere. Why do they think that the Amerindians were forced to learn Spanish and not English?
And I highly doubt the American West Indians cared much for the Mexicans that were there in their territory. Spain and France held that territory before and for much longer than Mexico did, so how can anyone complain America saw to it to take it. it changed hands so many times, and Mexico was not really the first holder.
And I highly doubt the American West Indians cared much for the Mexicans that were there in their territory. Spain and France held that territory before and for much longer than Mexico did, so how can anyone complain America saw to it to take it. it changed hands so many times, and Mexico was not really the first holder.
Rather than argue about history, which is a sideshow that you try to justify in getting bent out of shape over a casual encounter that doesn't involve you - point is, people can speak whatever language they want in this country. It's none of your darned business if you're not a party of the conversation!
Rather than argue about history, which is a sideshow that you try to justify in getting bent out of shape over a casual encounter that doesn't involve you - point is, people can speak whatever language they want in this country. It's none of your darned business if you're not a party of the conversation!
Everything that happens in this country is to a degree my business. If illegal aliens, or legal Spanish speakers for that matter, are disturbing me with their loud repulsive speech 100 yards away, it becomes my business. If I don't want to hear loud, unpleasant foreign languages that's my preference.
I totally agree... but not just linguistically (since, naturally, as Spanish speakers, they're speaking one of our languages already). But more importantly, align with our democratic (democracy) and capitalist (capitalism) ways. And that goes for all language speakers who come here. Speaking genuinely about Americans here and putting aside immigrants.
One thing to note however, not all minority cultures are the same. For example, Swahili culture is a minority culture just like hispanic and Jewish culture... but hispanic culture and Jewish culture is part of the American culture while Swahili is not. I'm not saying that Americans from Swahili backgrounds are any less Americans than those from others backgrounds, but it's not a contributor to the American culture like the other two.
It's one thing to be a part of the melting pot by contributing to it without diluting the base ingredients and quite another to change the taste of the pot altogether.
I agree with most of your post except your last sentence. Why in the world would you single out Spanish for English speaking Americans to learn? Are you not aware of the number of other foreign languages spoken in this country besides Spanish? Most Spanish speaker here legally know English (even though they may have a distaste for speaking it) so we have our common language of English to communicate in.
Because after English, I believe Spanish is the most-spoken first language in this country. Also, with the waves of Spanish-speaking immigrants we get so often, knowing Spanish might help give us an idea of why those Spanish-speakers came here!
I have seen many Americans living overseas who don’t speak local language especially in Asia. A guy I met in South Korea was married to a Korean woman but could not talk to taxi driver in Korean at all, even “go right, left, straight” after living there for 7 years. I wonder if the people complaining about immigrants not speaking English could learn/speak foreign language once they had to live overseas.
Excuse me, the principle? I and my ancestors were here first long before, 1-2 million illegals and 1 million legal immigrants came in this past year and every year. They are no better and worse than the colonist and invaders centuries ago when it was mostly open wilderness. I think I have a right to complain about immigration legal or illegal.
Not sure why. You just condoned invasion (by your ancestors). I guess they have a right to invade now.
Not sure why. You just condoned invasion (by your ancestors). I guess they have a right to invade now.
I'm 'condoning' anyone's invasion before about 1930 under right of conquest that was basically followed and recognized by everyone, Indians and colonist, before that point. But that is no longer recognized since. Besides, even then there was always the right to resist invasion.
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