American assimilation

[zanna vaida]

"When immigrants come to this country they must learn English to assimilate to American society. Some of them don't want to learn English," one person on SUWNY says. Do you agree or disagree? Do you know somebody who doesn't want?

[PaulJonson]

"When immigrants come to this country they must learn English to assimilate to American society. Some of them don't want to learn English," one person on SUWNY says. Do you agree or disagree? Do you know somebody who doesn't want?

Press 1 for English. Para Espanol, Oprima Numero Dos.

[run4it]

"When immigrants come to this country they must learn English to assimilate to American society. Some of them don't want to learn English," one person on SUWNY says. Do you agree or disagree? Do you know somebody who doesn't want?
I'm going to guess that no one here actuallys knows an immigrant who doesn't want to and/or refuses to learn English.

Having lived in Phoenix for 15 years, I know I never came across an immigrant from any country that wasn't trying, many times in earnest, to learn English.

[Linda_D]

I'm going to guess that no one here actuallys knows an immigrant who doesn't want to and/or refuses to learn English.

Having lived in Phoenix for 15 years, I know I never came across an immigrant from any country that wasn't trying, many times in earnest, to learn English.

No, that's not true! Only immigrants from Germany, Italy, Poland, etc wanted to learn English! That's why there were Catholic parochial schools -- St Florian and Assumption are two I know of -- in Buffalo using Polish as the language of instruction into the early 1960s.

Mexicans and other assorted "illegals" do not want to learn to speak English, even though it would make it easier for them to get jobs. They want to subvert American culture!

/sarcasm off

[atotaltotalfan2001]

No, that's not true! Only immigrants from Germany, Italy, Poland, etc wanted to learn English! That's why there were Catholic parochial schools -- St Florian and Assumption are two I know of -- in Buffalo using Polish as the language of instruction into the early 1960s.

Mexicans and other assorted "illegals" do not want to learn to speak English, even though it would make it easier for them to get jobs. They want to subvert American culture!

/sarcasm off

You crack me up. I'm part Mexican, on my father's side of the family. I'm from California. I can tell you all of the immigrants I know want to speak English because they are here to earn money -- and it's much easier if you know the language. That is true of my two boys from Afghanistan. They both picked up English quickly because they wanted to understand and be understood.

English is a tough language to learn. I respect people who are trying to learn it.

[Ms.Depew.to.you]

Spend some time in Texas, specifically southern Texas, to see how much illegal Mexican immigrants are NOT trying to learn English. They expect everyone else to know Spanish though.

[run4it]

Spend some time in Texas, specifically southern Texas, to see how much illegal Mexican immigrants are NOT trying to learn English. They expect everyone else to know Spanish though.
Honestly, in the 15 years I lived in the southwest, I never met anyone with that kind of attitude, Mexican immigrant or not. We actually had immigrants trying to move into my school district because we had one of the best ESL programs around.

[cookie]

I know things change, but when I was in Calif. there were plenty of immigrants that did not/would not learn English, however their kids did. I won't say what ethnicity, but they weren't Mexican.
As for locally, I haven't met any immigrants that didn't try to learn the language.

I think one consideration is the size of the population of groups of immigrants. Where you find huge populations of immigrants, you will find more that do not learn the language because they have friends and family speaking English to rely on, whereas in places where there are smaller groups it's not as easy to get by without learning English.

[therising]

Zanna, be honest here --- What happened was, you suddenly broke into another language midstream. Then, when someone said "Huh?," you came back with an attitude of "You should learn a second language."

That was just kinda weird, cocky, and presumptuous.

[mesue]

I'm going to guess that no one here actuallys knows an immigrant who doesn't want to and/or refuses to learn English.

Having lived in Phoenix for 15 years, I know I never came across an immigrant from any country that wasn't trying, many times in earnest, to learn English.
I had a landlord that was from Argentina. He had been in this country for 30 years. It was a very convienient English he spoke. He didn't speak it very well when something needed to be fixed.

[mesue]

Zanna, be honest here --- What happened was, you suddenly broke into another language midstream. Then, when someone said "Huh?," you came back with an attitude of "You should learn a second language."

That was just kinda weird, cocky, and presumptuous.
he fits right in, doesn't he? Zanna, really, who were you before you changed your name?

[therising]

he fits right in, doesn't he? Zanna, really, who were you before you changed your name?

Why are you suddenly giving me a hard time? Did you even see the post this whole thing was referring to?

[therising]

I had a landlord that was from Argentina. He had been in this country for 30 years. It was a very convienient English he spoke. He didn't speak it very well when something needed to be fixed.

It's always humiliating when you have to pay rent to someone who barely speaks English.

[HipKat]

Zanna, be honest here --- What happened was, you suddenly broke into another language midstream. Then, when someone said "Huh?," you came back with an attitude of "You should learn a second language."

That was just kinda weird, cocky, and presumptuous.


Good catch, Ris!

[raoul duke]

Spend some time in Texas, specifically southern Texas, to see how much illegal Mexican immigrants are NOT trying to learn English. They expect everyone else to know Spanish though.
What planet do you live on?

[Linda_D]

I would bet dollars to donuts that at least 90% of all the folks complaining about immigrants not "wanting" to learn English have 1) never tried learning a foreign language well enough to speak it and/or 2) never lived any place where English was not spoken.

[mesue]

Why are you suddenly giving me a hard time? Did you even see the post this whole thing was referring to?
I wasn't giving you a hard time. Even if I were, is it really "suddenly"?

[mesue]

It's always humiliating when you have to pay rent to someone who barely speaks English.
Nah, it was just annoying trying to communicate with the guy.

[zanna vaida]

It's always humiliating when you have to pay rent to someone who barely speaks English.

Were you jealous? I give a credit to people who to move ahead financially even with limited English. Brave people!!

Why did you invest in yourself, instead of paying somebody's mortgage.

It's not easy to learn a foreign language as an adult, but I had no choice-I had to. It was my decision to stay in this country. As a result, I had to help myself. In order to communicate, find my first job, and help myself and my family to move ahead I had to learn the English language.

My native language is Ukrainian, my second is Russian, it goes on and on, including English. My identity is still the same as it was when I came here in 1991.

[BuffalosFinest]

Some are humiliated easily.

[therising]

Nah, it was just annoying trying to communicate with the guy.

Exactly.

Were you jealous?
Spot on.

Some are humiliated easily.

You know me so well.

[BuffalosFinest]

You know me so well.
Actually not at all.
I like it like that.

[therising]

Actually not at all.
I like it like that.

For someone who doesn't know me, you sure like me a lot. I'm flattered.
Tell your friends I said hi.

[zanna vaida]

I'm going to guess that no one here actuallys knows an immigrant who doesn't want to and/or refuses to learn English.

Having lived in Phoenix for 15 years, I know I never came across an immigrant from any country that wasn't trying, many times in earnest, to learn English.

Thank you. I think you understand the issue: it's hard to live anywhere without knowing a native language. I don't include tourists who come and go; some of them just don't care. They are only in the country temporary.

[BuffalosFinest]

Tell your friends I said hi.

Nah...

[zanna vaida]

"When immigrants come to this country they must learn English to assimilate to American society. Some of them don't want to learn English," one person on SUWNY says. Do you agree or disagree?

Do you know somebody who doesn't want?

[HipKat]

Not in Buffalo, but go to any ethnic neighborhood, where all the signs are written in a foreign language, or places like Texas or S. California. I've lived in both places, and you'll see it.

[run4it]

"When immigrants come to this country they must learn English to assimilate to American society. Some of them don't want to learn English," one person on SUWNY says. Do you agree or disagree?

Do you know somebody who doesn't want?
By the way, I wouldn't necessarily equate a willingness to learn the language with an accession to complete cultural assimilation.

[therising]

Generally speaking, white immigrants don't get hassled for not speaking English.

[Mr. Lackawanna]

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag.... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

This should apply to all immigrants. No amnesty for the illegals.

[Sylvan]

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag.... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

This should apply to all immigrants. No amnesty for the illegals.


Does the immigration department even have this quote on file?
Im sure the socialists and bleeding heart prissies wouldnt want this hanging on the wall in the reception room.

[zanna vaida]

Does the immigration department even have this quote on file?
Im sure the socialists and bleeding heart prissies wouldnt want this hanging on the wall in the reception room.


The Buffalo immigration office has a world map with the USSR on it. Way to go with spreading democracy!
Wake up!!

[BuffalosFinest]

Leave him alone. He is drunk again.

[Cgoodsp466]

The Buffalo immigration office has a world map with the USSR on it. Way to go with spreading democracy!
Wake up!!

You sound like that Russian comedian http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbP1DVeJCT0&feature=related

[Enough]

I would bet dollars to donuts that at least 90% of all the folks complaining about immigrants not "wanting" to learn English have 1) never tried learning a foreign language well enough to speak it and/or 2) never lived any place where English was not spoken.
I'd love to learn a 2nd language!

In fact, for a while there CGood was teaching me how to speak Mexican! But then he got banned! :(

[Cgoodsp466]

I'd love to learn a 2nd language!

In fact, for a while there CGood was teaching me how to speak Mexican! But then he got banned! :(


Why would I want to speak another language? I live in America,I aint leaving america,I love america.People who come here and dont learn my language are being stupid for a reason. Now enough I hope you never have a plumbing problem or join the Navy,becuase talking about those two earned me the hat trick. Oh and never be a suck up or offer and apology becuse thats a hole other rant.

[govtchecker]

Spend some time in Texas, specifically southern Texas, to see how much illegal Mexican immigrants are NOT trying to learn English. They expect everyone else to know Spanish though.

Add to Southern Texas, the following areas; Arizona (pick a major ciry, Phoenix (sanctuary city), Tucson, Yuma, Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, etc., and New Mexico. They (illegal immigrants) refuse to learn the English language. They expect everyone and everything to be done in Spanish.
How about this, Learn the Native Language (in this case English) or go home. Wherever that is.

[govtchecker]

I would bet dollars to donuts that at least 90% of all the folks complaining about immigrants not "wanting" to learn English have 1) never tried learning a foreign language well enough to speak it and/or 2) never lived any place where English was not spoken.

Your point doesn't matter. The language of the United States is English. Learn it or leave. That is what you would be told, in Mexico, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, China, Japan, or any other country in the world.
Quite making excuses for them. Learn the language or leave.
And yes, I speak Spanish, am not Hispanic, born and raised here in the USA and have lived in a foreign country and had to learn the language to communicate.
How about you, have you done any of the things that you are talking about?
1) Have you really tried to learn another language?
2) Have you ever lived any place where English was not spoken?

[Sylvan]

The Buffalo immigration office has a world map with the USSR on it. Way to go with spreading democracy!
Wake up!!

What are you talking about. If you dont know the language get the F... out of the country.

[zanna vaida]

What are you talking about. If you dont know the language get the F... out of the country.


Do you mean freedom and friendship?
Don't you know that money talk?

[CSense]

Don't you know that money talk?

Money Talks, not Talk. Saying- Money talks, bull**** walks.

Money Talk is a tv show. It's breathtaking!

[Sylvan]

Do you mean freedom and friendship?
Don't you know that money talk?

If languages teach that money is freedom, those languages are morally inept. (now use your dictionary to understand what I said)

[Cgoodsp466]

Do you mean freedom and friendship?
Don't you know that money talk?

Please Vadalia your killing me.I read I see I laugh.

[zanna vaida]

Please Vadalia your killing me.I read I see I laugh.

Life is Fun. It's full of surprises. Breathtaking!!
Enjoy the ride (you know you can't satisfy them all).

We all (hopefully) understand there's a begining and ending to any story, including our life. Does it matter what language we speak while we're here, on planet Earth?