I have been completely overwhelmed while reading through some of the blogs posted by other members that stated it would be no big deal to make Spanish the official language of the United States. Where did this come from? Was it the Spanish speaking population that founded America? Is our Constitution written in Spanish instead of English? Did I miss a news bulletin that stated that the Spanish speaking population in America out numbered the English speaking population? Since when did the minority population determine a national language over the majority? Since when did democracy give more a voice to the minorities then the majority? In not way am I saying that minorities should be discriminated against, but lets get serious; a population that is no where near the majority (with a good chunk of that same population being illegal) should not determine our national language. Of all things that should be decided by the majority of the nation, its not fair at all to the majority of Americans to force them to learn a language different then that which was traditionally spoken on an official manner in America. And for all of you who say its not big deal to learn Spanish, why is it then a big deal for the minority Spanish speakers to learn English? America already has services out there to assist these people in learning English, so there is no shortage of opportunity for them to learn it, only a shortage of motivation.
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I completely agree! I cannot stand the fact that an outspoken minority is trying to tell us to learn their language. I had to have two years of spanish in Middle School and it made me livid. I've never had any desire to learn that language. I never intend to use it. I never want to even hear it spoken to me while I'm in my country. But for two years I was forced to learn this language!(I can tell you, I didn't retain anything...=P) I have nothing against it besides the fact that our school systems are trying to force it down kids throats. I have nothing against the speakers of it, as long as they are here legally and as long as they don't assume that I speak it as well. I'll get random people come up to me on the street and ask me something in spanish. It's like, "Where are you living?! Spain/Mexico or the U.S.?" English is our language in this country. If you don't like it then just speak your native language at home, but don't try to shove it on other people. I'd feel this way about any language that a minority tried to shove on the majority, it's just that the language in question is spanish. I'm not racist... I'm an English-Speaking American...
-Cheez Out-
If you missed the memo about Spanish becoming the official language in the U.S. so did I. I completely agree with you. I am taking classes to learn Spanish, but I don't think that it should be the official language. There are more English speaking people than Spanish. They are already learning to speak English. So it should just stay the way it is now.
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*Keep the pictures, they never change, but the people in them do.*
I think the US should make english its official language, but it doesn't hurt for people to speak other languages, they just shouldn't force us to learn them if they come to our country, and vice verse and we also shouldn't force them to speak english. They should be encouraged to be bilingual and they'll also see that they can't communicate with some people if they only speak their native language. That way they keep their heritage and build on it here in America.
I had this thought a couple of weeks ago...Wouldn't it be easier if everyone spoke English?
Now, I realize that is kind of selfish of me to think... I believe people in different countries sometimes see it the same way, with their language.
Now I'm thinking along the lines of global change, radical change, if you will ...What if the world consciously tried to create a new language in which everyone in the world would speak and write. -you might be thinking- what a crazy idea, right?
but just think about it.. isn't it possible?- I think it is very possible.
-Amanda-
It's called english. A majority of the world speaks english even a little bit even though they claim not to. :)X
Stop laughing at me...lol
Yes, but most countries/people do not. I believe it would be better if a new, global language were created...making it equal for all, not 'converting' everyone to english just because we feel as if we have the superior language.
-Amanda-
There was a movement to create a universal language called Esperanto. It was a failure.
It is generally a bad idea. Virtually all of the world's important knowledge is recorded in written English. The most of the best Universities in the world are in the United States and the knowledge they teach is conveyed in English. There is realy no need to translate this vast store of information when it is easier to teach a person English.
English has become the defacto language of business across the world. To succeed in a global economy, English is the key.
I guess I can see where you guys are coming from...but it doesn't hurt to dream big.
-Amanda-
I think that english should definitely remain the primary language in our country, it is our past, present and hopefully our future. I don't think that it would hurt though, to come up with a comprimise for the spanish speaking immigrants. If you want to live in our country, you should be required to take at least a basic english lesson, at the least. On our part, it wouldn't hurt, it would actually help your future in the job market, if we were required to take some form of foreign language class in high school. That is what employers want these days, people with the flexibility and ability to communicate in more than one language.
i agree with you on all but one point.
instead of in high school, make it middle school where minds are more maleable. or elementry school.
Our education system is absolutely failing at teaching the three R's": Read'n, Rite'n and Rithmatic'n. Why not focus on getting the three R's right and not saddle either our students or our failing education establishment with yet another requirement?
English is the language of success in America. There is no need to compromise. I have no problem with Spanish as an elective but kids who are struggling to learn the three R's from crappy schools should not be burdened with yet another subject to fail at.
Here is another compromise proposal. Our immigration system has always worked on the basis of diversity. We brought people from all over the world and never in sufficient numbers where their language was spoken in sufficient quantities to challenge English. Immigrants had to learn English to prosper. How about instead of forcing our kids to learn Spanish that we cut off all immigration from Latin America and instead return to our past diverse immigration policy where we import our cheap labor from elsewhere so that Spanish dies out and so that we re-establish diversity in America. There are plenty of poor deserving people in the world elsewhere besides Mexico and Latin America. In fact, of the world's 6 billion people, 5 billion of them are poorer than the average Mexican. Why should spanish speakers get any preference?
America is the the fifth largest Spanish-Speaking country in the world. Most Spanish-speakers in America speak English very well. And with the the growing spanish speaking demographic it would make sense to not not-include it. Making Spanish as national language would not make English of a lesser status- of course English would also be a national language (if official languages were instated).
A "good chunk" of the Spanish-Speaking population is illegal? How big is this chunk? Can you provide a reputable source for it? As for large chunks though, there's a large chunk of America that used to be Mexico. Spanish was in America before the 13 colonies, and they just kinda came and forced their language down their throats. 'Lest we forget that most of the Americas speak Spanish and have Spanish related cultures- that many parts of America have that heritage as well as its people.
Also, there are communities, towns, areas in America where they do not function in English- but French. These are old communities that have maintained for hundreds of years. America doesn't have an official language right now and making one would force large communities like that to be completely proficient in a foreign language.
Our government is spilling red ink everywhere. We are broke and the taxpayers are tapped out. And we have huge problems like Medicare and Social Security looming on the horizon.
And now you want us to set up a parallel court system that conducts its business in Spanish? How will we be certain that the two systems deliver equal justice? And we need to have Spanish speakers in every office in our City, County and State Bureaucracies? And Hospital are going to be required to conduct business in Spanish as well as English? And the government is the single larges publisher of printed materials in the United States and you want us to duplicate all of that in two languages? And should we tap the taxpayers to double the size of our public libraries to make room for Spanish books and publications? And should our public Universities offer all of their classes in Spanish? And should we double the cost of signage on our road systems? I can go and on.
The Canadians have two official languages and they incur all of those wasteful expenses. And on top of that because more than anything else a common language is what unites people, every few years they have to deal with yet another separation movement in Quebec and occasionally there is a little terrorism and lawlessness and tons of divisive resentment that goes a long with it.
The implications of a second official language are huge.
The genius of America has been its ability to absorb diverse people's from all over the world and to unite them as one people. English has been one of the critical threads in that process.
Is there something wrong with Latinos that they can't learn English like the millions of other immigrants that have come to the USA from all over the world? Because if there is something wrong with them then we should discuss that before we let anymore come. Otherwise, a LONGSTANDING requirement of USA citizenship is that immigrants learn English. I don't see why Hispanics should be any different.
I takes the adult language learner an average of seven years to become fluent in a second language, especially in English, which has extremely irregular rules. If they already speak two languages, it takes less time to learn subsequent languages.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
First of all I would like to ask why it is bad for minorities, such as I, to have a voice in America? Why does the American (English) voice have to be larger? I believe that due to the fact that America is a DIVERSE country, a melting pot, that there should not be a voice that is 'larger' than another. There is nothing wrong with 'working together'. I think it'd be pretty cool to have Spanish as one of the official languages in the US. Of course, English shouldn't be removed or considered less of. English is an important and beautiful language. I also think that it is unnecessary and immature to say that "its not fair that the majority of Americans should be forced to learn a language different then that which was traditionally spoken on an official manner in America" BECAUSE, for all the people that believe this, I want to remind you guys that ENGLISH was not the 'traditional or primary' language spoken here in the FIRST place. After the English speaking Europeans came to America THEY were the ones that FORCED everyone to speak and learn ENGLISH and even shoved non-english speakers away from their land. So please, just because it is being considered, doesn't mean that such a big deal should be made out of it, because English is not going to lose it's status by it. In fact, I believe the US would benefit from being a bilingual speaking country =)
xTiAxLiNDAx
Why should Hispanics get special treatment?
If we have to give one particular minority a voice then why should we not have to give immigrants of all 200 or those languages a voice. We have something in America called equal rights so if we give Spanish speakers some special right then we have to give it to the other 199 + foreign language speakers.
The fact is that all minorities, once they gain citizenship do get a voice in America and in fact are treated in almost every respect the same as native born citizens. The only exception I can think of is that they can't serve as President or vice-president.
But their voice must be expressed in English. That should not be a problem for them because the ability to read and write English has LONG been a requirement of obtaining citizenship.
And what good would it do for them to have a voice when most of the population could not understand it? It would just eliminate one of the very few common things that unites otherwise very diverse people.
I want to remind you guys that ENGLISH was not the 'traditional or primary' language spoken here in the FIRST place. After the English speaking Europeans came to America THEY were the ones that FORCED everyone to speak and learn ENGLISH and even shoved non-english speakers away from their land.
What a ridiculous comment in support of speaking SPANISH in the United States. It reminds me of the mythical land of of Atzatlan where all the native Americans lived together in harmony and spoke SPANISH. Hahahahaha
Just to refresh your memory of geography and linguistics, Spain which is the origin of the Spanish language, is a country in southern EUROPE.
So don't come here and try to force SPANISH on us and pretend like you are somehow righting an injustice against native Americans.
How was that rediculous? All she was doing is trying to prove a point and it is true. Native americans we're the first ones hear and for all I know, it shouldn't be spanish OR english that we should be speaking. We should be speaking the true native tongue of america. I really could care less if Spanish is put as a secondary language in america or not. The fact that bothers me is that you guys make this so big. It's not a big deal. We aren't forcing you to learn spanish. Spanish is a language that is spoken through numorous parts of the world and it wouldn't be a bad idea if they did that but once again, I really could care less if they actually make spanish a second language. For all I care, they could make French as a secondary language.
=D
I agree with you. We shouldn't make such a big deal with learning another language and not replacing it for english. It would make things easier for everyone (minorities and the majority) to understand and communicate with eachother. A universal language sounds great. Just becaused we failed once doesn't mean that we can't try again.
=D