Although there really are no harsh immigration laws YET I believe the first amendment should be that every immigrant must speak English fluently. I see all the time where an immigrant will try and talk to an American and speak in their foreign language.
For example: I worked at a place about two years ago and my coworker was a Mexican. No biggy right? Well he did not know one word of English. It was hard to work with him because I could not communicate with him. I would have to pull another guy off a machine to translate which would get rather annoying every 5 minutes or so.
Another thing I notice is that you’ll see immigrants speak English but the moment the cops question them they speak no English. They do not know one word of English. This is rather annoying when in that situation.
I just believe that if you want to be American you should learn our language. I’m not saying forget your own language because it is part of your background but you should have to work to communicate with us. We shouldn’t have to work to communicate to you.
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toooo true
I agree, fluency is needed to a certain extent. It seems to me that current and proposed legislation makes the immigrants, who are already at a disatvantage to learn one of the hardest languages, to make them understand both the language and history better than most high school and college students. i think that the language should be learned but, not that you said this, imeadiate transfer and no assitiance material is not the way to go.
This is a very commonly shared thought and I find myself thinking this same thing at times - but we also have to remember that we as a nation have never implemented or stated that we will have a national language. Because of this we do not have a national language.
One reason that we have never established a national language is because language is, in some cases, a very large part of a person's or group's culture. Since we were founded on "bring your selves; keep your culture" we couldn't very well begin taking away bits and pieces of their cultures by forcing them to learn and/or speak English.
And yes, I do know that we forced some groups out of their cultures - languages and all, both black slaves and Native Americans serve as examples to that; however, at the time the people of the United States did not define them as "people" - muchless citizens or even residents.
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I thought you had to take a english speaking class to at least get a green card in America. I worked this summer and fall at a greenhouse/fruit market, now my 4 years of High School Espanol class - that I by the way took 3 years ago did not prepare me for most of my spanish speaking costumers - one custumer - after finding out that yes a blonde, American could speak spanish indicated that he would not pay his bill unless I could say his total in espanol. I was flipping out, because I had no clue how to say "cents" and I thought well if I get it wrong then he is going to think even less of Americans because I could not remember "centavos" now don't quote me on the spelling! I was not just that one custumer that got under my skin- easily 60% of the clientel's 1st language was not English- their would be whole families in my checkout line that only the 10year old son/daughter could understand me and would translate the total to their parents. Now these are the same parents that are driving out on the road and are not reading the traffic signs!!!!!! Ha scary!
Exactly. I think it is a bunch of crap. They should speak our language when they are speaking to Americans in America.
I do not believe that there should be a law requring someone to speak English. English is not our official language, and our founding fathers were right not to choose one. The United States is a suppose to be a pinnacle of cultural diversity, we were set up as a place where everyone in the world could move and set up a new life. America is also the world economic center, we rely on culturally diverse areas to draw interest from people all over the world. Not knowing how to speak English is a great disadvantage to anyone living in the US, but many of them are to old to learn and moved here to start a life for their children. As you stated, the 10 year old son and daughter could speak English. To put it simply, I believe that instating a national language would not only undermine the ideals our country was built on, but also change the United States' position as the dream home of ambitious workers all over the world.
Well see I do not want them to lose their heritage. I just think it is unfair for people at work to have to go out of their way to communicate to someone who can not speak english. I mean they do not need to know english as well as me but just enough for them to understand english on a logical basis.
I do not have anything wrong between lets say an amish speaking dutch to another amish. They both understand it and are capable of communicating but if you know the person does not know the language it is unfair.
Many poeple have probably heard the joke "If you speak three languages you're trilingual, two you're bilingual, and if you speak one you're American." Most of the world sees Americans as arrogant for going on vacation to other countries and expecting everything to be spoon fed to them in English, however, we seem to be the only country that is being forced to cling hard to our own language and be understood in our local drug stores.
Many people travel to America to experience the land of oppurtunity and to make a life for themselves. I think that is great, but if people travel here for everything America has to offer, they should be ready to live the American life. Immigrants aren't forced to abandon their own culture or language in their homes, but if they want to become succeed in America, they should speak the language.
When so many closed-minded individuals gather at all near each other.
Try this on: there is no "Universal" language for the US because IT'S LANNGUAGE ISN'T IT'S OWN! We don't speak American, or Americanese. WE SPEAK ENGLISH, JUST LIKE WHEN WE CAME HERE AND DESTROYED THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WHO WERE ALREADY HERE, AND JUST LIKE ENGLAND, WHERE WE ORIGINATED FROM.
Funny how you cry to "learn the language" when you don't even have one.
"Music is the shorthand of emotion."
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If the republicans get their way this election there will be. The damn democrats are holding them back like the democrats hold everything back.
Although they should try often times they are working two jobs just to try to put food on the table for their kids so it is hard for them to find time to learn english.
They should learn it before they come to the country though...
They really don't have that opportunity most of the times. They are a little more concerned about keeping thier children alive then learning a new language.
I disagree. If they have the time to run across the border, or the time to become legal and come across the border-they have time to learn the language.
Running across the border takes a day learning a language takes months.
They come here to get a better life and to succeed. They will not get neither, in a satisfactory sense, until they are capable of communicating and fitting-in in America.
They come here to get a better life and to succeed. They will not get neither, in a satisfactory sense, until they are capable of communicating and fitting-in in America.
But running across the border in the first place is wrong.
I think both of you would think differently if you were put into a situation most illegal immigrants are in.
I don't think so.
I went to Europe 2 summers ago-3 different countries, 3 different languages, I took the time to at least learn a few things that I would need to know to get by.
I'm still confused on if you are talking about legals or illegals though.
Illegals, I am saying the extreme poverty they face and the struggle to keep their family alive. I think if I were strugling to keep my family alive I would not even think about learning a different language.
But that kind of brings in the concept that if you couldn't really afford a family that you shouldn't have started one. I believe that they should try and change their government in Mexico instead of coming to America. If they would put together an orgranized demonstration with majority of the population either present or supporting it and it did not change the Mexican government then I would understand.
One thing I do not understand is is that they elect their officials so their country is the way it is because of their poor choice during the elections.
'if you cant afford it you shouldn't have started it'
true true true
Ok, I just wanted to be sure. My main intent was that LEGALS should learn the language--but I do believe that even illegals should learn it. So, they want to keep their family alive-but 1)why do it illegally? Isn't that just harming the family even more? and 2) I just don't understand that at all. If they have time to sit there and make the decision to run across the border, why do they not have the time to learn the language? I'm sure most of them contemplate whether or not they are going to run before they do it.
They probably contemplate it while working one of their two jobs.