If you come here, you should learn English like every other immigrant group has- and not expect special treatment and catering too! Mexico exports gangs, drugs, violence, rape, and terror. This is an invasion with long-term disastrous ramifications unless our borders are secured and the effort made to kick out the illegal criminals.
" Spanish speaking in the United States is widespread and accepted by most Americans."
We need to shout out and change their perception.
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9 comments:
Heh!
Here in Sweden it is common in certain parts of Sweden that you don't learn to speak (proper) Swedish until you go to school at the age of seven; not even if you have been born here!
It has become better in the north, but now we has the problem rising in the south instead. I could barely speak proper Swedish before moving in to Gällivare at the age of five!
There are places in Poland and in Russia where they still speak Swedish. (As there are in Minnesota), but the main difference is that Swedes (and I count my self as one) are willing to learn other languages. But the ME:s are not. Many of them learn. But not because they want to do it but because they must. And still many second generation immigrants can hardly speak proper Swedish...
Ahh... I think it's the painkillers talking again. Hope it made any sense.
My native Texan wife informs me that many of the Hispanics here speak "Spanglish", a pigdin combination of English and Spanish that renders them unintelligible to anyone else. The problem is that this is the only "language" they know! I've also known blacks who couldn't communicate well with one another because one spoke "ebonics" and nothing else. It's ironic when the white boy (me) finds himself in the role of interpreter.
Back in the 70' when I was out in Hawaii, you either learned to speak pigdin or you spent your time in all the tourist traps. I doubt it's changed much since then.
My point in all of this is that we have to get back on track and emphasize the importance of speaking the same damned language. Our schools have to be held accountable for this and let's scrap the nonsense of ESL classes for any students. Otherwise in a few more decades we'll have our own version of the Tower of Babel.
Unless you're in a tourist area, I say screw you. Learn the language or suffer the consequences.
Here in California we speak Spanglish. There, I just did when I typed California.
I know enough Spanish to say this: "Hablamos englis en los estados unidos." In fact, I say that loudly enough for the Spanish-speaking people to hear me. It means, "In the U.S. we speak English." It's my way of telling them to learn the language.
If people think that speaking Spanish is tolerated, it is only because Americans are not yet rude, and what they're seeing is simply respondent bias. Honestly, if you believed what everyone said about themselves in polls, you'd think that everyone was 6' tall with perfect teeth.
I live in an area where Spanish-speaking people are common, and the subtle dislike (rolled eyes, short tempers) is growing overt. Soon, there will be spray painted buildings. It's all coming to a boil.
On the subject of speaking English or Spanish or whatever language I take pity on those who are not willing to learn another language.
Been able to communicate in more than one language is not only a cultural thing it is also an advantage for anyone who does speak another language, take Europeans as an example, most of them speak more than one language and they are proud of being able to communicate in other languages different than the one they were born into.
When you don't understand the need for or the possibility of speaking more than one language you are condemning yourself to a life of lost possibilities.
I came to this country 12 years ago without knowing how to speak English (believe it or not) and made it a point not only to learn it but to become proficient at it because I knew that that entailed a world of opportunities and that was exactly the main reason why I came to this country to take advantage of opportunities that unfortunately are practically inexistent in my country of origin.
Open your mind, embrace other cultures and don't generalize because if you think that just because you were born speaking English you are better than me, take a hard look at yourself and I am sure that if you look long enough you will see hatred and bigotry and that my friend sometime in the future will turn against you besides the fact that you are turning your back to reality in the way society evolves.
You accuse me of hatred and bigotry? I'm guilty of neither. You learned the language and I thank you for it. I studied Latin for two years and French for one, but had no more time to dedicate to learning it because I was busy serving my country.
I actually want to THANK YOU for learning the language. If I moved to France, I would learn French. If I moved to Spain, I would learn Spanish. In the US, the language is English, and those living there should speak it and not be rude by demanding to be catered to as many in the hispanic community have done. I love my hispanic-American friends who speak English because they don't think they are better than everyone else...unlike those who demand catered to in Spanish who set themselves above generations of eager immigrants who learned English.
Open my mind and embrace other cultures you say? I am one of the most adventurous people as any who know me would say. I routinely enjoy trying new things and meeting new people- always being friendly.
Plenty of people set themselves above others, however I am not one of them. It is unfortunate that humanity is prone to hostility towards the new and unknown, however, I enjoy embracing it- though I've been glared at several times upon entering an authentic Mexican restaurant and heard "gringo" muttered under people's breaths. I smiled and enjoyed my meal though and complimented the chef.
It's sad you would accuse me without thought of getting to know me first... but that's just YOU my friend attempting to rationalize so you can put yourself above me without seeing the truth- that the arrogance lies in the machismo of the ONLY immigrant community by and large to defy learning the English language and even go so far as to call for "invading" the United States. If one of the European countries you referenced tried that now, it would be dealt with swiftly. America is a melting pot, and ALL of our cultures should be celebrated, however, we must find common ground with a common language, and that language is English.
You said you came to the US seeking to take advantage of opportunities. Why not try to fix things where you were from? The problem is- everyone runs away from their problems instead of banding together to fix them. That's how the US won independence. All too quickly in our "evolved" society, we forget that freedom and opportunity are not cheap things that can be had just by moving somewhere else. Sometimes yes, but unfortunately, when too many people have "Taken Advantage" the system that provides those opportunities, collapses under the strain. That's actually the goal of some people from Mexico. I love my fellow human beings everywhere, except for those who would destroy the country I swore to protect, and even them, though I pray they change their hateful ways. So many people are too quick to hide behind the victim card and accuse others of being hateful or bigoted, like Obama and his pastor- but they fail to see that when they point their fingers to blame others, three more fingers are pointing back at themselves. They waste away their lives blaming, blaming, blaming, and whining for a handout, and never accepting personal responsibility- other than to appease an audience- and the only ones listening are blind sheep.
I welcome all LEGAL immigrants who are willing to come, learn the English language, and assimilate and call themselves AMERICANS first. People from all over the world come to the states to become citizens and fly the AMERICAN flag. They remain proud of their roots, but they become Americans first and foremost. Why the resistance? Why the hatred of America from within America where people fly the Mexican flag above the American flag? Why the refusal to learn the same language that EVERYONE else had to learn? I'm not saying discard your native tongue, not at all. I'd love to speak another language, but when you're in my country, you should speak English if you want to call it your country too. Live by that, as you have done, and I have no beef with you.
Dear Falcon_01,
I agree with you 150% that when you become an immigrant for whatever reason, you should, no, let me correct myself you MUST embrace the culture of the country that is so kindly as to receive you.
I didn't post my comment in an inflammatory way and I apologize if you felt I was attacking you, that was not my intention.
I was referring to some of the people here that left comments that to me sounded like they had a racial component to them and that forgot that this country was founded by immigrants and my whole idea was to create consciousness on those who feel that way because sometimes you have to be in other people's shoes to know what they are feeling.
I became a resident not long ago and I am looking forward to becoming a US Citizen because although I am proud of my Hispanic heritage I feel like this country has given me and my family what otherwise I could not even aspire to get in my country of origin which BTW so that you know is a country with a lot of oil but a F'd up president who wants to make of our country another Cuba and so far I don't see how those problems can be solved in a short term.
In that case, please accept my warm welcome. A lot of people get extremely passionate about America- especially when it comes to being invaded, and I think that's a good thing. I don't feel like anyone was getting out of hand, and if they were I'd be quick to slap them down for it. It's a free country, and racism has no place. I could care less what the racial component of the US is- and I don't care if we eventually become a hispanic-majority country... but what I do care about is the quality of people. By that, I simply mean willingness to embrace America as their own and not try to twist it into something else. Far too many people sneak in and then try to make it another Mexico- taking laws for granted, living as criminals and destroying neighborhoods, and then playing the race card to get sympathy.
I'll not forget that my ancestors were immigrants, but they fought and bled for the country, and I myself have stuck my neck out a couple times for it- so when people go to the US to exploit it and not truly become part of it, it gets a lot of us mad.
Sorry for the rant, and welcome again, and best wishes to you. :-)
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