Free Republic

It was an odd comment coming from a German-speaking immigrant who came to the United States from a continent where children routinely learn to speak, read and write two or three languages. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said last week that to get ahead, Spanish-speaking immigrants in California should avoid Spanish-language newspapers and TV. "You've got to turn off the Spanish television set," he said at the 25th annual National Association of Hispanic Journalists convention in San Jose. "It's that simple. You've got to learn English." Yes, of course, today's immigrants to the United States should learn English -- and they do....

The San Diego Union-Tribune has an excellent editorial on why Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was right to tell members of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists that students with limited English proficiency who can't pass the state's exit exam need to "turn off the Spanish television set." It was particularly refreshing in these politically correct times to see a politician cut through the multicultural (i.e. non-assimilationist) party line . As the editorial points out: What the governor offered was solid advice and good common sense. But, with this particular crowd, his comments also turned out to be controversial. Amazingly, there were...