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To: snowman1

"DO YOU THINK THAT IF YOU WENT TO MEXICO CITY THAT THEY WOULD MAKE SPECIAL DEALS BECAUSE YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK ENGLISH, HELL NO, YOU WOULD STARVE TO DEATH BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T WORK. THIS IS AMERICA WE SPEAK ENGLISH AND ALL WHO COME HERE SHOULD REALIZE THAT AND ADJUST TO IT NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. WE ARE THE ON;Y COUNTRY IN THE WORLD THAT BENDS OVER BACKWARDS TO BE ACCOMODATING."

Well, all caps are a bit much, but I'll respond anyhow.

If you go to Mexico City, you'll be amazed at how many people there do speak English. You won't have to learn Spanish to visit there. In fact, that's the situation all over the world. English is spoken widely in most countries.

The reality is that tourists to the US (and we have lots and lots of them) often have a difficult time because they cannot find anyone who speaks their language. Generally, they have some English, since English is taught in the schools of most developed countries, but when the going gets tough, they find that locating a German, French, Japanese, or Russian speaker is very, very difficult. That's because we don't bother to teach languages any more in our schools.

Legal immigrants assimilate and learn English. It takes a while for that to happen in the first generation. It took a long time before the adult Swedish and Norwegian immigrants in the 19th century could speak English, too. Their children learned faster, but that's how it always goes.

The next generation, however, spoke unaccented English, while maintaining a bit of their old language. The third generation couldn't even speak Swedish or Norwegian.

Thus it is with the legal Spanish-speaking immigrants, too. In the meantime, the first generation adults will always struggle with English. Their kids will learn it well, and the third generation will barely be able to speak Spanish. I saw it in my California home town in the 50's and it's going on the same today.

Again, how many of the customers of that Dollar store do you suppose are Spanish-speakers. I'll bet it's a large percentage. Maybe the clerks' abilities to speak Spanish are a plus for the business. Maybe the boss just doesn't like hearing Spanish.

It's not that simple.


22 posted on 11/18/2004 7:36:38 AM PST by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: MineralMan
If you go to Mexico City, you'll be amazed at how many people there do speak English. You won't have to learn Spanish to visit there. In fact, that's the situation all over the world. English is spoken widely in most countries.

The reality is that tourists to the US (and we have lots and lots of them) often have a difficult time because they cannot find anyone who speaks their language. Generally, they have some English, since English is taught in the schools of most developed countries, but when the going gets tough, they find that locating a German, French, Japanese, or Russian speaker is very, very difficult. That's because we don't bother to teach languages any more in our schools.

Legal immigrants assimilate and learn English. It takes a while for that to happen in the first generation. It took a long time before the adult Swedish and Norwegian immigrants in the 19th century could speak English, too. Their children learned faster, but that's how it always goes.

The next generation, however, spoke unaccented English, while maintaining a bit of their old language. The third generation couldn't even speak Swedish or Norwegian.

Thus it is with the legal Spanish-speaking immigrants, too. In the meantime, the first generation adults will always struggle with English. Their kids will learn it well, and the third generation will barely be able to speak Spanish. I saw it in my California home town in the 50's and it's going on the same today.

Again, how many of the customers of that Dollar store do you suppose are Spanish-speakers. I'll bet it's a large percentage. Maybe the clerks' abilities to speak Spanish are a plus for the business. Maybe the boss just doesn't like hearing Spanish.

It's not that simple.
 
I have no argument with what you are saying. And as I understand it a lot of the customers were Latinos. What I am seeing is a group (not all) of people who refuse to learn English and assume we will change to suit them! And because it's so easy to sue someone here, they do and it just compounds the problem. 
 
I just would not move to another country and not learn their language. The idea would be to make my life easier, not go out of my way to make the country I am living in change to suit me.
 
 

27 posted on 11/18/2004 8:03:46 AM PST by united1000 (If you can read this, thank a teacher.... and since it's in English, thank a soldier)
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To: MineralMan

Thats BS. The questionare for citizenship is given in your native tongue. and you don't even have to request it. Agood friend of mine is Viet Namese and when he and his wife went to finish up the test was in Viet.


38 posted on 11/18/2004 8:32:50 PM PST by snowman1
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To: MineralMan

My Great grand parents on mom's side came from Norway and I learned to speak it from them, it was never spoken as a first language. the same for my Dad's parents who were born in County Cork Ireland. They never spoke Gaelic even at home between themselves. It was easier for them, as all Irish speak English anyway. Mom's grand father said we are in America we will speak as Americans.


39 posted on 11/19/2004 2:53:52 PM PST by snowman1
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