[ozarkgirl]

Well, I am Russian...my grandparents came here in the 30s. They always spoke Russian around the house (and a couple of them never really got the hang of English)...they were proud of their heritage (and so am I). The same will happen with hispanics, just give it a generation.

Dial 3 for Russian, Dial 4 for German, Dial 5 for Arabic, Dial 6 for Chinese, Dial 7 for Japanese.... Takes long enough to hear Dial 2 for Spanish.

Give me a break, one language for all. We don't care how you speak at home, it's RUDE to speak other than English in public unless you are a tourist (then I enjoy hearing it). If you want to come to America, be American or stay where you're at. If I moved to Mexico, #1 on my list of priorities would be "learn Spanish".

[Tulane]

What is your point? If a business wants it employees to speak only Engish in front of English speakers, I have no problem with that...I also think that English should be learned by everyone, because it is a way to get ahead in this country.

But note: from a business perspective it is foolish, indeed stupid, to not understand where a large portion of your customers might come from...this country is rapidly becoming a place where a diverse marketplace, with a need for several languages, is developing. Smart business people will learn how to harnass this market. Dumb ones won't.

[Modernman]

it's RUDE to speak other than English in public unless you are a tourist

I don't agree with that at all. Why would it be rude for two people on the street to conduct their conversation in Japanese, for example?

[Stone Mountain]

it's RUDE to speak other than English in public unless you are a tourist

Is it rude to listen to other people's conversations that aren't meant for you? If they aren't speaking to you, why should you even care, or for that matter, why would you even notice what language they were speaking in? Aren't we the site that pillories liberals for taking offense where none was intended or offered?