A friend of mine got 10 randomly picked Mexicans from the local hangout last year to do some work. One of them understood English. 
Posted on 07/30/2003 11:11:03 AM PDT by chance33_98
U.S. ENGLISH: How to Prevent 'Mexifornia'; Official English Will Help Restore the Melting Pot
7/30/03 9:47:00 AM
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To: National Desk
Contact: Jim Lubinskas of U.S. ENGLISH, 202-833-0100, jlubinskas@usenglish.org
WASHINGTON, July 30 /U.S. Newswire/ -- "Mexifornia," a new book by renowned classicist Victor Davis Hanson, argues that uncontrolled immigration and a loss of the old model of assimilation has driven the state of California to the brink of disaster. Hanson believes that unless we get control of our borders and push for integration, we will face a balkanized future in California, and potentially in the rest of the United States.
National Review magazine dedicates the cover of its August 11 issue to the book and the issues it raises. Reviews of "Mexifornia" have been published in numerous newspapers through the United States. Hanson, a fifth generation Californian, has appeared on many talk radio and television programs to discuss his book.
U.S. ENGLISH, Inc. is pleased that "Mexifornia" is generating debate about the dangers of not assimilating newcomers. Traditionally, immigrants who came to our shores were expected to learn English in order to get a good job, go to school, vote and become a citizen. Sadly, that ethic has been replaced by bilingual education, multilingual voting ballots, government mandated interpreters and driver's license exams in multiple languages. This hurts all Americans but it hurts immigrants most of all. As Hanson notes, too many Hispanics are stuck in low wage, physically demanding jobs because of their lack of English proficiency.
"U.S. ENGLISH, Inc. was founded to deal with the issues that Hanson confronts in his book," said Mauro E. Mujica, chairman of U.S. ENGLISH, Inc. "About 20 percent of California residents cannot speak English proficiently and this number is rising. How can there be any degree of social cohesion in our most populous state if people cannot understand each other," asks Mujica. "An even more ominous thought is that California is the bellwether for cultural developments in the rest of America. This should be a wake up call to the politicians to bring back the incentive to learn English. Making English the official language of the United States government will get the melting pot working again."
Currently, there are 93 co-sponsors of H.R. 997, the "English Language Unity Act of 2003." If passed, the bill will make English the official language of the U.S. government.
U.S.ENGLISH is the nation's oldest and largest citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States (website: http://www.us-english.org). Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S.ENGLISH now has more than 1.7 million members nationwide.
If you don't think the Mexican laborers in agriculture worked hard, you've never been out there in the fields during harvest, as I have. As Hanson apparently does, I have great empathy for the poor, undeducated, hard-working and vulnerable Mexican workers. They're coming up from a horrid situation in Mexico, truly the third world, and trying to get by for themselves and their families.
And, the truth is, for many years, and probably still, Mexicans ARE discriminated against in California for many reasons. The average Californian of 30 years ago saw Mexicans as very different: dark, often Indian or mestizo, very poor, and deeply ignorant, especially of the modern world. Most people thought they were stupid, and in school, the teachers expected little from the Mexican kids. In my schools, from elementary through high school, they were the thugs and the only ones who had 'gangs' -- we called them 'chooks' , a variant of the Pachucho from the '40s, made famous by Zoot Suit. Mostly they dropped out of high school and went to work.
Thiry years ago, when i was in graduate school in California, all of the Mexican activism and La Raza nonsense was just beginning. Despite coming from a major wine family, through some serendipitous circumstances I knew a number of the Chicano activists fairly well, and had a good relationship with them. Most of the early activists were bright, early affirmative action admits to the University of California system. Most of them were thorougly unprepared for the University workload. And many of them had grown up being treated like dirt in the small towns of the Valley and the barios of Los Angelese. So they were frustrated and angry, mostly for pretty good reasons. The outlet, due to the prevailing marxism I think, turned into Mexican nationalism, chauvinism really, and typical anti-Gringo anti-Americanism. I completely disagree with the path the Chicano activits took, and find it completely unacceptable, but understand these people had a real anger and grievances.
All of that said, I have no use for the Mexicanization of California -- it's part of the reason I don't live in California anymore. If I were able, I would boot every last illegal out of the state, and start letting people in on the understanding they had five years to assimilate, learn English, support themselves, and become citizens, or they're out permanently.
I am shock and awed that we even have to take this step. I am 3/4 second generation off the boat (German, Irish, Italian) and 1/4 Dutch (literally from the Mayflower). The 3/4 off my grandparents who made it here from Europe all learned the language and busted their ass. The old time money grandparent lived off old money, lost it in the depression, and became a raging alcoholic. My wife's family escaped from Castro, and like the vast majority of Cubans, are kicking ass. Not learning english was never an option for them.
Point being, sink or swim baby. Any safety net (welfare, old money, etc...) takes away your drive and dooms you to almost certain failure.
Not the whole solution, but someone has to make a statement to immigrants that we will no longer provide everything to them in their own languages. The welfare state has gone too far, and it discourages assimilation. If I planned to live in another country I would certainly learn the language, and I wouldn't expect the taxpayers there to support me and provide unlimited medical care to me. We're creating a false sense of entitlement, and that's never good.
He should've included Asians also in his book.Anyone who lives in the other 49 states would be stunned at the amount of Asians who have migrated to Calif. in the last 20 years.(most speak limited 'if any' english)
"Making English the official language of the United States government will get the melting pot working again".
That is a nice dream,but that is never going to happen, it's too late and it's simply out of the question. No politician is going to alienate his voting base and vote for that,though they should.Spanish people are the majority in the county of Los Angeles,so says our 2000 Census.White people are a minority in L.A.now,who would've ever thought?Wait until the spanish people here, recognize the power of their vote in the future Local and National elections.
Point being, sink or swim baby. Any safety net (welfare, old money, etc...) takes away your drive and dooms you to almost certain failure.
Very well said. The best way to end illegal immigration is to take away the welfare state.
While very unattractive among the lower classes who are in America, this attitude is also prevalent, IMHO, among educated Mexicans in Mexico. They seem to be doing some sort of French intellectual thing.
Mexicans are, I have found, incredibly chauvinistic and very intolerant of other Latin Americans, who heartily return the favor. If poor or non-white Mexicans, resident in the US, think they are being treated badly here, they have forgotten the crude intolerance and vicious class structure of their own land.
They're here, legal or illegal, because we are a better deal. But starting your life in a new land with an illegal act is hardly a good idea.
A friend of mine got 10 randomly picked Mexicans from the local hangout last year to do some work. One of them understood English.
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