You're talking about immigrants. The rest of us are talking about invaders. There is a huge difference, Luis. Whether or not you admit it, your misty-eyed recollections about coming here as a child just don't apply. You immigrated here. The people flooding into the US today are not immigrants.
When they show any willingness to assimilate and become Americans, many of the problems associated with their coming here might ease up, but that seems unlikely to happen. The truth is that these invaders don't care about assimilating. In the past two years, they have flooded into central Virginia. The roadsides are now littered in a solid layer as soon as citizens finish cleaning them up. These invaders act as though you haven't spoken to them when you point out that they just threw a beer bottle out in the road. They buy postal money orders and send them home, then sign up for food stamps. Their labor contractors are union reps as well. You see their cars with the crossed US/Mexican flags above the Virgin of Guadalupe. Sounds like New Mexico or Texas, huh?
Virginia isn't a border state, son. For us to have a problem with illegals shows that we have a nationwide invasion on our hands. Schlepping around from thread to thread snottily insinuating that everyone whose people have been here for 300 to 10,000 years longer than you have is a racist isn't debating the problem. You won't even admit that there's a problem.
Get a grip. These people are invaders, not immigrants. Since you can't make your points without pretending that we're talking about immigrants, I don't expect you to respond with anything that makes any sense.
Well, we agree here although I might have changed tense from has to will.
Here's my question. How do do you enforce a common language?
You don't, you require immigrants to become proficient at some level before making them citizens. After that or if they choose not to become citizens, they can speak whatever language they please.
Are you willing to monitor people to assure ourselves that they are speaking the Federally mandated language?
You're strawman expired in the previous sentence Luis. But, good try!
The children of immigrants will strive to speak English because they do not wish to remain outsiders, and the American culture is too strong to be denied.
That has been my experience as a youth and a young man. I see evidence of that changing in the conclaves formally known as the melting pot of New York.
This is a subject that I happen to be an expert in. I lived it.
So did I Luis but not in the same sense. Two of my best friends when I grew up were named Marrero and Conde and neithers Madre's, who I adored, spoke English.