My family, obviously, is filled with immigrants. My mom's side, there's someone from just about every generation from three back where someone immigrated to the US. From Spain, Mexico, Germany and Italy... (those were just the recent ones) And everyone learned English. Because ultimately, that's the language used in school, business and our government. It might not officially be our national language, but for all intents and purposes it already is.
I'm simply trying to point out that there's no need to use xenophobia to force everyone to learn it. People will learn English when they move here. People have in the past, and people will in the future. But racist bullying (which is all that the current motions are) is a good enough reason for me to say that we shouldn't move forward with it. Especially when they're trying to say that it should be a qualification to come here. Which is really just a ploy to keep poor immigrants who couldn't afford an education out of the country.
I never said that immigrants shouldn't learn English, or that we shouldn't learn foreign languages. I speak Spanish, even though my mom and her siblings don't. My sister speaks French and Japanese. (My grandfather was actually a translator for the military in WWII because he spoke French, German, Spanish and Portuguese) I just think that we need to take a stronger stance on the racist jerks that are trying to take advantage of our weak economy to push their agenda. And to make non-white individuals shed their culture to make everyone else be comfortable.
And ultimately if it's just by taking one step and saying we won't make English the official language, then there's no harm. IMO.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-06-05 04:34 pm (UTC)I'm simply trying to point out that there's no need to use xenophobia to force everyone to learn it. People will learn English when they move here. People have in the past, and people will in the future. But racist bullying (which is all that the current motions are) is a good enough reason for me to say that we shouldn't move forward with it. Especially when they're trying to say that it should be a qualification to come here. Which is really just a ploy to keep poor immigrants who couldn't afford an education out of the country.
I never said that immigrants shouldn't learn English, or that we shouldn't learn foreign languages. I speak Spanish, even though my mom and her siblings don't. My sister speaks French and Japanese. (My grandfather was actually a translator for the military in WWII because he spoke French, German, Spanish and Portuguese) I just think that we need to take a stronger stance on the racist jerks that are trying to take advantage of our weak economy to push their agenda. And to make non-white individuals shed their culture to make everyone else be comfortable.
And ultimately if it's just by taking one step and saying we won't make English the official language, then there's no harm. IMO.