Opinons on rising amount of Spanish spoken in America...- Page 2

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 5/11/09 at 9:03pm

I have studied a second language and lived in Taipei for a summer, speaking mostly Mandarin Chinese, unless of course my hosts wanted to practice their English.

Does that entitle me to the views I have?

And, I have no problem if people are attempting to learn English, and I don't care if they speak any other language in their home. I just think a country should have a unifying language. Historically in the US that has been English.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 5/11/09 at 9:11pm

My dad and I were driving in town a couple of weeks ago and he saw a sign with English and the top and Spanish at the bottom. You could have sworn someone threw a brick at his car the way he went off. "This is America where the language is English. ALL SIGNS SHOULD BE IN ENGLISH ONLY" etc. etc. etc.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 5/11/09 at 9:13pm

"I'm more bothered by customer service people with thick Southern accents"

Um....that's like me going "I can't stand people with thick Boston accents." That's regional accents. It's still English though.

[fflagg]

Posted: 5/11/09 at 9:13pm

My grandparents came to this country after WW1 and were grateful. Out of this gratitude they wanted to learn English and that is what they did and then become citizens.

Today that sense of pride and gratitude to be here is in the toilet bowl. As far as I am concerned if you wish to come and live in this country you learn English; if you cannot or will not, go back where you came from. What you speak at home is none of my business but once you leave the house you speak English.

There is a strong resentment among the Hispanic, Cuban, and other like populations when it comes to learning and speaking English. If I had my way I would get rid of all of them.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 5/11/09 at 9:21pm

my wife was raised in a foreign country and loved there until she was 21. then she came to america knowing little about it, but she has eventually mastered english not from classes but from having to in order to survive. she is now a citizen and has very little patience with anyone who wants to come to america and not speak english, "you come to america, you speak english. that's the way it goes. you want to live in korea, you learn korean. china, you learn chinese. you don't go to a country and demand that they speak your language. you learn english or you get the f*** out my damn country! you hear me mcdonalds worker who speak only spanish and f*** up my order???"

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 5/11/09 at 9:42pm

"Also, the whole point of bilingual classes or ESL is to teach English. To remove these classes is to risk the alienation and drop-out of students who could do very well in school once they have a grasp of the language. They would end up culturally marginalized, not strong in Spanish or English, and that's not good for anyone."

Well I agree with that statement- ESL is English Second Language, now if you are a child who is learning English as a second language, but speak French as a first language, you are out of luck. As most schools (at least in New York) only offer Spanish to English help in ESL classes. If they are going to have those classes, at least make it for all languages.

[cmleidi]

Posted: 5/11/09 at 9:42pm

"Um....that's like me going "I can't stand people with thick Boston accents." That's regional accents. It's still English though."

My point was that I have an easier time understand Spanish or Chinese speaking people more than some English speaking people.

I still don't understand why people get so bothered by this. With everything that is going on in the world, what language someone chooses to speak strikes me as such a trivial concern. I guess people have to get worked up about something.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 5/11/09 at 10:15pm

Okay, I am going to jump in this conversation.

I work in the administration field in a hospital setting. When someone comes to me to get records or discuss a bill, etc. and they speak no, or almost no, English, I can not give them the help they need. Generally, they bring someone with them that can speak some English, but in some cases they don't. They EXPECT us to have a Spanish translator or bilingual employee which we don't have. We used to, but she moved. But they usually get upset and storm out of the office when no one can help them. Over the phone, I can call in to a translation hotline but face to face, I have no way of communicating with them.

Updated On: 5/11/09 at 10:15 PM

[Eris0303]

Posted: 5/11/09 at 10:27pm

Spider, I've had people get angry at me for not speaking Spanish or Chinese. I'm sorry - my father's family came here just after the Civil War. We speak only English in my house. I live in this country and speak this language. At the last store I worked at before I left retail had a Spanish speaking employee but that was the only time I've ever had that assistance.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 5/11/09 at 11:20pm

This is a prime example of why I spend so little time on this board anymore....way too many morons.....

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/12/09 at 10:36am

I do belive we should have a National language. But I don't think the problem is just about the Spanish speaking population.

I think it has to do with both economic and socialization. How will your world change if you do not change to the world you have re-located? How can you better your life (the presumable reason most immigrate here) if you cannot communicate to those of us who live here. How can you get the help you might need (medical, job search, ANYTHING) if you cannot communicate in the same language?

No one is asking anyone to give up their roots or identity and never speak their native language...only to make the most of the opportunities that can exist for you.

No...I cannot speak another language, but I have never chosen to live in another country. (But I do have a working knowlege of ASL...so that's something.)

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/12/09 at 12:37pm

Mexico shares hundreds of miles of border with the US. Puerto Rico's official language is Spanish but they're American citizens. States in the Southwest and Florida were Spanish colonies for hundreds of years before we took possession very recently in comparison. That's extremely different than Vietnamese immigrants coming from around the world to settle here.

Most European countries have signs in the languages of their neighboring countries as well as the legal official language (something the US doesn't even have) and nobody gets hysterical over it. Why are Americans too arrogant to make accomodations for its own citizens when the Swiss have signs in 4 languages?