Posted on 08/12/2005 6:25:58 AM PDT by jaydubya2
Where I get my haircut, a friend who works there said they are not allowed to speak Vietnamese. (As far as I know, that's the only language native to employees besides English.) I thought it was a silly rule to ban it completely, as long as they weren't intimidating customers.
Bump for later
This is the United States of America. In this country, we speak and conduct business in one language: English. If you do not wish to assmiliate the language and culture of a country you so desperately wanted to get into, then why did you come here? Pack your stuff and get out.
It could not be any more simple than that.
That's because the people speaking the other languages were willing to defer to English as the common language. In 1900, there were more German-speakers in San Antonio, Tx than either English-speakers or Spanish-speakers. However, English was the cvommon language of both business and commerce. My father grew up in a household where only German was spoken and his only schooling was given in the German language, but when his family moved to a farm in South San, he had learn to speak English since the neighbots were mostly English. The German Kultur was respected until the First World War when Germans were treated as the enemy and German customs became suspect. After the war, the Germans began to be assimilated into the English culture.
There is always a problem that they might. They do makes nasty remarks about Anglo customers unless the Anglo hints that he might know some Spanish. Even then they will test your knowledge. Anglos are not the only racists.
Millions of Americans speak Spanish.
I often here this, or other vitiations, and I can safely assume you mean ethnic/cultural diversity.
I'm just curious. How exactly does ethnic/cultural diversity make us great? Or by inference, how does it make us better than we would be without it? Can you describe the theory or process by which this happens?
I'm serious here. I'd like to know the reasoning behind the statement. Yes, it's what were supposed to say in polite company when discussing any issue regarding culture and such.
But what exactly does it mean?
You are woefully ignorant of the intricacies of modern sexual harassment laws if you think that. Seriously, you're way off base here.
So very true.
But the problem is that first generation immigrants of the Spanish variety have largely negelected to direct their children to learn English as their primary language.
Most people understand that new arrivals of any variety have a difficult time learning Enlish.....Its the history of our country But the newly arrived Mexicans and other Spanish speaking peoples flooding America now are the very first major group of immigrants to work diligently to insure that their children do not make English their prime language.
That is an undeniable fact and a terrible pity for their own children.
The kids here are speaking English. Otherwise, they'll have to learn Gujarat, Korean or Urdu to discuss business with their non-Spanish speaking bosses!
We're spoon-feeding today's Spanish-speaking immigrants, and they're not assimilating as well as the Asians, for instance, who don't get the "press 2 for Chinese" option
I've seen several comments from you. Overall, you've been a tremendous vote for common sense.
Yes, and over a hundred million don't. I'm not sure what the relevance is.
"To believe that English is the only language spoken in the United States is shortsighted and misinformed."
I totally agree!!!!!!
1/2 of these people that respond with dimwitted remarks about how they do not like people to talk in their native language is stupid. By the way... are any of them of British origin??? I think not. Just because "white" American nationals have lost most of their European culture.. through IMMIGRATION I might add... does not mean someone else should throw their own away to make your life better!!
We must not forget that the US is a melting pot... remember??? You can't stop Globalization... so GET OVER IT!!
Customs agents in miami sued to get paid EXTRA because they spoke spanish. They were native speakers and did not recieve any special training.
It seems smart for the business world to push english because it keeps employee costs down. Just wait, these idiots will soon not only REQUIRE supercuts to speak spanish they will make them pay extra AND keep them from being fired.
The no spanish in the break room seems a very big disembling on the part of the plaintiffs.
HOGWASH.
I come from a long line of immigrants and learning English is part of the UNITY of this nation.
I was important to learn the language of the old country but it is equally important to know the language of the new HOME.
English is the unifying language of this nation. It is the glue that builds assimilation and only those who want to stop assimilation oppose mandatory learning of english.
The law in the USA is very specific. Contracts in English are enforcable even against those who sign and do not speak english because EVERYONE doing business in the USA knows english is the common language. If you are going to sign a contract then bring a translator to read it for you. (family member, friend, whatever) There is actually a famous case out of miami where a car dealer took the case through the court system because a line of hispanics were saying they should not be bound by non-spanish contracts. The courts sided with the car dealer. (I believe the plaintiff in that case was "Machado")
Knowing a second language and using it is business is a CONVENIENCE for the customer but it does not relieve the customer from the OBLIGATION of knowing english.
Save your ethnic stereotyping for the next clan meeting.
Those who enjoy the ethnic foods of their roots are true americans who have given sons' and daughters' blood for this nation to build this nation. The USA is home and heart. We are the melting pot not the multicultural balkanized cafeteria tray the left is trying to foist upon us via divid and conquer.
Language balkanization is just a way to seperate us. NO THANKS.
I remember a documentary about the mop up opperations in post WWII pacific.
The Japanese soldiers could not understand who such defferent people could work together.
Our unity makes us great. Our ability to take all the best parts of different cultures and blend together to common goals.
You can not work to common goals if you are balkanized and seperated by language.
Somehow I think the left is trying to recreate the tower of bable.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.