I just read an interesting article over on Latina.com and wanted to get your opinions. Here is an excerpt:
"The latest Census results released last week tell us that 1 in 6 people in the U.S. is Latino, and that Latino kids number just over 17 million, or 23 percent of the 17-and-under U.S. population..."
“I just feel like there’s no excuse to not speak Spanish,” she (Odette Yustman) said. "It’s like Canada — they’ve got English and French — that’s what we need to do.”
"Odette tells us she also plans to pass down Spanish to her kids one day. “It’s important because living in the U.S. it’s so easy for kids to forget the language because you go to school and the kids speak English...“I was so fortunate because I learned Spanish first, so that was my first language....You just gotta carry that on, ya know?" (Click here to read the article in its entirety.)
I love Spanish. I learned to speak Spanish in school. I even majored in Romance Languages concentrating in Spanish as an undergrad. My husband was raised in South America and my son will hopefully be bilingual as well. All that being said, do I think we need to be officially blingual in this country? I don't know. I do know that many people feel the US is English speaking only and always should be.
So, after reading the article, this raises two questions in my mind:
1) Should all Americans learn Spanish, become bilingual and willingly adopt Spanish as our national language (in addition to English)?
and
2) Are you any less latino/a if you don't speak Spanish?
You may think this issue does not apply to you if you are not hispanic/latino(a) but I think A) if you live in the USA you are well aware of the growing Spanish-speaking population and B)whether it be race, gender, sexuality or HAIR, we can all relate to issues of identity and image. For example, question 2 could easily be replaced with "Are you any less Black if you don't wear your hair in its natural state" or some other like phrase.
So what do you all think?
Click here to read an older post about Black-Latino Identity.
Americans should learn an additional language whether it is Spanish or something else. Foreigners have an edge because in most other countries, it's citizens speak more than one language.
ReplyDeleteFor some odd reason, here in America, people think that they do not need to be educated about life outside of the USA.
I am multilingual and I am all for learning languages because of its potential to expand your mind and views. Often learning a new language means learning about a different set of people and culture.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be helpful to learn another language..Not just spanish. And depending on where you live in the United States, you may be surrounded by all Asian people, or all African people and so on and so forth. I don't think however that the US should be a bilingual country. If you want to learn the language, that's fine, but to make the country's official second language Spanish is doin a bit much to me.
ReplyDeleteI wish my parents had raised me to speak more than one language - I can barely speak my mother's tongue and I'm trying to learn three more.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just a problem in the USA. In the UK, school students don't feel the need to learn another language, even that of their neighbour France, since they don't plan on going there.
And yet many of these same people will complain if people who speak another language do it while they're there, since they feel it's rude *rolls eyes*
1. English isn't the US's official language. The US doesn't have an official language. Plus, being officially bilingual doesn't make it much more likely that the general population will learn the other language. I went to school in Canada for two years (and have numerous Canadian friends/relatives). I never had to take a French class and most of the Canadians I know/went to school with don't speak French. Only 7% of people outside of Quebec can speak French. I think everyone show know at least two languages (including myself!) but just making Spanish an official language won't accomplish that.
ReplyDelete2. I don't think you're less Latino if you can't speak Spanish because that is your cultural heritage/identity. However, you will not be able to fully experience all of your culture, because some things (literally) don't translate.
I do not feel that America should be bilingual and as an immigrant, I have refused to learn Spanish on principle alone. Living in south Florida, Spanish is constantly shoved down everyone's throat; it's almost sickening walking into an establishment in the U.S. where no one speaks English and (because they have been catered to) be at work and given dirty looks because i do not. every other group of immigrants had to either learn English or travel with a translator, but not Hispanics, smh. It's fine for Canada to be bilingual' the French helped colonize the country and everyone who went to school there speaks both languages, not just one. I feel like it's a slap in the face that Caribbeans, Europeans, and Asians are required to speak English but I've actually known Hispanics who've resided in the U.S> for 10+ years and who've had kids here who still don't speak an word and need their kids, some as young as 6 (who also don't speak English cause all they hear is Telemundo all day) to translate for them. It's sheer laziness if you ask me. I speak 3 languages, but Spanish is not one I'm even remotely interested in learning. Like i told a Salvadoran woman one, I'll speak Spanish when I move to Spain. I already learned English because I live in America. Everyone else is capable and Hispanics should do the same. I'm all for learning about other cultures but it's insulting to me as an immigrant when another immigrant group expects this country to adopt their language, without even bothering to learn English first! If America wants to adopt a second language, how about Mandarin. Latinos may be a growing minority hear, but the Chinese are the world's majority, so if any language is forced on us, let it be theres.
ReplyDeleteThe United States does not have a national or official language. English is not the official language of the US. There is none.
ReplyDeleteAnd it boggles the mind why so many Americans continue to resist learning another language but expect others to learn English. EVERYONE in the world is at least bilingual except Americans.
Makes no sense at all.
Since The United States of America does not have an official language (thank god), I do believe that we should include more Spanish like we do with the majority language English. I might be bias because I, myself am a fellow language lover(guilty :) ). I do think over all that The U.S.A needs neeeeeeeeeds to do better with languages. I think a lot more citizens should be or try to be bilingual. The education with languages in many American schools is meh, quite sub par. When we had exchange students come to my high school their English was not only very good but some of them also knew a third language as well. Overseas, might take it a bit more serious since sadly English seems like a must for competitive jobs nowadays. I would have love to have grown up being bilingual though.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to speak much on the second part since I don't have a lot of experience (I am not Latina). But from my part of view, of course it doesn't make one any less. Language is a very essential part of culture but yes you definitely are still Latino with or without the Spanish speaking ability.
@NaturalNubian
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that you think having Spanish around is "sickening" but there is no official language here in the United States of America, thus in a personal establishment they can have signs in whatever language they chose. Yes, it may be hard to communicate since the majority language is English but that just shows that more Americans need to be multilingual. I find it actually "sickening" that you say that Latinos are being catered to since that is definitely far from reality and it would be safe to say that no minorities here in America are being catered to.
You also bring up the point that other immigrants attempt to learn English. Well I believe that it depends really on what generation we are talking about. Immigration today is very different from the past. In the past in order to "fit" in and get a job it was very beneficial to learn English. Sadly, from this many families especially ethnic groups from Europe began to stop passing on their language, thus bringing their language to a halt in the U.S.A.
I find it very racist of you to say that Latinos have not been learning English because of "sheer laziness" (a stereotype) and that all "they hear is Telemundo all day". Really? English is not an easy language to pick up especially when you are past your youth, I know many elders who prefer to speak in their home tongue and I see nothing wrong with that. Also Mandarin is less likely to become another majority language because of the smaller population that uses it. The Latino population will actually bring Whites (non-Latinos) to become smaller than all minorities in upcoming years.
Also Spanish is obviously not only spoken in Spain. It is spoken all over the world including countries in Africa, Europe, South and Central America. So using your logic about when you will need to learn Spanish, would actually mean that it would be needed now or the near future. Of course no one has to learn any language but to say that something is being shoved down your throat because it is something other than the majority language is too much.
I love the Spanish language, but no, I do not think that the US should have Spanish as a second national language. I believe that if you move to a country where the language is different from yours, YOU should adapt and learn the language. Like NaturalNubian, I cannot understand the mentality that many hispanics have. How can you live, work, and play in a country and NEVER learn the language? Then insist that we should adopt it!! It's like that in NYC, though not as much as South Florida. I'll adopt Spanish when they learn English, and the same for Haitian Creole for that matter. ALL people should know more than one language. If I moved to Mexico, Cuba Puerto Rico, or Haiti, you better believe I'd learn the language!!
ReplyDeleteI must comment, and be a bit nerdy about it because I just discussed this in my linguistics class.
ReplyDeleteFirst Answer: WIth the facts that you presented and comparing to other countries, I dont think it would hurt at all for Americans to be required to learn Spanish. There has been numerous research and articles, and of course ever popular ESL programs in other countries to learn English. I feel like America is the only country that doesn't push for being fluent in another language. It is allso important to note that there is no OFFICIAL language in America (by official I mean stated on a legal document (i.e. The Constitution). It also depends on what field you work in, but i've noticed that Spanish is everywhere. I've worked in retail, education, and volunteered in a medical setting and being fluent in Spanish would have definitely helped me out. I don't think as a nation we will adopt Spanish as a national language or enforce anyone to learn in. America is a superpower and we like the fact that English is the ONLY standard here (unofficially). If Spanish were to be credited as another accepted language, there would be uproar.
Second Answer: I'm not Latino, however, language is a HUGE part of cultural identity. That being said, i think others will see you as not being 'fully' Latino. This is not just in Latin culture though, it happens with a lot of languages. I also think there is a heavier emphasis on being able to speak it! A lot of my Hispanic friends understand Spanish but do not speak Spanish, this is still frowned upon by their elder family members.
Thats my opinion. Great post
1. Well it should be many languages not just Spanish.
ReplyDelete2. I am Black Latina. I cannot speak for every Hispanics/Latinos but I speaking from my own experience. Even thought I am not fully fluent in Spanish, my family make sure that I learn everything about my culture. The food, the music, the history, where we from, family gathering etc.
@NaturalNubian, I do not think it fair to generalize all Hispanics/Latinos pure laziness. As long I remember, I could not be fluent in Spanish due to the illness that that affected me as a child. I was forbid to speak Spanish and English. That was according to a "doctor's rule". That never stop me from learning. Another reason, the older generations were trying to protect their children from being teased or harassed by ignorant people everyday. This is why most of the parents allowed them to speak English in public place and Spanish at home. Some forbid them to even learn Spanish for good. So to each of their own. It not that they don't want to learn English, some don't even have the money to take ESL classes. Or some people do not want to help Hispanics/Latinos because they consider "immigrations" Racial Profiling anyone?
That Black Identity story sadly true. Here the most infamous conversation I had.
Stranger:"Are you from the Caribbeans?"
Me: "No, I'm originally from Panama"
Stranger: "Where is Panama?"
Me: "Central America"
Stranger: "Wow, I did not know there are Black People in Central America"
Me: "Doh!"
As a Canadian, I have to say the argument brought by Odette Yustman is not valid. If you look at the Canada's history ,the french were the 1st one to settle in Canada and the English came way after. Saying that "It’s like Canada — they’ve got English and French — that’s what we need to do." Is just not right.
ReplyDeleteA better example is the large chinese population in British Colombia. And I thing they are one of the largest immigrant group in Canada overall. But did we add Chinese (Mandarin/ Cantonese) as a national language? NO. If you go to Vancouver or any major city in BC you will see that Chinese in present everywhere. People have adapt to the situation. The chinese community is well respected all over Canada.But out of respect for Canada history we have maintain English and French as our official languages. Can you imagine if they added Chinese has a national language how many other ethnic group would ask the same thing? I don't say the growing Hispanic population in the state should be undermine. But I think to add Spanish as an official language may not be the way to go
I apologize for the long comment.
I just had to add one more thing for NaturalNubian: Not everyone who studied in Canada is fluent in both English and French. Most people are fluent in English only. Even in Quebec, the only province with french as its unique official language, you would find people who can barely speak french. I think people have to look up there fact to avoid these sort of mistake.
ReplyDelete@Mariah: If you are going to quote me, then please do it correctly. I never said that having Spanish speakers around me was sickening but that "it's almost sickening walking into an establishment in the U.S. where no one speaks English and (because they have been catered to) be at work and given dirty looks because I do not.". It upsets me when I cannot find an English speaker to service me in an establishment in America. And English is a hard language to learn; I should know, I and my whole family, ranging from ages 6-55 had to learn it, because there was no one who would speak Creole everywhere we went and we wanted to be able to converse with Americans and get the most out of U.S. schools. the only excuse for not knowing English after 10+ years (which was the time frame I gave) is either laziness or stupidity. I know better than to accuse an entire ethnic group of being morons, it's simply not true, so yes, after being in a country 10+ and only knowing "Hello", you are lazy. As I said, I'm for the US adopting a second language, just not Spanish and it's because Spanish speakers seem to have almost an allergy to learning English and from "listening to telemundo all day", they ensure that the children that are born here do not speak a word of a language that is all around them until they are school age! IMO, that's just bad parenting! What if that child gets lost and no Spanish speakers are around? And using an 8 year old to translate for you? Ridiculous! I worked an an office and I constantly saw the embarrassment on these kids faces when mom and dad, who'd had all their kids in the states (the oldest being a teenager) would be using them as a mouthpiece, getting frustrated with me and their kid when things were lost in translation or their kids' Spanish or English was lacking. I am a polyglot and a lover of culture, so don't try to demonize me. I am not anti-Hispanic or Latino, but anti-bullying and the idea that we should all be forced to learn Spanish in the U.S., where so many have already learned English as well as their native tongue is social bullying. There is something very wrong when any group of people expect an entire society to conform to their wants and needs, all without having to change a thing or merely adopt the language.
ReplyDelete@Mariah: BTW: I know Spanish is spoken in many countries, I'm not ignorant or simple, though you seem to think I am. I merely said Spain because it's the only Spanish speaking country that I can envision myself living in.Also, a language is being shoved down your throat if it is not the language of the majority in the country where you reside, but you have an almost impossibility of getting an office job, getting service in a Latin community, or even getting promoted without knowing it.
ReplyDelete@Nad: Thanks for correcting me :-D
ReplyDelete@ Natural Nubian
ReplyDeletePsssh, I was quoting as I read your comment, so take that as you must. You did do a lot of generalizing in your first comment....yes you do. I also said "Spanish" as in the language I did not say that you said Spanish speakers. I am not trying to "demonize" you I am just saying what I got from your comments. Also no one is being forced to speak Spanish; when and if it because a majority language. In the future a lot of Americans will be speaking Spanish and yes, you don't have to.
@NaturalPanamanian: My generalization is just that, a generalization; I know that their are many Hispanics that make a point to learn the language while clinging to their native tongue and culture and that's admirable. However, the great majority (especially in SoFla) do not. I know this for a fact; not hearsay, but something I see an experience on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand that you had an illness that affected your language skills, can you honestly say that the majority (or even minority) of Hispanics suffer the same? the fact the you learned both languages despite this is commendable and speaks volumes. Also, I know for a fact that ESL is not needed to learn English. It's been proven by language experts worldwide: Immersion, cultural immersion is the best and fastest way to learn a language. Once in America, surrounding one's self with English speakers and tuning in to English-speaking radio and tv, all without having to utter a word, is enough for anyone to understand English in about a year's time. People say it's easy for kids to learn a second language but often neglect the reason why: desire. If a person wants to learn a language and is surrounded by those who speak it, they will. So once again after 10+ years in the U.S. ( or even 3-5), it's saddening when a person cannot communicate in English and can only go out to Latino-owned businesses in the neighborhood without a translator. No one's saying give up your culture, but please, consider learning the language of the majority before demanding that an entire nation made up of dozens of immigrant groups learn yours.
ACtually NaturalNubian.
ReplyDeleteyou are being a little bit ignorant of US history, because Spanish was the native tongue in a few US states before the English came along and wiped it out. Los Angeles is not an English name.
MAybe a lil more reading a lot less personal disgust?
@Anonymous: Once again, my disgust is not with the Spanish language or the culture of Hispanics, but rather having a language thrown at me by a people who's majority refuser to learn the language of the majority here, English, a language that other non-Hispanic immigrants had to learn as well. And FYI: Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Paris, Kentucky exist, as well as the various cities in Floida and other states like Miami, Ockechobee, Loxahatchee, etc that were names after native American tribes. You're just further proving my point that this nation was helped along by and contained various ethnic groups and people, not just Hispanics. We speak English and immigrants worldwide who flocked to America learned English because it's the language of this countries forefathers. Period. Ask yourself this: How many people could you imagine would laugh in your face for demanding that they speak English if you immigrated to Mexico? Everyone need to understand that when in a country it's simply disrespectful to make no attempt to learn the language of the majority and demand that they learn yours. It's unfair and highly biased. beat around the bush all you like, but facts are facts. Hispanics may be the largest minority here, but they are still a minority and not the only one.
ReplyDeleteI think that learning a foreign language should be required in schools. However, I don't feel that the USA should adopt Spanish (or any other language) at this point in time.
ReplyDelete@NaturalNubian
I know EXACTLY where you are coming from because I used to live in Miami. I have noticed a certain arrogance in many Cuban refugees down there- they expect this country to bend over and accommodate them and not the other way around. I suppose there are underlying political reasons for why they act this way. They are also extremely racist and discriminatory when given the chance, including against other Latino groups.
If we want to make the U.S. a bilingual country for the sake of competing globally, then we need to push for Mandarin,Japanese, or perhaps a native language of India, even Arabic. Those are the countries that we are completing with globally. Not Spanish just because of the population they represent. I live in Houston, where there is a huge population of immigrants, and there is more of a financial benefit for them to speak English then there is for me to speak Spanish. Because they do not speak English they are not continuing their education; thus, they are forced to accept low paying jobs. Exactly how will my speaking Spanish make this situation better.
ReplyDelete@NaturalNubian: Some of your points are valid, but others are simply racist. Punto final.
ReplyDeleteTo the first question (the only one I can speak on since I'm not Latino):
I don't think Americans should be required to learn Spanish. Spanish speakers (whether Latino or not) are still a minority in this country. Now if Mexico ever decided to invade the US and take over, then I could see it, lol...
However, if I were Secretary-Dictator of Education in the US I would make fluency in another language a requirement for high school graduation. And yes, I would restrict those languages to the ones spoken by the largest number of people: Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, German, and maybe French because that was my second language, lol. Students can study other languages as well but in order to get a degree they must be fluent in one or more of the languages listed. Language training would start in very early grade school -- no later than second grade.
Contrary to what a lot of Americans think, we're not on this planet by ourselves and other countries (China, India, Brazil) and cultures (basically the entire Arab world) will gain a lot more prominence in the coming decades. And even if the majority of Americans never visit other countries, studies have shown that foreign language study helps with overall English comprehension as well. How can that be a bad thing?
From a lot of the posts I've read it seems like people are ganging up on NaturalNubian and twisting her words around to make her points seem invalid. If you read her comments without being ready to argue you will notice that she isn't attacking the spanish language or hispanics at all. Her points are very valid. Moving to a country and not learning the language, but expecting that your language should just become an offical language of that country is ridiculous. It doesn't matter how large the spanish speaking community is. If you go to a country you should speak their native tongue as well as your own (if you plan on making that country your home). You can't expect to really contribute to that country if you can't speak the language. If you live in America but don't speak English, you won't be able to vote, read a map, drive LEGALLY,etc. If you don't speak English that means you are not a legal citizen and that HURTS the country. You can't get a green card without speaking the language. Also, I saw some people mention how hard it is to learn English which is true. But Wyclef Jean learned English by listening to rap music and he's pretty well spoken now. I also have a Cuban friend that learned English by hanging out with a lot of Americans and absorbing the language. So not having money for classes is just an excuse for not learning. I also know what it's like to have a language "forced on you". I am African American and I speak a LITTLE spanish. Working as a cashier a customer began asking me a question entirely in spanish and just kept repeating it as if talking slowly would make me understand the language better. As I said, I speak spanish, but only a little. If I was in France in a store, and I did the same thing in English I would be essentially "forcing a language down their throat" Would it benefit Americans to learn more languages? Of course. Besides the fact that it makes you more marketable as an employee it also helps your intelligence level. Do I think spanish should be the main language we are asked to learn? No, because as Anon @ 8:31 mentioned the countries we compete with globally are not spanish speaking countries. It would definitely be far more beneficial to learn Arabic for instance because it could raise your income level by the thousands. If you live in an area with many Hispanics I suppose it would be nice to converse with your neighbors in their native tongue. But as NaturalNubian has pointed out it definitely shouldn't be expected of you.
ReplyDeleteTo answer question #2, not speaking Spanish doesn't make you any less Hispanic. And not having natural hair doesn't make you any less Black. I am natural and I definitely don't consider myself "blacker" than when I had relaxed hair. If not speaking the native language of your ethnicity made you less of that ethnicity than almost everyone in America wouldn't qualify as their own race. How many German-Americans do you know that actually speak German fluently? How many Black people do you know that speak at least ONE African language? (there are so many) How about the Africans that mainly speak French? Are they less African? Of course not. Sometimes because of immigration or slavery people are so removed from their roots that they don't know much about the culture. But that doesn't change the fact that you are what you are.
And to add to my already long post from a minute ago. Please people, learn the correct definition of RACISM. The word gets thrown around so much that people don't know how to use it. If your boss fires you for being Black, thats NOT racism. If someone doesn't like you for being Hispanic, that's NOT racism. That is DISCRIMINATION. If someone has an opinion about an entire group of people negative/positive, that's a STEREOTYPE. For example, all Asian people are great at math. While the previous sentence is positive, it is a stereotype. Racism is the belief that your race is superior to another race and should have dominion over others. So stop saying NaturalNubian is "racist" just to have something to say. At least use the correct words to describe how you feel about what she is saying. And technically since she is speaking on ACTIONS (i.e. not learning English being lazy) that doesn't even qualify as a stereotype. The telemundo comment I suppose could qualify as a stereotype lol.
ReplyDelete@ Last Anon
ReplyDeleteJust because natural nubian is speaking about actions that she has seen does not make it just. Also, hun racism has many definitions. The way that the users above have used it works just a fine.
I love Spanish. I majored in it college and was tops in my class. I wish I had someone to speak in Spanish wish because now i feel like i have all this knowledge locked away somewhere deep inside my brain.
ReplyDeleteI think it is ironic that many think America should be english-speaking only when we are the land of immigration, literally! People in poorer countries are often multilingual. I dont see how being monolingual is an advantage. Anyway, when my son is old enough, I'm going to start playing some of my Spanish CD;s for him so he can at least say "Hola" "Como se llama" "Como esta usted?" "Donde esta el bano" y "Adios"! I had a lot of fun in Mexico with that alone! lol Peace.
I think NaturalNubian makes some excellent points. Even though I personally love Spanish, people who insist on living in America really should make a concerted effort to learn english, especially if they are running businesses. This practice of not speaking or learning english is not unique among some Hispanics either. I live in an area inunudated with Somalis, many of whom do not speak english yet are allowed to collect public assistance. I know that's another can of worms! lol But I bet I wouldn't last long in France if I didn't learn the language.
ReplyDeleteEvery other nation under the sun speaks two languages: the native tongue and another language. No people - ebonics is not included as another language. It's ridiculous that the US offers foreign language classes free of charge in school but people don't take advantage of the education. The US is lagging behind in many opportunities, majorly due to refusal to accept and embrace other cultures. It is very sad that the writing on the wall is being denied or ignored: if you cannot communicate effectively with others, you will be left in the dust. I hope that people of color will wake up and smell the coffee. Learn Spanish, learn French - heck, learn how to speak proper English or suffer the consequences.
ReplyDeleteIf I want to go live or visit than I would want to learn, but I don't think you should be required. I've traveled and pretty much everywhere you go someone speaks English, I learn the basics and that's it. I understand a little of what NaturalNubian is saying because, I live in Texas and when I was younger I worked retail and SOME hispanics wouldn't even try to speak a little English to ask me anything they would say it in Spanish like I'm suppose to know. Any person should adapt to where they move. So yeah no to be required for Americans to learn Spanish.
ReplyDelete@ Mariah--- you did misquote NaturalNubian and I noticed it as I was reading your response
ReplyDeleteAlso, Natural Nubian does make some excellent points.
@Anon 6:54 To say that not learning the main language of the country you have moved to is lazy is TRUE. While it may not be "just" in your opinion, it is in mine. I think NaturalNubian was totally accurate in that statement. Just because you don't like a sentence doesn't stop it from being true. If you live somewhere for many years and don't learn the language that is being lazy. It's definitely not being astute. Also, there aren't "many" definitions of racism. There is the correct definition and then all the incorrect ways that people use it. Just because someone uses the word a certain way doesn't make it a different definition. If I started saying that the word CHAIR means "to eat" does that mean CHAIR has two definitions? No, it means one of those definitions is wrong. If you can find a different definition for racism than what I have listed I would really love to see it. Once again it is the belief that your race is superior to others and should have dominion over others; hatred or intolerance of a race. NaturalNubian displayed none of that in her posts. She did include a STEREOTYPE in one of her posts. But using a stereotype doesn't mean someone is racist.
ReplyDeleteIf there's going to be an official language, then it should be english. It's common and everyone knows it. As far as second languages go, it should be whatever an individual happens to learn, if they CHOOSE to learn a second language, not what there is a "supposed" majority of.
ReplyDelete@naturalnubian....
ReplyDeleteyour ignorance is still kind astouding.
Spanish was the main language in many of the places you are referring to.
So the language being 'thrust' at you is not Spanish. it is English.
The natives in the locality are speaking the local language.
Stop being so damn ignorant.
@Anon 3:17 p.m.: What are you talking about? You seriously are making ZERO sense right now. If you disagree with me fine, but please clarify your nonsensical, angry ramblings for the class.
ReplyDelete@Anon 3:17 p.m.: what are you talking about? You are making ZERO sense. Disagree with me all you like but please clarify your nonsensical, angry ramblings for the class. I have no clue what you are going on about.
ReplyDeletethe only one angry and rambling was you.
ReplyDeleteYou are a foreigner to the US who is so damn angry and upset (you said that yourself) about people speaking spanish e.t.c. that you don't even know that spanish WAS the original language spoken in large parts of the US.
So they ARE speaking the native language. English was the colonising language.
This is why your ignorance is hilarious. And your aggressive stance is completely unnecessary.
Go educate yourself. you really should because you don't seem to how utterly ridiculous you sound.
@Anon 3:55p.m.: You, like Mariah, seem to have reading comprehension problems so let me reiterate that I do NOT have a problem with the Spanish language, merely the fact that it is being forced on the U.S. when Hispanics are still a minority here and English is the language of the majority and this country's forefathers. I moved to POST (not pre) colonized U.S., so if Central/South America can regain the parts of this country that they lost and I'm still living here, I will gladly learn Spanish. Until then, anyone who moves to a country is obligated to learn the language of the majority and/or offical language, not demand that the inhabitants learn theirs and/or simply refuse to learn altogether. You are calling me ignorant, yet there is no untruth or unfairness to what I'm saying. Would you refuse to learn French in France or Cantonese in China? No. Would they accommodate you if you didn't? NO! So please, educate yourself and stop accusing me of being angry as an excuse to twist my words and engender me with your own poor character traits.
ReplyDeletehaaa haaa haaa you are funny natural nubian.
ReplyDeletebut you are angry. It is your anger which is making you defend yourself by throwing insults as a response.
You are reaching wildly in every response you make for anything which will shift this into a personal attack on anyone who dears to point out your ignorance and inaccuracy.
The fact is Spanish is an indigenous language in the US, if you don't like it .. go home.
Keep the insults or keep spitting them out, meaningless on the internet.. but hilarious though. you still sound silly though ..
I'm Hispanic. I understand very little Spanish, and speak even less. While I do wish I could speak and understand it more than I do, I believe that's a personal decision. So no, I don't believe that Spanish should be an official second language.
ReplyDeleteamerica doesn't have an official language so you can't add an extra. and only people in french canada like montreal and ontario really tend to speak french. there are schools that teach in spanish or teach in english, but you really can't expect people to learn a language unless they as citizens find it necessary. either way because english isn't even our national official language, we clearly can't modify it.
ReplyDeleteI think this is one of the big things about being in America....it has no official language. English is the most common language, however, by all means...come here ...live here....learn or do not learn English...and see how well things go for you. There are some non-english-speaking inhabitants in the U.S. who get along just fine. However, I think to be TRULY successful...you should learn the common language where you are. That being said, any other additional language should be a personal choice, not a requirement.
ReplyDeleteI guess the bigger question is...what does it benefit me...(or the U.S.) if I/we learn Spanish? I could understand learning a language in which we work heavily with (arabic, japanese, etc.), but Spanish?