Welcome to America...now speak English (or)

[KyuzoGator]

* Acaxee
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* Tawahka
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* Teul
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* Timucua
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* Tiwa
* Tlapanec
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* Tongva
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* Tranjik-kutchin
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* Tubar
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* Tucurrique
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* Tupi
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* Tuscarora
* Tuskegee
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* Tutelo
* Tututni
* Twana
* Tyigh
* Tzeltal
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* Tzutuhil
* Uchiti
* Ulua
* Umatilla
* Umpqua
* Unami
* Ure
* Uren
* Urraca
* Uspanteca
* Ute
* Vacoregue
* Vanyume
* Varohío
* Viceita
* Vigitega
* Voto
* Vunta-kutchin
* Waccamaw
* Waco
* Waicuri
* Wai-lakki
* Walla Walla
* Wampanoag
* Wanapam
* Wappinger
* Wappo
* Wasco
* Washa
* Washo
* Wateree
* Watlala
* Waxhaw
* Wea
* Weapemeoc
* Wenatchee
* Wenrohronon
* Whilkut
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* Winnebago
* Wintu
* Winyaw
* Wishram
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* Woccon
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* Xilotlantzinca
* Xinca
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* Yadkin
* Yahi
* Yahuskin
* Yakima
* Yamasee
* Yamel
* Yana
* Yaqui
* Yaquina
* Yasika
* Yatasi
* Yavapai
* Yazoo
* Yecora
* Yellowknife
* Yojuane
* Yokuts
* Yoncalla
* Yosco
* Yscani
* Yuchi
* Yufera
* Yui
* Yuki
* Yuma
* Yurok
* Yustaga
* Zacateco
* Zapotec
* Zoe
* Zoque
* Zuaque
* Zuñi

I really must insist that if you live in this country, you speak the native language. Thanks!

[IndyJones]

1. My SIL and her family were "boat people" from Vietnam and they

managed to learn English, become educated, and didn't expect everyone to speak Vietnamese. Apparently, it can be done.

[Broken_Hero]

4. Thats really not the point...

your SIL and family, are bilingual, and what bush said today, could've been said about the Vietnamese, instead of the hispanics. So, whats the difference, if your Inlaws sang the national anthem in viet, or in english? To me, their isn't any differnce...my wife can sing the national anthem in Cherokee, so, whats the big hub bub?

[IndyJones]

9. The point is that if they are going to be taught in public schools and get

jobs in the mainstream work force, then they need to speak English. Seems pretty straight forward, IMO. No one is saying - never speak your native tongue again, but if you want to join the melting pot, you need to speak the language. How else will they learn in the public school system and get better paying jobs?

[Broken_Hero]

11. hmm, okay...

I think you are reading to far into this. Bush, said, that the national anthem should be sung in English...and thats what i'm discussing, thats what i thought the thread was about, really. What difference does it make, if you sing the national anthem in english, haida, cherokee, vietnemse, or pig latin?

Of course, they need to learn to speak the language, but to demand, that the NATIONAL ANTHEM be only sung in english, is absurd, and thats what W said today...:)

[alarimer]

25. Bush can't even speak English

He should be required to learn the proper pronunciation for "nuclear".

[Blue_In_AK]

31. Exactly...

Not to mention that a lot of people at athletic events and so on who are supposedly "singing" the national anthem are merely moving their lips because they don't know the words -- in English or otherwise. This is a big non-issue, as far as I'm concerned.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

23. True, but there aren't enough ESL classes for everyone who wants to learn

Children and a very few adults can just "pick up" the basics of a new language by hearing it spoken, but most adults need specific instruction. Even then, they need specific instruction to be able to master more sophisticated levels of English.

It's not as if immigrants are wilfully refusing to learn English, and in the vast majority of cases, any children who came over before adolescence speak native-level English and sometimes completely forget their heritage language.

[Erika]

7. The American Indians spoke what language?

And why didn't we learn it? We migrated to their country. Why did we demand our language be the new language rather than being assimilated into their culture? In many parts of the country, such as the SW, government was already established, why didn't we assimilate to their language and customs?

[treestar]

36. Nobody expects this. Most immigrants learn English.

This is just right wing malarkey. Or paranoia, because they are afraid Spanish will take over. Perhaps it will someday. So what? Whoever needs it will learn it.

People are learning English all over the world, some who have never been to America.

[Broken_Hero]

2. Hell yes!

my tribe is on there!...:) W, is such an idiot, btw, i'm Haida...:) Nice list, and Nominated...love it!

[DanCa]

3. delete

[azurnoir]

5. My daughter attended a public elementary school

that had an American Indian curriculum and she took Ojibwa and Lakota for 6 years, these are not easy languages to learn.

[Spider Jerusalem]

6. Just out of curiosity...

how far will speaking anything BUT English, Spanish (in parts of the Southwest and West) or French (in parts of the Northeast) get you in terms of education and employment? Not very. Kind of like saying to anyone moving to England 'Speak English...or Cornish, Manx, Welsh or Scots Gaelic' (but only one of those is going to be really useful from a viewpoint of social integration and opportunity).

[Erika]

8. Chinese is going to be soon taught as the international

language. We better learn it since they now own 50% of our treasury bills.

[IndyJones]

10. When it's expected in the work force and when the public schools teach

in Chinese, then I suppose it will be time to learn Chinese.

[dweller]

12. Wo shi Mei Guo ren.

<i am a human from the beautiful land>

my country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee i sing.

Hao jie la , welcome home
dp

[Lydia Leftcoast]

26. It's a matter of pride in one's heritage and language as the vehicle of

culture. The Native American tribes were forcibly stripped of their languages and cultures, and reviving the languages are a way of restoring their cultural identity. These days, almost all Native Americans speak English as their first language, so it's not as if time spent on tribal languages is going to prevent children from ever speaking English.

Speaking Ojibwe or Lakota does not prevent you from learning another language. In fact, a lot of monolingual Americans are skeptical when I tell them this, but the more languages you learn successfully, the easier it is to add a new one, because the "language learning" circuits of your brain are already primed.

People in Continental Europe study two to four foreign languages before they graduate from high school. It doesn't seem to hurt them any.

(BTW, I make my living based on having professional competence in Japanese, which according to your definition, is not a "useful" language. Other people make their living translating other "useless" languages.)

[SoCalDem]

13. That's why the "white man" was able to decimate the native americans

They had no common culture/language and were able to be picked off tribe by tribe :(

[alarimer]

24. All they needed to do that was smallpox and guns

The extermination with smallpox was deliberate and, in fact, acts of terrorism.

[JNelson6563]

33. Actual it had more to do with Euros having

superior weaponry and the natives having suprisingly weak immune systems.

Julie

[redherring]

14. Let people decide how they wanna lead their lives

If they feel they don't want to learn English, then so be it. But everyone here probably realizes that without English you can't succeed in America.

[alarcojon]

30. A slight disagreement

I grew up in Chicago, and there are neighborhoods there where you can live and work and rarely if ever need to speak English. I'm sure such is the case elsewhere as well.

Obviously, if you don't speak English, your opportunities are limited, but there are people who suceed in America (to various degrees) with a limited command of English. It IS possible.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

15. K & R. Point well made. nt.

[lostexpectation]

16. Dutch first language of the New World?

didn't dutch just get beaten by English as the first official langangue of the states?

[lala_rawraw]

17. Guess my parents will have to be shipped back

After 26 years of paying taxes (and they are citizens), they have yet to master English because it is simply too hard past a certain age to learn a new language. This amount of nationalism is frightening, because it is not remotely about patriotism or loves for ones country, it is simply about hate for other cultures.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

18. "This amount of nationalism is frightening,..."

I think you may have missed the original poster's point, Lala.

Take another look at it.

Helpful DU morning post/response tip: Always try to get at least half way through that first cup of
coffee before hitting the "post message" button.

[lala_rawraw]

19. whoa... this is what i get for no sleep

i should have a sticker on my screen... well, at least you learned something about my parents:)

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

34. I've made my share...

... of "oops" posts, Lala, and I enjoyed learning something about your parents.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

28. And fear

Your average monolingual American is convinced that those people speaking Spanish or Russian or Chinese over there are saying nasty things about him, which usually isn't true, even though he probably deserves nasty comments for being such a paranoid xenophobe. :-)

[dickthegrouch]

20. America is......

Canada
United States
Mexico
Guatamala
Honduras
Nicaragua
El Salavador
Costa Rica
Panama
Belize
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Uruguay
Paraguay
Colombia
Venezuela
Guyana
Peru
Ecuador
Bolivia
Suriname
French Guyana

And the Brits speak English, what most US citizens speak cannot even be mistaken for English.

[Inland]

21. Well, you can "live here" without knowing ANY language!

I mean, institutions have such people, and they are citizens to boot!

The point being that "living here" is no great shakes unless you have an education, a job, and the ability to communicate with the wider polity. We let people live here that don't know english, and we also let people starve here if they don't have a job. Just saying.

[dmoded]

27. totally

I agree, i used to live in Toronto Canada, and there are literally thousands that don't know a word of english.. I don't know how they get by daily, i don't know how they got in to the country to begin with.. please dont get me wrong, they are peaceful people most with relatives but it breaks my heart to see qualified english speaking citizens from other countries dying to get into a land of opportunity and denied due to the points system and yearly lottery.

Canada's 2nd language is French, but if you go into a bank in toronto or it's suburbs you'll be hard pressed to find a french translator before you find a hindu/punjabi speaking one.

Sad but true!

d.

[El Fuego]

22. Can't, because those languages and cultures are lost

Because 400 years ago Europeans invaded and didn't learn the native languages. They didn't assimilate into the existing societies. They colonized and conquered and set up their own society.

I guess it's just karma that the invaders become the invaded, c'est la vie.

[derby378]

29. You forgot Eyak

But it's only spoken by two sisters in Alaska when they meet. They're the last holdouts - once they're dead, Eyak is dead, too.

[babylonsister]

35. Long live Eyak! nt

[DarkTirade]

32. I saw a bumper sticker a while ago...

and made my own on cafepress. Picture is in my sig. :)

[KyuzoGator]

37. Kick nt