My mother is an immigrant to this country.  When I was born she was not a citizen yet (but legal).  She learned English and wasn't taught it in school (she came to the US when she was 16 so she went to HS).  Learning English didn't take her culture away but it allowed her to join another.  To become a citizen of this country you are required to learn English in order to communicate with your fellow citizens, to understand the laws and participate in its governance (by voting).  My mother has always been a strong proponent of immigrants learning English and English being the national language.

My mother is from Belgium, a country with three languages.  Through history those different languages have created some division and problems.  I won't say it as much as today but my relatives say the divisions still exist on a minor scale.  The two primary languages are taught in schools (French and Flemish (Dutch)) and most also take English.  Many people know 3, 4 or more languages.  You have to realize, however, that the ability to speak those languages is more of necessity when you are dealing with multiple languages in your country and your country is in close proximity to other countries with different languages (not to mention Belgium is headquarters for the EU).  My uncle stated when I was visiting that he understood why US citizens normally don't speak multiple languages because we are not in the same position as Europe where multiple languages are more of a necessity in dealing with others due to the demographics and geography.

Israel Zangwill, a British-Jewish immigrant, popularized a term most of us are familiar with – “The Melting Pot”, the title and subject of one of his plays. The term has described the transformation process, the forging, of immigrants into Americans. The crucible this forging has taken place in is that of the freedoms offered by this country as well as the responsibilities of our citizenry.

What kind of alloy are we forging these days? We are supposed to be forging one composed of the strengths of the people that reside and immigrate here. The uniqueness of the various elements being put together are not taken away but should add to the strength of the whole. While the end product is composed of those unique elements, it is, of itself, uniquely American.

As immigrants become citizens of this country, they are unified by the freedoms we all enjoy, the democratic process we can all participate in and by the language we speak. It is important to recall that it is a requirement, in becoming a citizen in the United States of America, that immigrants know the language spoken here – English.

Why are immigrants required to know English? Could it be to better understand the laws and regulations of this country? To be able to read and understand our history? To fulfill their responsibilities as citizens? Maybe it is to be able to communicate with their fellow Americans as neighbors and fellow-citizens.

If we add to the melting pot something that will not mix what kind of alloy do we forge? We forge a weak alloy prone to fracture and collapse. Language is a unifier. Communication is essential to being able to relate and work with one another. If we cannot communicate with one another a barrier is erected and we are more apt to misunderstanding, mistrusting and conflict.

The growing number of immigrants who do not feel the need to learn English is a disturbing trend. The fact that they are increasingly being accommodated by government agencies furthers that trend. As citizens they are supposed to know English so why do we need to print documents and ballots in their native languages?

My mother, an immigrant to this country, learned English because she had to and also because she wanted to. She was not accommodated in that effort nor did she expect it. She feels all Americans should know English to participate and contribute as a citizen.

English is necessary. No one is asking immigrants to abandon their culture and language but to become Americans and to add upon what makes this country great. It is not necessary to become a multilingual society but a society united by a language and an American identity.

It is complete nonsense that learning another language takes away your culture.  The only way it would is if you let it.  My mother's culture has not disappeared because she learned English and uses it to communicate a majority of the time.  It has provided her a means to share her culture with others.  It has allowed her to be a citizen of this country in a truer sense.

I am all for bilingualism.  It definitely can't hurt us to learn another language and I would encourage it.  However, we speak English here as the common language and shouldn't have to accomodate those that don't because if they were legal they should know it.

Hey Jeffery, stop by the Introductions and tell us a bit about yourself if you have the overwhelming urge (even if it isn't that overwhelming).  Not all of us know / knew you from the Nauvoo forum, particularly if you are using a new screen name. 

Thank you Arbilad.  I hope I can add something and appreciate the forum.

Roper wrote:

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Our ward split today.  Until now, we've had English Sacrament Meeting first, then combined for the aux meetings, then Spanish Sacrament Meeting at the end of the block.  Now we have two wards--one that will be all English and one that will be all Spanish.

I find it interesting that the church supports gospel instruction in one's first language, and does not require English proficiency as a requirement of "assimilation" into LDS culture here in the US.

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Roper, you're comparing apples and oranges. Church prepares us to be good citizens of the Kingom of God. Our Heavenly Father understands us no matter what language we use to worship Him. School is supposed to prepare kids to be good citizens (or residents) of the USA. Despite the efforts at making public services available in multiple language, it is still a very clear fact that you need fluency in English to be successful in this country. It doesn't matter if you're a mathematical genius, for instance; you're not going to get a good job unless you know English. But you can be saved in the Kingdom of Heaven without knowing a single word of English.
So, you have two different goals. The methods need to be appropriate to the goal.

Slight derail... I think you all will be proud of me... I effectively worked the conceptual paradigm brought up of 2+2=4 but what if Pres. Hinckley announced that 2+2=5 into the EQ lesson / discussion I led yesterday on following the prophet.  And, the point was well taken, that if what the Prophet tells us as a people does not coincide with our own learning or traditions, it is our individual responsibility to pray about it, work it out in our own minds until we can open up to the new council / revelation / etc., and in the meantime operate with faith in sustaining him and the doctrine until we have resolved the disconnect.

Oh, wait... wrong thread... that example was in the illegal immigration thread wasn't it... 

rayb wrote:

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Cat, we had that discussion too.

I think the discussion does coorespond to the imigration discussion, because many of our policies appear in opposition to the Gospel that Christ taught us to work towards.

--Ray

 

 

 

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Actually, in my mind, there is no problem with being christ-like and being anti-illegal immigrant. Christ had very good reasons for keeping the money changers out of the temple, didn't he? They too were just trying to earn a living. And yes, I know that particular comparison falls apart if you look at it too closely, but most do.

If someone bid thee to walk a mile, go with him twain... unless it crosses the border...

--Ray

 

rayb wrote:

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If someone bid thee to walk a mile, go with him twain... unless it crosses the border...

--Ray

 

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Someone should tell that guy who owned the vineyard. You know, the one who told his servants to build the tower to warn them of invaders, but they didn't get around to it. The invaders swept in and destroyed the vineyard. If only the owner had been properly instructed and told his servants to welcome those invaders with open arms!

We could trade parables all day.

You know the one who really takes the cake is Nephi. He crossed the sea illegally... Just ask his older brothers...  --Ray

PS> Laman and Lemuel were really just in favor of strong border enforcement...

-- Edited by rayb at 16:19, 2006-10-09

Salad bowl is the ghettoization of an immigrant people.  France for example, maintains the "salad bowl" ideal in which people are born, live and even die in the same neighborhood where they never have to speak French.  Such a "salad bowl" establishes a permanent underclass.

One reason the US is more successful is that we do indeed achieve a "melting pot" (which is unpopular in education) in which they become part of the US culture while at the same time impacting the US culture.  Consider the popularity of Pizza and Tacos and so on...

And America's never been known to have ghettos... at least not until those evil mexicans came across the border...

Oh wait...

--Ray

PS> SO... according to all ye genius types, what policies help ethnic minorities to come out of the ghetto and "assimilate"?

 

-- Edited by rayb at 13:10, 2006-10-11

PS> SO... according to all ye genius types, what policies help ethnic minorities to come out of the ghetto and "assimilate"?

 

"Ghetto" in this context is a term used to signify an internal separation from the mainstream of a nation.  The isolation of a certain ethnic group either by the nation, or by internal actions of the group.

Assimilation comes from doing things like learning the language, the country's history, and participating in the mainstream political process.  It also means bringing what you know or have from your country to the table.  It is almost impossible to name one US origin food that has not been assimilated or that has not influenced US tastes.

Remember, "United we stand, divided we fall". Throughout the world there are examples of societies that have had severe troubles because they did not integrate with each other. For instance, it's been hard to get the Kurds in Iraq to play along with the new system. You basically have several different nationalities in that nation.
The US was supposed to be a different kind of experiment. We would no longer be Englishmen, Dutchmen, Frenchmen, or whatever. We would be Americans, regardless of our cultural background. That doesn't mean that you have to ditch those parts of your culture that have value. Just that it's more important to unite under one standard, speak one language, and have one culture, which is made up of the good elements of all other cultures that have been added.
One of the best ways to destroy a country is to engender class or race hatred amongst its residents. Unfortunately our country is ripe for that because we have forgotten what it means to be American, and separate off into our own little groups. Having different languages is a great divider.