Offical Lanuage for the US

Then give me a sound policy outline. Deal with it.

 

What??:null:

 

C'mon, you speak English.

 

In Canada, we have two official languages, French and English. They are based on the founding peoples. Government telephones are answered in both official languages.

French schools are provided for in English areas base on population. Our governments also make every effort to provide a translator in most common languages as needed.

Someone mention the conflict in Canada because of language; Not so. The separation problems are connected to a political base in Quebec called Separatistes. They want to be a separate entity to Canada and this is not directly connected to language.

Peoples who settled Canada were not only the English from England, but also Germans, Norwegians, Finns and other ethnic groups that settled the West and northern Ontario. Many retained their cultural values, including their languages. They also, however, made English a primary language for dealing with other Canadians.

When I was a pastor in Quebec, I had both an English (morning) and French (evening) congregation. It wasn't a big deal, but did take some effort to improve on French because of the divergent dialects in Quebec.

I always thought the official language in the USA was English. I am thinking about Lousiana who tried to make their version of French official in that state and it was denied. Teachers were brought down from Acadian Canada to re-teach French...their dialect was the same.

Cheers, and best wishes to America in this struggle. I sure don't have an answer.

Jim

 

Just aother example of the anger and bitterness that comes from the left.

 

Thank you, Jim. I think we need to follow the good Canadian example in this regard, although the geographic lines are not so clearly drawn in the U.S., so the process will unfortunately be somewhat more difficult. We will, however, survive.

As far as English being the official language in the U.S., no, we have never had an official language. Some now want to make English official because they know they are losing ground demographically, but no one can quite come up with a program to administer such a diverse bunch of people as Americans are in only one language. The issue is not really those who have immigrated in the past from European countries, because just like in Canada they speak English well enough to function. The greater issue is the huge wave of recent immigration from Mexico and Latin America.

 

Yes, English only.

 

English only. One reason why this issue is even coming up is because the illegal immigrants outnumber the legal ones, even, I think, those that come from Mexico and parts south thereof.

Those illegals come here and do not bother to learn the language because primarily their purpose is just to send the dollars home. Most do not intend to stay here and be citizens or permanent residents of this country, and that is because they do not have the papers to even begin the residency process.

And because they have grown in numbers, with relatives and friends who are part of this country legally and are therefore legal voters, the politicos are kissing and smelling their behinds and making this country fit them instead of making them fit into this country because of their votes which they are sure to get if they can make this country bend over far enough to get slammed from behind.

So what if English was never the official language of this country ? It never was, legally, but it always was, historically. Just because there are no political papers somewhere in the library of Congress doesn't mean you look forward to the day when hispanics are the majority of Americans, and start working towards that day !

Let everybody, legal or illegal, learn to read, write, and speak English. Or, like I pointed out in a similar thread, if Hispanics are to be accomodated, then every language in this country ought to be accomodated. Many of my countrymen speak English, but there are also many who don't, and many of those applying, legally, for papers to come here to the States from my country are turned down at your embassy in Manila, because they cannot speak English.

I know of one woman from my country who ate pancakes morning, noon, night and in-between for three months because that was the only English word she recognized in the menu. And that is a true story !!:laugh:

 

I agree with you in part about immigration. Different issue. And yes, we have to keep printing documents in every language used.

 

Can we just say that English is the predominant laguage spoken in this country and anyone who doesnt learn it will be at a disadvantage? Can private employers have the right to hire only those that are fluent in English if they so choose? Or are you going to go so far as to force employers to provide translaters to assist those that refuse to learn the predominant language of this country? Should Spanish be taught as a major subject in our public schools like English, math , history etc and you dont graduate unless you are conversant in Spanish? I agree that English was never the "official" language of the USA but all past immigrants to this country were smart enough to know that if they didnt learn it they would never achieve the "American Dream". Those coming here now hate this country and want to drag their culture here and through a system slow infiltration are trying to undermine everything that made this country great.

 

Amen Ps104_33

 

That I agree with.

Yeah, I am sure they have meetings to plan the "slow infiltration" and lay out plans to "undermine everything that made this country great". :BangHead: Sheesh!

 

In 1999, the average employed immigrant who spoke English very well earned $40,741, more than double the $16,345 earned by immigrants who did not speak English at all. The increasing scale of English proficiency and earnings was recorded at every education level from less than high school through master's degree and beyond. (Source: Educational Testing Services, A Human Capital Concern: The Literary Proficiency of U.S. Immigrants, March 2004)

The ability to understand English was so crucial to immigrant success that foreign-born workers with moderate-to-high levels English proficiency had higher earnings than native-born workers with the same degree of English proficiency. More important, data from the National Adult Literacy Survey found that immigrants with a low degree of English proficiency earned one-half of what those with a medium degree of proficiency earned and less than one-third of highly English proficient immigrants. (Source: Educational Testing Services, A Human Capital Concern: The Literary Proficiency of U.S. Immigrants, March 2004)

Immigrants who speak English "not well" or "not at all" have median weekly earnings approximately 57 percent of those of U.S. born workers. The weekly earnings of immigrants who speak another language at home, but speak English "very well" or "well" are nearly 90 percent of those of U.S. born workers. Immigrants who speak English at home are best off, with median weekly earnings 20 percent higher than U.S. born workers. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor, How Do Immigrants Fare in the U.S. Labor Market?, Monthly Labor Review, December 1992)

The U.S. Department of Education found that those with limited English proficiency are less likely to be employed, less likely to be employed continuously, tend to work in the least desirable sectors and earn less than those who speak English. Annual earnings by non-English proficient adults were approximately half of the total population surveyed. ? (Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics; English Literacy and Language Minorities in the United States, August 2001)
You see? If an immigrant is hit in the pocketbook, and lets face it, money is the reason they come here in the first place, they will learn English real quick.


“The tie of language is perhaps the strongest and the most durable that can unite mankind.”
Alexis de Tocqueville

“I know that Representative Fairchild is pleased, as I am, with the rapid passage of this bill. I agree with you that facility with English provides a common and necessary bond for all Americans.” Bill Clinton


“Our new immigrants must be part of our one America. After all, they're revitalizing our cities, they're energizing our culture, they're building up our economy. We have a responsibility to make them welcome here, and they have a responsibility to enter the mainstream of American life. That means learning English and learning about our democratic system of government. There are now long waiting lines of immigrants that are trying to do just that. Therefore, our budget significantly expands our efforts to help them meet their responsibility. I hope you will support it."
President Bill Clinton, State of the Union Speech, 1999

http://www.usenglish.org/inc/official/factsfigs.asp

 

I think what you are failing to see is that even if one has the ability to converse in English and even masters it fairly well, it is not as easy to understand the legal documents and different government forms that are in English. For many people it will always be easier to understand some things in their native tongue. Bilingual forms are not interfering with the "identity" of America, whatever that is. I will guarentee that if uninformed people decide to vote for this English only documents law on the basis of preserving the national identity you are going to be causing a lot of government employees uneccessary stress.

 

Agree with almost everything you say. I do think that in some areas of the country Spanish should be taught in school. In other areas it should be some other language. At any rate, I think some foreign language should be taught as a major subject in high school.

I also do not agree with your last statement, but you probably already figured that, and I'll leave it at that.

 

Yes, but of course same is true of Spanish.

Sure. But the reality is the other way. Any employer who knows which side his/her bread is buttered on will pay extra for someone who speaks Spanish.

Yes. And in some parts of the country a third language.

I think that is still true, but in the future there will be no American Dream for those who do not speak at least two languages.

I don't know of anyone coming here who HATES it, but if so maybe it has something to do with our foreign policy. Meanwhile I totally agree immigration should be stopped NOW.

 

No its not. The only time knowing Spanish would be an advantage is if you were a police officer in a neighborhood with a Spanish speaking community of hispanics who refuse to learn English.

Any employee who knows which side his bread is buttered on will learn to be articulate in English. And that goes for some of our native born Americans. Did you read at all my most recent post?

Thats a stretch.

 

That is changing so fast everywhere, not just in the southwest.

The greater issue is going to be Anglos who refuse to learn Spanish. And yes, if you look at demographic projections you will see what I said is not a stretch whatsoever. I am making a practical argument, not a moral argument.

I see now why you are disagreeing with me! It is just a lack of information.
Here is some info you can chew over:
http://www.ushcc.com/res-statistics.html
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/news_print.asp?id=16372
http://www.dmnews.com/cms/dm-news/database-marketing/37791.html

 

facts are....

Hard to argue with.

The FACTS are that this issue has become such a heated issue directly because of ILLEGAL immigration.

Close our borders NOW and work to DEPORT all illegals. Within a short time this issue will become moot.

DEPORT ALL ILLEGALS.

In my community there are thousands of Hispanics who REFUSE to speak our language. This is MY country not theirs. I strongly resent the Catholic Hispanics coming here to STEAL, KILL and DESTROY. Everywhere I look I see it. Robberies, murders, grafiti, drugs and destruction. ALL of it is perpetrated by the hispanic people who come here.

English only is just one step (albeit a weak one) towards taking control back from these usurpers.

Of course; the LIBERALS cannot think rationally so they will offer emotional arguments designed to obfuscate the facts.

THIS ISSUE IS ABOUT IMMIGRATION AND WILL NOT BE RESOLVED UNTIL WE KICK THE THIEVES OUT OF OUR COUNTRY.