Why can't we learn Italian is school?

Question

Why should some ask for what they want and expect it? Lots of people speak Italian. And others languages. Why do people from Mexico think their special? I think it is racist.

that is right if they want to know Spanish they can take a course. We don't have to teach it .

Answer 1

Because the Italian immigrants had the sense to learn English.

Answer 2

I'm not sure what motivated this question, especially in this category--probably some reference to "illegals"--a topic that doesn't even warrant anymore of my keystrokes today. But if you're serious, why can't you take Italian? I did; in fact I took Italian and Spanish in high school. (From the same teacher--who had grown up in a home where Italian was spoke)--Boy! Did we ever get into some confusing situations in school! She was always mixing them up--the languages, that is. And some students had both classes, some only had one or the other. The teacher would say something, and suddenly half of the class would give her that blank "I've-never-heard-that-before" stare, and she'd say, "Oh! Wrong language again? Which class is this?" It was pretty funny.
Anyway, good luck.



edit--to the fella above me: I don't think she meant those as racist comments; I think she meant that racists in those days made the same sorts of comments about Italians as racists make today about Mexicans.
If she DID mean them, you're right! She's too stupid to be at a computer!

Answer 3

Schools can only offer languages that they have the teachers available to teach them. If a high school wants to offer Italian or Mandarin Chinese or Greek they have to have teachers who know those languages who can teach them. Unfortunately, most schools can only employ Spanish and French teachers due to the small number of teachers who know other languages. Maybe you should learn Italian in college and get a teaching certificate and teach Italian to high school students. Then in a number of years, someone won't be asking the same question that you are asking now.

Answer 4

I think your reaching! Why is everyone so dead set on being discriminated against? Everyone wants to be hated on...I'm assuming that your complaining because your high school doesn't offer Italian as a class...many high schools don't, it's not a very common class to offer...wait until you get to college then go nuts...go to the bookstore and buy yourself a cd guide to teach yourself Italian. Stop being a whiny little brat. I know of a middle school who only taught French as a foreign language because they only had one language teacher and that's all she knew. Then when she retired they started teaching Spanish only...so just relax.

Answer 5

You have a good point there. When I was in High School you had a choice of Spanish, French, Russian, and German.

I even made a point to one of the teachers that I would like to learn Italian. The problem was they couldn't find any teachers that knew the language.

Answer 6

Quite simple really...There are alot of Mexican, Cuban, Puerta Ricans in The U.S. south of the U.S. is pretty much entirely Spanish speaking. Of course in a perfect world where Political correctness didnt rule supreme one would be required speak the languaage of Majority or at least not be Forced to be bilingual. As for early Italian immigrants selling drugs and what not, very ignorant remark...I think you're talking about mafiosi type...Italians discovered and built America through hard work and sacrifice.

Answer 7

Many schools offer Italian and other languages. The time when Italians were coming to the US illegally, overstaying their visas and marrying for papers has passed( 1920s-1970s). Now it's the Mexicans's turn. In 20 years it will be someone else.
Italians aren't superior to the Mexicans:they speak English only because they've been here for decades. They were allowed to stay, because back then the laws were immigration-friendly. Italians today don't need a visa to come to the US, since the big Italian invasion has passed. And for the record, when Italians were invading the US, you had the same anti-immigrant sentiment-they came by the millions,spoke no English and were taking low-pay jobs. Many of them were drug-dealers and Italians as a whole were looked down upon. Same goes for the Mexicans now. Only they work harder to prove themselves. There are no new Italian immigrants today, so Italian is not popular at all, and Italy is not your southern neighbour. Mexico is.
rarizzo, I'm not calling Italians drug-dealers. I KNOW many of those who were such at the time!It is well documented fact. THe drug-dealing mafia in the US is mostly fro the poorer southern parts of Italy.
You Italians have contributed of course to US culture , just as any other culture blending in...
Name-calling seems to be very Italian of you. Why are all Italians I know so beast-like? You lack any restraint, refined manners or civilized attitude the other Europeans have. You don't talk, you scream and name -call people. Is it because you have nothing else to say? Probably.

Answer 8

Italian is taught where I live because RI has a fairly large Italian-American community. If you look around, I'm sure you can find an Italian course somewhere.

Answer 9

Just because they speak spanish?? That question does not make sense. There are alot of other countries that speak spanish beside Mexico. The school I went to gave you the choice of what language you wanted to learn no one made me learn spanish I chose to. We had French, Italian, Spanish, and German to choice from.

Answer 10

Usually highschool offers many different language classes. If not college does. They go by the majority. We don't have a swarm of italian immigrants at the current moment. Its not racist.

Answer 11

I like the first answer and it's true. I know because my family is Italian on one side. They are very patriotic too and they had the sense to learn the language here, not expect everyone to learn their culture and way of life after they got here and they sure as hell wasn't stupid enough to fly a foreign flag on U.S. soil. That is just too stupid.