Would anybody support legislation that mandates that?

Question

all businesses, programs etc... be in English ONLY? There seems to be some debate on if LEGAL Immigrants should be forced to learn our language. So instead of "forcing" them to learn the language, making it to where if they want to be here, they will have no choice but to learn it in order to survive and thrive here.

I am basically suggesting that if we want to deter illegal immigration that why make it easier for them to come here. If we cater to them, why wouldn't they want to cross over to our borders?

Answer 1

English is the prevailing and common language in our country, it follows that all business should be conducted in our common language that all will understand. Likewise for commerce, out of courtesy to customers. English also isn't that hard to learn, as it takes many words from many languages and incorporates them.
Given, as people get older, picking up a foreign language is no easy task, but there are SO many ways to get help to learn english, it's not even funny anymore. Further, with the digital age, your computer can help you to learn it. If you're really going to make it in the US economy, outside a little ethnic shell, you need to learn english. Rather than balkanization, we should be encouraging assimilation, and part of that is learning our language....

Answer 2

Well..the United States is supposed to be the "melting pot" of the world...so I don't see why it's a problem that people speak other languages. And for the person that said that english *IS* the language of the US, there is no official language in the United States, so there is no reason why it should be the only language spoken here. If everyone from every country only spoke thier own language, we'd be pretty hard pressed to communicate from people around the world. I'm sure glad when I travel around the world that I meet people that speak English but I dont think we as Americans should be so self-involved as to impose on everyone that must speak English, whether they are in this country or not. If people are surviving here and living fine without learning English, then everyone else shouldn't be bothered.

Answer 3

I don't really Have a pat answer for your question.
But if I chose to live in another country, I feel it would be of the gravest importance that I learn the language.
I practice what I preach. In the past the United States Military sent me to other countries in the past, I always felt it important that I learn the language.
English is the language spoken in the United States, and I think if anyone wants to live here they should learn the language.
I am not a mean person, nor bigoted, I just think people should get real.

Answer 4

I agree …they should learn English. Not because it's the “language” of our country, but because it will make it so much easier for them to survive here. They (immigrants) can manage now, can you imagine how powerful they will be when they're bilingual. Printing documents only in English would not solve a thing; it will only make it harder to teach them the English language. Since everyone wants them to learn “the language” why not make it feasible instead of almost impossible.

“ceprn”….what cave are you living in?

Answer 5

I think immigrants should be required to learn English, but we should provide classes to help them do so. Or maybe some kind of funding, like loans (similar to what people do for college right now, that they can pay off later). Quite a few of the immigrants are too poor to pay right away, and they shouldn't be held back solely because they are poor, that is discrimination and against the core beliefs of this country.

However, I do not believe businesses, programs and so on in the private sector should be forced into English only situations. The majority of them do do that on their own (mostly because they are after the english-speaking populace here already), but if they want to go after the large group of Spanish speaking people and their money, I think it is their right to do so. They shouldn't be forced not to, that goes against the spirit of capitalism (you find the demand no matter where it is and fill it to make money). I would not support legislation to force various businesses to be English only.

Answer 6

I would I get tired of pressing 1 for English everywhere. My wife is an immigrant from Cambodia and all of her family speaks English. Every Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Philipino that comes here learns the language as soon as possible. Hell, English is the most taught language in the world so why can't Hispanic immigrants that come here learn it and use it?

Answer 7

My parents came here after WWII from Europe. My brother was born there also. They all took great pride in learning the language and acclimating to the new environment. I grew up in a neighborhood that had many Mexican immigrants. They too took pride in learning the language. Need I say more?

Answer 8

No. Heck no. The government has no right to be intruding into private business like that. They can mandate that the official language of the federal government is English, and individual states can do the same for state government, but none of them have any right or authority to offend our liberties and freedoms like that.

Can we please all learn that the constitutions, both federal and state, are to limit, repeat LIMIT, their powers. And every time you people let them control more private business or private life issues, the less freedom, the less liberty we have.

Answer 9

The first things that immigrants have always done, upon entering our country...was learn the language.

Perhaps those who speak Spanish are not as smart as the ones from China, Viet Nam, Philippines, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Germany...or anywhere else. Clearly the Spanish speaking people are below average on the intellectual scale.

The only thing I see the illegals excell in is breaking our laws.

Answer 10

I most certainly would!!!! Just think of the cost involved in having to print everything twice..once in English and again in Spanish. Think of how much that costs every American citizen!