Why do people always say "the other immigrants learned English and wanted to be American". Mexicans dont.

Question

There were massive immigrant communities were people just spoke their native language. There was even an American Nazi party and some of Hitler's henchmen were German-Americans. Every immigrant group has turned whatever town they inhabit into a third world country. The Irish, Italians, Jews all had mafias and if you read instead of go by what other people say, it took a many generations for them to assimilate.

Most Mexicans simply havent had that much time here.

Or is this a racial issue since these past immigrants were white?

Answer 1

Oh stop! ...from what I have seen the Irish have never learned to speak English even now. Besides that is part and parcel of any group coming to America, or any other country for that matter. That is why they gather into ghettos like little Havana and little Haiti in Miami or Ybor City in Tampa and what about the China towns in cities all over this this country and Canada. The older immigrants have a real hard time learning a new language. Your ability to learn a new language is greatly diminished after the age of twelve, that was determined in many studies conducted throughout the 20th century. I was In the Air Force years ago, and my tests indicated I might be able to learn a language and become a translator. The test consisted of spoken sentences which sound like this... "IF IGNATZ WHA BENEY, means she is a nice girl... then what does, "YAHOOLY CO DESPECZENY!" Mean? HUH!!! Needless to say I still speak only English. If I was forced to move to another country for whatever reason, I truly know in my heart I could never learn another language and I would have to hide in a ghetto speaking American English to all the other immigrants who had come to China to find work after the collapse of the Bush Brothers economy. Give it up. These people are not lazy!!! I would like to see some of your other answerees here spend 12 to 14 hours day in the hot sun picking the tomatoes and other crops these people pick for less then minimum wages, consistantly year after year. You might call them uneducated, and have some meaning, but to call them lazy just points out your own blatant ignorance. Capitalism, as a system, needs a large underpaid working class to function. Our own Middle Class, which consists of nearly everyone but the ultra rich, would never do what these people do. Look what happened to Ford, GM, and Chrysler (before the Germans bought them) when everyone who worked for them became middle class, even if they only swept floors... Bankruptcy. The same will happen to this country as a whole when we throw all 12 million of these "illegal" immigrants out. Oh they do create problems, but so does all population growth. Every American state government knows that new arrivals only pay for 84% of the infrastructure it takes to manage their arrival, even if they are rich Americans. Go Figure...? Besides, Hispanics will be the majority population (51%) in 2051. Then they will vote Spanish in as the only spoken language in America, and you will have to push #2 to hear it in english, and then you will know how hard it is to learn a language (even if it is free) after having spent 12 hours in the fields picking hot peppers for the rich Hispanics who will then be running this country.

Answer 2

The other immigrants did want to assimilate. They knew that assimilation was the key to success.
From what I have read the majority of Mexican illegals do not even try to assimilate or learn English. The LA Times did an article about a husband and wife, illegals from Mexico who were here for husband 28 years and wife 22 years, and they both did not know how to speak English. Their children (supposed American citizens) could barely even speak English, 1 of the girls was an adult and married and could barely speak English. And yet went to school in the states. How does that happen??
And I'm sorry but after 28 and 22 years you still can't speak English......come on now that's just messed up.
It's not racist to want immigrants regardless of legal status to learn our language. Give it a rest why don't you.

Answer 3

No the Mexicans made it an issue, by marching and waving the Mexican flag, and holding signs that say this is our continent. Well It is not your continent, The illegals that come here did not build this country, or make it laws, or right it's constitution. For people that have not had much time here, they have sure made a pest of them selves. They listened to their Mexican activists groups and proclaimed this their land and they were going to take it back, Well it doesn't belong to Mexico any more, they weren't smart enough to hold on to it. Other immigrants never said anything like that ever, they were grateful to be here, and grateful to show they wanted to contribute to this country not claim it as theirs, and expected everyone else to change for them. NO the Mexicans showed their true colors when they marched with their Mexican flags, other immigrants never came here waving their countries flags, if they had a flag is was American. If you look at old film of immigrants you never saw foreign flags never. That is the biggest disrespect anyone can show to another country. And all I ever here about Mexicans is they want respect. well you have to show respect first, before you recieve it back. Where were all the other illegals besides Mexicans, you didn't see them marching and waving the flag of their country, they were to smart for that, they know what respect is. Any body with a half a brain would no better. And yes we no about the Nazi party, but they weren't real Americans, real Americans would not do that, they were evil just like hitler, and the KKK, and other supremeists groups. People that came before were not illegals, they came through Ellis Island and immigration. they didn't come illegally. The ones that came with out papers were Italians thats how they got the name wops,( with out papers) but they still came through immigration, so they could be tested for diseases, and processed. Mexicans don't they just cross the border illegally. Their have always been Mexican Americans here and they get along fine with everyone and they have their own neighborhoods also, and most are very nice people. But the ones that are coming now have no manners.

Answer 4

A sizeable number of Mexicans/Hispanics don't need to learn appropriate English, because they live in a parallel society, where Spanish is the dominant language. Many cities in the South-Western U.S. have a Hispanic majority. Hence, José and María can go to the Mexican grocery store, to the Salvadorian bakery or to any Spanish-speaking doctor.

Answer 5

It is not necessarily a racial issue. It is a lack of knowledge or maturity issue. For starters, everybody in America is from somewhere else. Even American Indians, some people believe, came here from Polynesia. It is natural that people have a tendency to speak their own language. However, in order to function efficiently they have to learn English. And they do. The majority of the immigrants speak more then one language: their own and English. You might not be aware of the fact that in order to become an American citizen they have to pass a special basic English and American history test. Every ethnic and national group enriches our culture, contributes to it and makes us what we are: out of many one. I am one of those immigrants. But, like the majority of Europeans, I speak more than one language (English, Russian, Spanish and some Italian) I never was a member of Russian or Jewish mafia nor I intend to be. I am a contributing member of this society and am not able to understand in which way do I convert my city in a third world country?

Answer 6

There are plenty of other immigrants in this country that have not learned English or prefer to speak in their native language........it's because of the rapid growth of the Non - English speaking Mexican population that makes it more noticeable. That's all it is.

And no it doesn't take generations to assimilate. Assimilation is by choice, you're speaking on it as if it's evolution. Some people in other cultures choose to preserve their culture by speaking their language in their homes to their children (refusing to speak any English), practicing their rituals, customs, and any other way of life in their culture all while living here in America.

Answer 7

You are right about one thing.... people are a product of their environment.
Those "linguistic ghettos" eventually assimilated when they figured out English was the key to survival in a country where English is spoken. This, paired with the slow of immigration.
They didn't have enough time, huh? If you were planning on moving to Mexico and didn't know spanish would you
a) Learn spanish so you can function as a productive member of society
b) Go without knowing spanish and demand the government offer english services and struggle to survive until you break down and learn it.

Answer 8

I can tell you first hand that NOT all other immigrants learned English. Some of my husband's family came to our country from Italy in the 20th century. Some went to school to learn English and some did not. There are still some who don't speak English at all. Some of them even have driver's licenses. I can't don't understand how they could even take the test.
There are ethnic newspapers all over the country.
Personally, I think it is a racial issue at this point in time.
Years ago, though, when other immigrants came, even those from countries whose people spoke English were discriminated against. It took a long time for them to assimilate.
I really believe though that the present tide against the Mexicans and hispanics in general is simply a distraction. Our government is good at that. When there's something they don't want us to concentrate on, they throw mud in the game. For instance, if we concentrate on discriminating against Mexicans, we're not looking at the war and the amount of our soldiers who are dying every day.

Answer 9

Awwww, poor Mexican, doesn't have 'time' to learn English.(sniff,sniff) They are living in a country where English is spoken all around them every day everywhere. They should be able to learn basic English easily. AMERICANS don't all live in areas where SPANISH is spoken regularly or work where Spanish is spoken regularly. WE live in a country that speaks ENGLISH, therefore we don't have a NEED to 'learn' Spanish. THEY 'need' to learn ENGLISH. And they think WE should take time to learn Spanish!!?? ~~~GMAB!!!

Those people who legally immigrated here did not have English classes offered to them FREE of charge. They did not have bulletins, laws, labels, directions, instructions, documents printed in THEIR languages. THEY didn't press #2 for German, #3 Chinese, #4 for Korean, #5 Italian, etc. THEY had to LEARN the language or at least the basics of it!! It is difficult for older people to learn a new language, they made sure their children did!! Immigrants today have NO excuse for not learning basic English.

Get off that racist stuff about all immigrants were or are 'white'. Immigrants come from all nationalities and races.

FYI, Mexicans are 'white'. They are descendents of the Spanish, from Spain~European!

Answer 10

The answer is that previous immigrant groups made great efforts to learn English and become Americans. Many Mexicans not only refuse to learn English, but insist that everyone else learn Spanish for their benefit. Oh, and excuse me, but since when are Hispanics not white? The last time I checked, Spain was a European country and its' natives were Caucasian.