Do you find it rude....?

Question

that some immigrants do not want to learn our English language here in America!?
If you answered yes, please tell us what immigrant group you feel is most rude in not wanting to assimulate?! Also what state and/or city you are from.

Answer 1

Yes I do think it's rude and disrespectful to not learn the English language when you come to America. If you go to another country and you don't speak their language or find some one who speaks English you'll be in a bind for sure. A lot of Spanish speaking people come to this country without a care to learn our language, but many Americans are required to learn Spanish for school or work primarily. It should be a requirement to learn English. If you want to come over here and flood the cheap labor work force and consume our benefits you could at least learn the language.

Answer 2

I believe people who come to a place to live should adjust (not assimulate) the best way they can, and language is a very important part of that. Consciously refusing to adjust is not only very rude; its stupid. But if u think that a person who comes to your country after a certain age, has hardly an education and a learning experience in his own language and works 15 hour shifts amongst other people who also dont speak english or speak it badly, doesnt learn the language out of rudness, then we sure understand rudness differently.... I have many many examples of americans (also english - less german and french) in my country who get married here or work here for a serious time period and have both the time and the money to do it but still refuse to put the slightest effort in learning the elementary in the local language. Now that is rude....

Answer 3

Most immigrants speak more than one language. Most Americans, the ones that were born in States, can barely speak proper English. I have yet to see the one who can read and understand Shakespeare or even the simplified, Americanized, version of it. And that's a fact. Take your own writing, for example: "what immigrant group you feel is most rude in not wanting to assimulate". Is that a proper English? Did you ever graduate a Third Grade? If so, I would fire your teacher. Here is the correction to your statement: "What immigrant group you feel is most rude in not to assimlate". Yes, it should be "assimilate", not "assimUlate". You made five (!) mistakes in one statement, and I am not even talking about the punctuation. You should not feel offended, you should be ashamed of yourself and of your ignorance.

Answer 4

I think most Americans feel that Chicanos (Mexican people) and other Latin American people who come to America are the least acclimating. I suppose what makes them different from other people who live in America and do not speak the language is that most people in the other groups understand that most Americans speak English, and therefore, things in America will be written in English. Hispanics often want things to be printed in Spanish so that they can read it. Chinese, on the other hand, are used to having to figure things out if they do not understand it, and they do not try to push for the Chinese language to be placed on every item.

Also, Hispanic groups protest making English the national language of the United States because they like being catered to. Asians, Africans, Europeans, and Middle Easterners in America typically support (or have no opinion about) the English language becoming the official language. I feel that English should be the official language. Having an official language doesn't mean people have to stop speaking other languages. It simply means that Americans will all be able to communicate in at least one common language (English).

(I'm from Pennsylvania)

Answer 5

I'm an American who studied in Mexico and lives in an area with a large Spanish speaking population. My Spanish isn't as good as it once was, but I get by and can talk to most anyone about most anything.

On one hand, it does annoy me a bit that some immigrants don't make any visible attempt to learn English, but consider the makeup of most who come to the U.S. from Latin America. Generally, they don't have nearly any formal education nor the ability to speak proper SPANISH, let alone learn another language.

For those "patriotic" Americans who think we should have an official language and force immigrants to conform, please remember that one of the basic tenets of our constitution is the concept of liberty. People who come here have the right to speak any language they want. Is a person who only speaks Spanish going to ever make a decent wage? Are they going to be able to participate in all of the great things this country has to offer? Will they be able to effectively communicate in an emergency situation? Is a Spanish speaker's life going to be as convenient as an English speaker or someone who is bilingual?

The answer to all of these questions is probably not. To be honest, I do find it a bit disrespectful to not learn enough English to at least be able to perform simple day to day tasks without resorting to reliance on someone else to translate or to be bilingual....

But in the end, they have the freedom to choose their language, and I'm sure most realize the benefits they'll never see by not learning English.

Answer 6

Some of the immigrants are in their 50 or 60 or older; it's very difficult for them to learn a new language & adapt a new culture. You have to try to understand from their perspectives. I'm an immigrant myself, I came to this country when I was 5; therefore, I have no problem learning English as well as adapting to the American culture.

Have you ever try to learn to speak French or Japanese?

If French & Japanese are not your primary languages, then I bet that I speak more fluently in French & Japanese than you do because I'm trilingual.

However, I understand what you mean, some people come to this country in their teenage years and later become adults but still cannot learn to read, write, and speak correctly in English but instead expect the biligual education to translate every signs on the doors or streets in their languages. I think you & I are already know who they are, but I'm not going to mention their ethnicities, mainly because I don't want to be label as a racist or a stereotype. And I want all of us to be united regardless of our differences. So we just leave it at that.

Answer 7

I do think it is rude, they would expect the same if an American went to their country. Not to mention the fact for we have to accomodate them by learning their language here so they don't have to learn English. I think the most rude are the Latinos, sorry I did pick this up from working at the carwash where the guys from Mexico got away with rude sexual comments towards customers becuase "they don't understand." I am in Boise Idaho.

Answer 8

No, I don't find it rude. I think that those who don't learn English are putting themselves at a disadvantage if they have chosen to come live here, but I don't think it's rude at all. I understand that this is an overwhelming place to many who are new to the U.S., especially someone who has, perhaps, had a poor education, or who is older and more "set in their ways." I think for such a person, the combination of coming to the U.S. and learning the language all at once can be a huge change, and most of us don't do well with BIG changes.

I live near Seattle, Washington.

Answer 9

I don't really find it rude, atleast not here in America where English isn't the official languge and its so wonderful that it is diverse. In other, countries I do see it as rude if the Americans don't try to learn the language because most likely that country does have an official language. And if everyone knew English here, we'd put so many bilingual people out of business.

Answer 10

I am a black woman living in Los Angeles, California. I was married to a mexican national. We used to argue all the time because his family did not like me and would refuse to speak English. I know for a fact that they want to take over this country, Now I know how the Native Amercians felt years ago. I have always felt that they should learn English. My husband and I would argue about teaching the kids spanish. Some of them are okay, but most are rude and obnoxious. Do not like them and never will anymore. But in a way I am glad that my two boys are half mexican and black. I feel that in 100 years from now they will own all of our country. They should go back and fix their country's problems.