Shouldn't people who come to our country and speak a forign language on our land be thrown in jail?

Question

people want to declare english as an official language right? this could be a good way to do that. could also help w/illegal imagration. i have no problems w/any race, or people who are here legally. but everyone's always complaining how forign people come in and take our jobs when they can't even speak our language. Then they make us feel dumb for not knowing their language, but they're the ones coming over here and can't speak ours!

Answer 1

I agree to a certain point in your argument. I dont believe citizens should have to become fluent in spanish. But I also dont think that will ever have to happen. Although it is becoming easier to be bilingual, as a result of increasing number of Hispanics. But from my own experience, the majority of their children, and grandchildren, etc, they are all learning english! So I honestly believe the problem is fixing itself. The children are learning English, they have to if they want to be able to live here. So there are still the few left who moved here initially who have yet to learn english and quit honestly never will. But not to threat because their children will most likely.

Answer 2

A very interesting question--but by your logic, our immigrant ancestors should be in jail because they spoke a "foreign language". Massasoit and Powatan didn't speak English.

BTW, your complaint is as old as the US. There was a party commonly known as the "Know Nothing" Party whose aim it was to get rid of all immigrants--very popular in the 1840s.

Actually, the majority of people coming from a non-English speaking country try their best to learn English, though they tend to speak their native tongue at home. Their children learn English and tend to speak it far more than the tongue of their parents. By the time you get to the third generation, the only hint of "foreignness" is found in the surname, if that. This has been the case historically, and I feel that this trend will continue.

Answer 3

how would you feel if you decided to live overseas and if you didn't speak their language they threw you in jail. People come to America for freedom to live the way they please. They aren't taking jobs that you would do anyway, they are coming in and working for less than minimum wage doing jobs that people who have less than a high school equivalent would do. So what are you mad that you really wanted to be a bus boy and an illegal immigrant took that from you. They make less than you would in that position and work more hours, it's not like they are sitting in some park avenue office make 200k. And I don't know any immigrants that look at us like we're stupid for not knowing their language, in fact I've met more who read my mouth and try to learn the alphabet in order to understand us better. I'm not saying that there aren't immigrants who come over and mooch off or resources and are rude but you can't generalize for the whole bunch. I'd say 90% of the immigrants who come over are hardworking and only here to give their children better lives. There's no way of saying you aren't a bigot and then generalize about a whole group of people. Don't argue for something you don't have facts for it makes you look ignorant.

Answer 4

Well that wouldn't be too good for the world stage...you see if
we start jailing people because they don't speak English...what
would happen to the rest of us that go to (or live in) Foreign
Countries...Remember now...we do have Troops stationed
Overseas and most of them don't speak the language of the
country they are in.

I think it is in the Common Interest to all who wish to be
Citizens in this Country that they learn to speak English
for basic reasons of necessity and survival...when someone
is hurting...looking for a translator is unreasonable.
But jailing a person because they don't speak your
language is also unreasonable ...Intelligence comes from learning
and not falling into the trap of how people make you feel..so
feel free to learn another language and empower yourself
instead of limiting yourself

Answer 5

Well...there's a lot of US CITIZENS that speak a foreign language. A lot of my relatives speak fluent Italian and I speak Spanish at work.

Sounds more like you want to start a witch hunt

Thanks for the question Mr McCarthy

Answer 6

Maybe you should learn how to spell in English before you start throwing people in jail.

Answer 7

most people can speak American (doy) why would they come here anyway?
I mean there are foreign languague schools and speaking other languages is alright if you can speak English

Answer 8

Ich auch glaub das! Tu tienes razon amigo.

Answer 9

If so. What would you do with tourists, diplomats, or great personalities, as scientists, artists, sportsman, musicians etc.?