Illegal Immigrants?

Question

Ok, This is a touchy subject but it needs to be touched. I live in Northern California. Lately almost every customer I help doesn't speak any English at all. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the ones that try and they want to learn, but some don't want to learn English and I believe that the lack of communication divides us. We shouldn't have special signs that are in spanish, because what about all the vietnamese, indian, japanese, german......Etc. that can't speak any english. Why don't they have signs as well. And if you can't read English, how do you know what street signs mean? I think that if you live in this country or any other country, you should at least try to speak the native tongue and become a citizen. That all I have to say.

Answer 1

Some of them know english, they just don't want to speak it. that pesky thing known as going out of your comfort zone and not wanting to make mistakes when speaking which comes from yet another annoying trait- pride, and believe me Latino pride is hell to come up against. Also not all of them are illegals.
Sometimes it is the 2nd and 3rd generations that learn English and assimilate better. I see it all the time in South Florida. The grandma not a lick of English, her offspring speaks Spanglish , Grandchild both English and Spanish, great grand child, not a lick of Spanish. Other immigrant nations went through the same thing such as. Italians when they first got here. It is just more magnified now than then because of the huge influx as well as 24/7 media coverage and globalization on steroids

Answer 2

It does seem that common courtesy would dictate at least putting forth an effort to communicate in the language commonly used in the country in which you are visiting.
They don't have to learn English because Americans have decided to cater people in this day and age instead of forcing immigrants to assimilate into our culture we will bend over backwards to make life easy for you. The tragedy is- that isn't doing anybody any favors. Some places may choose to offer services in Spanish but most won't.
In my part of the country- you are just SOL if you can't speak English.
in the case of illegal aliens- there is no need to question whether or not they realize that failing to learn English in an English speaking country is discourteous at best flat out disrespectful at worst. They don't care if it is disrespectful rude or against the law. They only care about what is best for them not what is best for the country they are trespassing upon.
After all, someone that has no respect for the law certainly can't be expected to have any respect for anything else.

Answer 3

The same thing has occurred to me as well and you're right about some of them (seemingly most) have no desire to learn English. Recently, I saw a lady in the grocery store frantically running around in tears. I approached and asked if there was something I could do to help. She spoke Spanish and since I don't live in South America, I don't. Fortunately, I was able to quickly find another person who was bi-lingual and we learned that her three year old had disappeared. We found the little girl in the parking lot a few minutes later. It baffles me that people who immigrate here, legally or otherwise, for the most part, fail to understand that it is in their best interest to learn English.

Answer 4

I'm puerto rican and in the area where i use to live in queens has Spanish signs allover the place by the side of the roads and in the stores its all illegals shopping in cars that are illegal because they have no license's and no insurance and in some cases they buy houses illegally from brokers who will sell it to them under the table. i grew up in the USA and English is my first language (Spanish my second) , i have pride in being who i am, but i don't like other ppl coming to this country and telling me how to live by making it easier for them to stay here.

p.s if i visit another country shoulded i at least try and learn a little of there language ???????? and i i'm going to live there learn the whole ball of wax???????????!!!!!

Answer 5

The problem with this Illegal immigration is that our government is taking the illegal out of it. Our border is pretty much wide open and the people that are crossing illegally are getting social security, welfare and medical benifits that they have no rights to get. This is causing a horrible strain on our healthcare system and our education system. I do feel for these people but we are not responsible to take care of their country's social and economic problems. That is going to put strain on this country and turn it into what they are fleeing. Now anyone that wants to go through the proper lagal channels to come here and become a productive part of our country is welcome as far as I'm concerned. I know they are not all here illegally and I think it is wonderful when people come here LEGALLY. That is what this country is built on and without immigration none of us would be here. Maybe we should ask the Native Americans if they wish they had stronger immigration laws.

Answer 6

To the rumor that most know english and dont want to speak it
Yes they know english. Most can understand english but just can't actually speak it. My mother in law is like this. Some peoples minds just aren't capable of learning new things. I'm defending the first answer to this question.
I do agree though. They should learn to speak the laungage...if only conversational skills. (which my mother in law can do that)
But dont get me wrong I agree with the rest of the first answer as well.

Answer 7

They should learn English, but the truth is that so many live in neighborhoods with a majority latino population and can get by without ever learning it. ANYONE can learn another language if they set out to and even moreso if they put themselves in a situation where they are surrounded by it. Whether you are educated or not, multilingualism is well within everyone's grasp.

I want to thank you for making your statement in a very diplomatic way.

Answer 8

very good comment i just asked a related question like yours like yesterday.i dont mind at all if people speak there native language to there family ,but they should make a effort to learn english and learn it ! I had a russian student she didnt know no english nothing! by the end of the year she learned it all she would practice ALOT! including weekends. i will help her learn english also little by little she learned all her english in less than a year ,if you wanna learn it you need to make a effort!

Answer 9

I couldn't agree more. When I go shopping these days, I am the only native English speaking person in the entire store.

And what's up w/ Spanish TV stations? Does this encourage the kids to learn english?

Border Security/ Anti-Amnesty Rally

March For America 6/16/07 1-5 pm

Meet 12 noon at US Capital Washington DC

Other rallies in state capitals around the nation

http://www.lframerica.com/march2.html

Answer 10

so I guess you are been required to speak every each language when you going to their countries? nowdays if you don't speak two or more languages you are at the end of the line, LUCKY ME, I come from Dom. Republic, I speak Spanish, English, French and I use to be married to a Jamaican guy so I get down on that too.