Why is it that 70% of Americans think immigrants should speak English fluently to become citizens?

Question

I was watching 'Power of 10', a game show on TV tonight, and I was just appalled. I can't help but think this is unbridled racism and nothing else. Is American not a country that was founded on people from different cultural backgrounds? I am Canadian and live in a very multicultural city and I think this is one of Canada's greatest strengths - our multiculturalism. Yes, there is racism here, but I think people are very tolerant and welcoming to people of different backgrounds and this makes our country better. It just seems insane to me that so many people feel this way.

Definitely some good points (and some silly ones - I strongly suspect that most people who wrote about Quebec don't really have a lot of understanding what the issues are there and I won't go into it). I do agree that communication is important, particularly in the workplace and I think learning English would be of a benefit in most jobs, but in many, people survive just fine. I am an ESL teacher and I know exactly how difficult it is to learn a second language - close to impossible for many people over a certain age and it doesn't matter how hard you try. I also agree with those who said that it's important to adapt to the social mores of the country they choose to live in - it's very important. Language can help do that. I'm just not convinced it should be a make-or-break deal for someone's citizenship. There are far too many people who would never have the resources to learn English (age, education level, etc.) but would still be valuable contributing members to society.

I think so many people are simplifying this issue. "When you're in our country, you speak our language. If I were to move to another country, I'd have to speak their language." Yes - you have that choice!!! The choice to move to another country and the time and the money and the emotional resources to learn another language!! So many refugees and immigrants have none of those! They've come to the U.S. just to survive!!! To try and have a better life! And I'm just so sick of the lack of compassion people have for them and the lack of understanding so many people have for what they've been through. It just makes me really sad. And I'm done!!!

Answer 1

Maybe its because sharing a language is both the key to partcipating in society as well as individual success?

People who dont speak the language of the country (not just US - this applies to any culture) do not assimulate and become part of the culture -- they wall themselves off in closed comunities. We want people to come to USA to be PART of the country -- not just occupy space.

Also if you cannot speak the dominate language you are doomed to poverty, or at best minor success in the limited scope of the barrio / ghetto you live in.

Also, if the 1st generation does not make a good effort to speak english, then their children will likely have trouble too, with the consequence of the next generations also being doomed to poverty / marginal social participation.

It is not so much xenophobia as the intuitive knowledge that anyone who cannot effectively communicate is unlikely to be a successful, productive member of society.

Answer 2

actually the law says they must speak English. Now that doesn't mean they can't have an accent or that their English has to be perfect but they have to have a working knowledge. Now if the person is older than 55 or has a learning disability they do not have to meet that qualification. I think English is important to a person's success in this country however, I don't run around with English only on my shirts or complaining about a language someone speaks in public. I in fact speak Spanish and English as well as a working knowledge of Cherokee. I think that learning a foreign language is also absolutely a need in today's world and with the fact we have so much free trade it is more a need now than ever.

Answer 3

I have to disagree with you, I do not think it is racism to require people to have basic skills to survive in a foreign country. You are right there are people that never learn english in the US, however those people are usualy a huge burdon on family and society or stay in poverty. You mentioned some reasons why they would not be able to learn english, those reasons also prove that they are not a group in demand and may only be able to survive on there own without assistance for a very short time and then become charity cases. This is acceptable to a certan degree and can be absorbed at established rates. You do not mention wether you are refering to illegal immigration or legal immigration, so I will mention a few fact's that may put thing's in perspective. The United States allows more immigration than any other Country in the world around 250.000.00 per year and has 9 different worker programs for people who are not here legaly. Not being able to speak English forces immigrants to do manual labor therefore are 3 times more prone to injury, injuries they must have treated and can not afford medical treatment, so now society must pay for it. If Canada were to have this problem it would bankrupt there health care in a matter of a couple of years. Older immigrants do not learn english, however younger immigrants do and these children must learn english in school, this in turn forces teachers to focus on teching children to speak english instead of teaching them math and science and proper english. Children of immigrants are 2 x more likely to drop out of school and therefore are more likely to be crimminals, and there are at least 250.000.00 known felon illegal immigrants in the US right now. What I'm trying to say is that the cause and effect can be huge down the line.

Answer 4

I agree with the first answer. If I were immigrating to another country, any country that doesn't speak English as their first language, I would be required to learn that language.

Glad you are happy with the way things are in Canada. However, I do believe we have about 1000% more immigrants than you get there. (I know that is an exaggeration, but I did read somewhere we out number you in immigrants 10 to 1.) So how many people do we need to accomodate? Here in Minnesota, we have a huge Hispanic population...like everywhere else in America...and we have had to accomodate that. We also have a huge Hmong population. So in the not so distant future, we'll have to accomodate that, I have no doubt.

When the original immigrants came here, guess what??? They had to learn to speak English, or they were SOL. I know this for a FACT, as my grandparents on both sides came straight over from Germany. NONE of them spoke English when they arrived. But they learned damn quick or they would have starved to death.

ENGLISH is our national language. If they want to make America their new country, they are going to have to accomodate us!!

Just an opinion. But it seems a fairly popular opinion. And I totally agree with it.

Answer 5

Possibly because if you are unable to communicate with the general populace it makes it a bit more difficult for you to survive there. How are you going to get a job, answer the telephone, read road signs, ask for things in a store, read and follow instructions, have simple conversations, or make new friends. It's just things like that really.

I don't think people are saying that English has to be spoken all of the time - that would be stupid. But surely it helps people enormously in their general day to day life if they can at least understand the basics of the language in the country that they choose to live in. I imagine the same thing applies to anywhere you go in the world. :-)

Answer 6

Well I'm the other 30% because I don't think Immigrants should speak English fluently. But they should at least speak a language fluently or sign language if they can't talk. And if they can add a second or third language even better. I'm guessing the other 70% feel that way because they are still part of the racist problem created by white people that was taught to them by their parents and grandparents and great grandparents. I might be wrong on the whole 70% but since white of non hispanic orgin is the majority in the U.S. and since the U.S. was the last to abolish slavery even went to war to keep slavery alive and had the most problems with racism alond side Germany is kinda makes sense.

Answer 7

If I were to move to another country where most people speak a particular language, I would be expected to learn that language. The natives of that country would not be expected to accommodate my inability to speak their language by learning mine....now would they? Why should it be any different here? When you go into someone Else's country, you must learn their ways...that is only fair. There is nothing wrong with holding onto your own heritage, but you also have to accommodate the natural born citizens in your new country, as well. Our ancestors are also guilty of not accommodating the natives when they came here and took over. It was wrong then, too! *sm*

Answer 8

Requiring English is for the benefit of the immigrants themselves if not for anyone else. Not all of our immigrants come from Mexico speaking a language that have established communities. And even in the case there is a community there is no guarantee they will always stay insulated in that community.

For an example I will tell you about the poor woman I met at a bus stop last summer. She spoke no English and clutched a bus schedule, she wanted to know if she was in the right place for that bus (At least that's what it seemed like) All I could do for her was point to the sign that listed the bus number that matched her schedule. But what if she needed something else, something more serious? I couldn't even tell you what language she spoke and no one else around could either.

Are we to expect our medical personal to not only be bi-lingual, but tri or quad? What about our police? Doctors? pharmacies? Where does it end? No one thinks they should turn their backs completely on their old culture, but if they are to come here and be successful they need to learn the local language and not expect the locals to learn theirs.

Answer 9

Everyone knows that this country was based on immigration and people from different cultural backgrounds. That is not the issue! Knowing another language is a great benefit and no one is disputing that! But, everyone also knows that everything against illegal immigrants is NOT about race!!

Of course you need to be fluent in English in order to become a US Citizen!! If you go to another country you need to know the language in order to become a citizen. Not only is it common sense, but it is only right! For example - go to Germany and tell them you want to become a German citizen but don't want to learn German. How do you think that would go over???

Answer 10

Because in order to become a legal citizen, you must speak english.

Its the law, STOP BEING LAZY! The only reason the hispanic populace is putting up such a fuss is because they don't want to take the time to learn another language. Americans should not have to make their own lives more difficult in order to make the lives of immigrants (many times illegal) easier. They need to sacrifice a little and bite the bullet.

As for Canada, the country was settled by both the English and the French. America was settled primarily by the English, thus we speak English. In Canada, you speak both French and English.

I think its insane that 30% of Americans think that we should have to learn another language in order to make the lives of those too lazy to assimilate easier. We aren't racists, we just hold immigrants accountable for assimilating. A task which they are not doing and refuse to do.