mytmouse57

What's so goddamn difficult to grasp about the basic courtesy of learning the primary language of the land you're staying in.

Even if I were just going on a short tour of another place, I'd like to think I'd take the time to learn a few basic, functional phrases. It's a sign of basic courtesy, IMO.

And I were going to re-locate or take an extended stay in another land, I'd damn sure learn the language.

It's just plain rude not to.

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If at first you don’t succeed – try, try again and then quit. There’s no sense in making a damned fool of yourself. – W.C. Fields

Hio

Hillary Clinton??

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Gadgetory

When have you come across anyone who was staying here for some extended stay that couldn't string a sentence together in English. I live in Los Angeles where people who speak English as a first language are a minority and I rarely come across it and when I do its a tourist. Your assumption that these people don't want to learn English is sadly mistaken of course they do. Neither do I assume that because I here Spanish speaking people speaking spanish to each other they cannot speak English as well. And lets not pretend you are not talking about Spanish speaking people. As they DO NOT come from the worlds wealthiest nation they learn English when they get here. Clearly you misunderstand actual and real poverty, they don't have money before they leave for classes or CD's in many instances un like you. Being unable to place yourself in another persons position shows a lack of empathy IMO. I think giving them some leeway to learn English upon arrival is just plain decent and it'd be rude to think otherwise. I think America is bigger then this and the suggestion that we are otherwise (that is that small minded we cannot give people leeway) is the product of way too much conservative talkback radio leaking out into the mainstream until it has become the mainstream.

fxashun

Try buying a house and have to talk to the contractor that the builder uses. I have yet to be able to meet a single one of them fluent in English. I'm with Myt on this one. This in the U.S., we speak English here. That's it. How are you supposed to some here and get a job in the service industry and not have at least a tenuous grasp on the language. IT seems the only English some of these people know is "I no speke englis".

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knot_e_lady

Uh, about 2 days ago.

Oh, and BTW, I lived in Los Angeles for 11 years, and I only have one thing to say about your assessment. It's full of shit.

nuttyjoe

I have not posted on this thread for quite awhile; but while I agree the majority of you who think that these immigrants would be better served socially and thence financially by learning some English; I have to wonder if the immigrants from Poland, Germany, and other such lands had to go through so much outright hatred as I'm seeing here to integrate themselves into America? Many of those immigrants did try to learn some English; that's good. And many of you out there are descendants of them that enjoy the fruits of their decision to leave their homelands. But were they as despised so by America at large when they came?

knot_e_lady

Despised? I don't see them as being despised, joe.

What I see is people resenting having to give concessions to people who are not willing to make concessions themselves.

What I see is people who think it's wrong to reward someone for doing something illegal.

What I see is a group of people tired of seeing their jobs shipped off to Mexico all the while the population of Mexico is coming here.

garysher

¿Que?

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garysher

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nuttyjoe

The concessions must come from both sides, Knot. We must let them know through better means (I think using sucsessful Hispanics to show them the real "treasure" of America and how it can be achieved would be the best way to start).
The reason I use the terms depise and hatred is because that many of us do not realize that Speaking English was never before a condition required to immigrate- it was, and still is; just advantageous to do so.
Your last two points can be answered in one paragraph: When you speak of reward for doing something illegal, do we not include major corporations and companies here in America who are hiring illegal immigrants? They are not being rewarded substantially by reducing labor cost drastically. Do the very stockholders (the average John Q. Public) in such companies reap that reward
when stock prices increase on such a company? Now, as far as shipping jobs off to Mexico; who makes and endorses such decisions in say, the last company you can name that did so? Why was this decision made? Who has the power to regulate such decisions?
I've seen hatred in the form of posts that spoke of "shoot them in the streets"! Can that not be called hatred, when we advocate comitting capital crime in the furtherance of our own viewpoints?