Historically speaking, when immigrants have come to this country from a non-English speaking homeland, they have seldom been fluent (or even passable) in English. Normally it has been the offspring of the immigrants that have adopted our language. In the 1880's in Texas, there were more German language newspapers than English language ones. This is NOT a new phenomenon nor has it kept our country from becoming the strongest in history. And, after all, it's not as if English is the official language of the U.S.A.. We actually don't have one.
User Detail :
Name : Richard, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Race is a myth, Age : 43, City : Bryan, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Photographer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, Listen here, ecouter a moi. I am from Canada and know what its like to live in a bilingual country. The United States is a bilingual country. It is a right to be able to address people in your native language. Its not a problem with immigration to the States. There are plenty of Americans that are of Spanish descent, California originally belonged to Spain as did lots of other southern States. I know that the Caribbean is a popular place for vacationing. It would be really hard to get around if no one knew English there. Its just common courtesy to recognize that other people speak other languages. Thank you, Merci, Hola, Danke, Hola!
User Detail :
Name : Courtney, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Native American/British/German/Ukranian, Religion : Christian, Age : 18, City : Toronto, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : University Student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, It's customer service. Spanish speakers have money, too, and companies want their business. If you don't want to speak Spanish, just press 1.
User Detail :
Name : Miles G., Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 45, City : Santa Maria, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Teacher (of course), It upsets me. I dont know why we are allowing it to happen.
User Detail :
Name : Ben Hunter, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Methodist, Age : 16, City : Middletown, State : OH Country : United States, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, Our language? The U.S. has no official language. More offensive to me is that far too many of 'us' lack basic language skills. Our grammar, usage, spelling and punctuation are appalling! How can we ask others to do what we can't-or won't?
User Detail :
Name : Dona Y, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Human, Age : 43, City : Carmel, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Web design/IT Professional, Social class : Middle class, Yes Glenda, I am offended. I am an older model white guy who has lived in small farming towns in the central valley of California all my life. I have seen what was, and now I see what is. It is now a very sad situation around here. You know what's even sadder? The fact that there are only two people in America who are concerned about it...you in Ohio and me in California. I don't see anybody else on this web site talking about it. Could it be that we are the only two people in the country willing to talk about it! Well, maybe so--I don't know. Anyway Glenda, that's my response. Thanks for listening. Adios amigo.
User Detail :
Name : ron-s29620, City : stockton, State : CA Country : United States, I do not believe Spanish is 'taking over' the United States. More immigrants from Latin America are moving to the United States, so you are probably becoming more aware of the language and the people who speak it. As it turns out, Spanish has been spoken in the United States and the rest of the Americas for far longer than English has. The United States' earliest European settlers were Spanish speakers. Twenty years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, Spanish-speaking pilgrims had already settled Santa Fe and other areas of the U.S. Southwest. (And their descendants still live in the region today!) Why do you think so many cities, states, mountain ranges, rivers and other geographical features have Spanish names in the United States?
User Detail :
Name : Deborah-W, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Religion : Catholic, Age : 46, City : Denver, State : CO Country : United States, Occupation : journalist, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Then again, I am taking Spanish in school. :) Anyway, I think most Spanish-speakers move here to the United States for more socioeconomic opportunities, not because they really want to. If they did it entirely out of their own volition and not because of financial strains, then I'd say that you could fault them for not learning English. Places like Cuba and Mexico, where the majority of Hispanic immigrants to the US come from, don't have the best of school systems and limited educational resources for the majority of their citizens. Furthermore, though this 'taking over' may be troublesome for many adults, it could be a boon for younger generations, as bilingualism and multilingualism have been shown to be conducive to learning and other cognitive skills.
User Detail :
Name : Betty, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : Asian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 17, City : Medford, State : MA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class, I know what you mean! in my own county, we have a city next to mine that has spanish billboards, fliers, and PSA's in spanish. there's just a real big wave of immigration coming from Mexico, so I suppose we're just to ride it out, and hope that people can learn the language, or adapt.
User Detail :
Name : Anastasia-Gumns31617, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 18, City : Michigan City, State : IN Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, France isn't a third world country either, and most hispanics that move here are from third world contries. They rarely have the time to learn english, nor the proper conditions, let alone the supplies. America started as a place of many nations, each nation with its own language, or even several languages. It was a place for the down trodden to come for a better life, and to many of these hispanics it still is. They will learn a time goes, and you'll find that many are trying very hard to fit in with their new country by doing so. Customer service lines speaking both languages just help them feel welcomed as they should be. And remember, in the first Continental congress, the decision on our national language was made. English won over German, but only by one vote.
User Detail :
Name : Jessica G., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 24, City : Greenville, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class, To function in the United States, learning at least some basic English is required, no matter how many phone lines have 'for Spanish, press 2'. But why would someone using a service in the language that they are most comfortable with bother anyone? I lived in Venezuela, and even with daily immersion and actively trying to learn the language, it was incredibly difficult. It was a relief to see signs or labels in English, or hear someone speak my language. Learning a language is a daunting task, and not something done instantly. It takes time, effort, and kind constructive criticism from native English speakers. (I've found in the US that most people are big on the criticism, and not so good with the kind and constructive parts). That hardly makes for a environment conducive to learning. I don't think that someone speaking another language should be seen as a threat. Its simply a sign of the diversity in the United States.
User Detail :
Name : Rebecca, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, City : Rochester, State : MN Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, YOu might want to check out the latest Census figures: http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang= . Spanish speaking America makes up the fastest growing population. It's just good business practice to want to reach all of your customers.
User Detail :
Name : Erica, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 39, City : Cranford, State : NJ Country : United States, Occupation : Librarian, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, Being African American you should be more open to differences in people. Your way of thinking is very close minded and is similar to that of racists. It is like asking why do black people have to be black, why cant they just speak like everyone else, why do blacks have to use ebonics? The truth is that Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States and like it or not you are going to have to deal with it, just like racist whites had to deal with former slaves after the civil war. You shouldn't be so closed minded it doesn't help anyone. Many of the people that come to this country from Spanish speaking countries where public education is not free. Many of them do not even know Spanish correctly. They will be the future and we must do our best to help them assimilate into the main culture.
User Detail :
Name : I Palacios, Gender : M, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Age : 26, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, The largest group of immigrants to the United States for nearly three decades are persons who speak Spanish or a dialect thereof. For some, it is simply not having been exposed to English prior to arriving here. Even if someone has, American English is different from world form English. Some people prefer to speak in their native language. Most Caucasian immigrants didn't speak English when they arrived here, either.
User Detail :
Name : LeTonne, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : African, Asian, Caucasian, and Native American, Religion : Christian, Age : 39, City : Small Town, State : MT Country : United States, Occupation : Mom, Wife, and Cultural Crafts Preserver, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, It is important to remember that France is an established country of more than 700 years. They have been speaking French for just as long and have maintained quite a pure culture throughout. Meanwhile what we call America was discovered by Columbus in 1492... in the name of SPAIN! It was colonized over the next 285 years by the Spanish, English, Dutch, and even the French. This was a free for all, to the detriment of the REAL Natives. This is the New World, and it is the calling place of immigrants from around the world and their offspring, including us. While we are a primarily English speaking country we have no right to claim puritance of culture! We annexed the southwest from the Spanish and we bought the Louisiana Purchase from the French, even New York was once New Amsterdam. If we are to claim that one language must be spoken in this nation, then it is only right that it be Cherokee, or Navajo, or some other that belongs to this land. Instead of taking offense, perhaps we should smile and appreciate that we are blessed by such a mixture of wonderful cultures and languages.
User Detail :
Name : R. Murphy, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 22, City : New York City, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Fitness Membership Sales, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 
Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences .
