in the daily progress a few days ago
Newcomers should learn English
Charlottesville Daily Progress
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
For several years, I traveled into Mexico City and Acapulco, Mexico, to visit my American-Mexican friend’s family. My friend and her family became American citizens 35 years ago; the family owns a restaurant on Hilton Head Island, S.C. Her father was ambassador from Mexico to France years ago.
She and her family came to the United States legally and, until her death a couple of years ago, she abhorred Mexicans crossing illegally.
She said, "It gives all of us a bad name who have tried to do the right thing legally. People do not tip in my restaurant like they do in other restaurants on the island because we are just ‘Mexicans.’ " It is a sad situation for legal immigrants who become American citizens and learn our English language.
My husband’s parents came from Austria via Ellis Island. They came in on a quota and learned to speak English and survived very well in New York City. When those people came to Ellis Island, they had to go through a thorough medical checkup. If sick, they were sent back to their country. If children were sick and their parents well, their parents had to go back with them.
My mother’s people came over on the Mayflower. They helped get this country started. They were tough people who survived the cold, the lack of sanitation and living without all the other amenities we take for granted today.
We are an English-speaking country, and I abhor the fact of "push 1 for English and 2 for Spanish." It shows how many Spanish-speaking people have no real respect for English and refuse to learn it to survive.
Is our government really asleep or does it just not care anymore? President Bush is doing very little toward stopping illegal aliens crossing our borders.
If our United States wants to remain strong, then we must stand behind how our country was formed, continue with our strengths and quit bowing down to those who come here to change us and our government. If we don’t, we will eventually fail as a nation.
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I'll admit some of it is reasonable (the first three little parts). But after that (the last three parts), can you believe people--adults, grown individuals--actually think this way? It makes me sad that I'm 19 years old and only halfway through my college education and I sound more educated than this woman does. It makes me shudder.
Charlottesville Daily Progress
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
For several years, I traveled into Mexico City and Acapulco, Mexico, to visit my American-Mexican friend’s family. My friend and her family became American citizens 35 years ago; the family owns a restaurant on Hilton Head Island, S.C. Her father was ambassador from Mexico to France years ago.
She and her family came to the United States legally and, until her death a couple of years ago, she abhorred Mexicans crossing illegally.
She said, "It gives all of us a bad name who have tried to do the right thing legally. People do not tip in my restaurant like they do in other restaurants on the island because we are just ‘Mexicans.’ " It is a sad situation for legal immigrants who become American citizens and learn our English language.
My husband’s parents came from Austria via Ellis Island. They came in on a quota and learned to speak English and survived very well in New York City. When those people came to Ellis Island, they had to go through a thorough medical checkup. If sick, they were sent back to their country. If children were sick and their parents well, their parents had to go back with them.
My mother’s people came over on the Mayflower. They helped get this country started. They were tough people who survived the cold, the lack of sanitation and living without all the other amenities we take for granted today.
We are an English-speaking country, and I abhor the fact of "push 1 for English and 2 for Spanish." It shows how many Spanish-speaking people have no real respect for English and refuse to learn it to survive.
Is our government really asleep or does it just not care anymore? President Bush is doing very little toward stopping illegal aliens crossing our borders.
If our United States wants to remain strong, then we must stand behind how our country was formed, continue with our strengths and quit bowing down to those who come here to change us and our government. If we don’t, we will eventually fail as a nation.
---
I'll admit some of it is reasonable (the first three little parts). But after that (the last three parts), can you believe people--adults, grown individuals--actually think this way? It makes me sad that I'm 19 years old and only halfway through my college education and I sound more educated than this woman does. It makes me shudder.