I write emails -- Arabic edition

[flamingophoenix]

I just sent the following email.

Unlocked for importance.

Superintendent Morrison et al

Comments

[dagnylilytable]

This whole thing makes me wonder if there was pushback against teaching Russian in public schools during the Cold War (which was not at all the case in higher education-- I think it was probably easier to study Russian in college in the 70s than it is to study Arabic now, if only because Russian is easier to acquire proficiency in as a non-native). Then my cynical side says, "Of course there wasn't pushback. Russian speakers are usually white, in American perception, propaganda about Asiatic hordes notwithstanding."

[flamingophoenix]

I wouldn't be surprised if there *was* pushback, sadly...but your observation may be right re: how it might have been less bad.

I'll ask some folks I know about it!

[mathmuffin]

I don't know about the Cold War, but my mother grew up in a German-speaking family in Sebewaing, Michigan. She learned English in first grade. I asked her why no-one in her family had a German accent. She said that they all lost their accent during World War II.

[blue_hat_guru]

I seem to recall seeing an article in the local newspaper in Horicon, Wisconsin where they interviewed a citizen with the last name of Hitler.

(paraphrased, due to time and distance):
"There used to be a lot of Hitlers around here, but most of them changed their names in the early '40s. I figured it was my name, and to heck with that other guy."

[blue_hat_guru]

“The school doesn’t teach Christianity, so I don’t want them teaching Islam.”

Right. And teaching Latin requires learning about polytheism.
Teaching mathematics requires learning about Pythagoreanism.

Heck, I could have a lot of fun coming up with ludicrous examples of identical logic.

[vroope]

Learning Spanish requires learning about drug cartels?

[pwylltwiceborn]

Complete with extracurricular economics projects!

[flamingophoenix]

"Like."