Should all Americans speak english?

[Kazmarov]

Why come to our country if you're not going to learn to speak our language?

Because a great deal of immigrants never need to learn English. How much English do you need to do seasonal agriculture, or construction/landscaping with Spanish-speaking foremen? None. Huge portions of southern California, I can attest, are overwhelmingly Latino and are self-sufficient communities. English is not the business language.

Many areas of southern California, New Mexico, Arizona and the Rio Grande region are demographically the same as Mexico--mostly because it's simply annexed Mexican territory. To tell them to learn a language (which is cognitively difficult for people over 12) that serves them no purpose is nothing sort of pompous. Leave them alone.

 

[Akikaze-Frog]

I think people have to speak English to be American.

Even if they don't speak English perfectly.

I can't imagine a person becoming French without knowledge of the national language... It's very important for administration and social integration. That's the same for an American...

If a new American doesn't speak English, won't he stay in his community, without living with other Americans - with the USAin fact ?

I know USA are a federation of States (that's their name, uh ?) and they are many states where hispanics are in majority... But United State are A State. With its national laguage : English.

 

[CMK_Eagle]

If a new American doesn't speak English, won't he stay in his community, without living with other Americans - with the USAin fact ?

That's no different from previous waves of immigration. Throughout the history of the US first-generation immigrants have lived in communities with other immigrants. It's their children who integrate with the rest of the American population. The pattern is no different for Mexican immigrants today than it was for Chinese, or German, or Italian immigrants in years past.

I know USA are a federation of States (that's their name, uh ?) and they are many states where hispanics are in majority... But United State are A State. With its national laguage : English.

As has been said before a number of times, the US has never had a national language.

 

[generalblue]

Throughout the history of the US first-generation immigrants have lived in communities with other immigrants. It's their children who integrate with the rest of the American population.

It used to be that way. Not to be funny or sound racist but have you been to the McDonalds drive-thru lately. I don't know where you live but where I live there are some McDonalds drive thrus that speak in spanish. COME ON!!!!! And if they know a little bit of english, you have to bend over backwards just to order a big mac. That gets me mad. I have a department for the company I work for that all they do is handle spanish calls and customers, in which I believe is a waste of company money. I have come to the conclusion that they should legalize it.

 

[CMK_Eagle]

It used to be that way.

It's no different than it ever was. If you were to replace the word "Chinese" with "Mexican" in nearly any nativist editorial or speech, it could be reproduced today and no one would notice. An article in 1874 in the San Francisco Real Estate Circular said that "The Chinese come for a season only; and, while they give their labor, they do not expend the proceeds of such labor in the country. They do not come to settle or make homes, and not one in fifty of them is married." Sound familiar?

 

[Bananas]

It is also worth remembering that a lot of immigrants can not afford to learn a new language. If language were to become compulsory, then there would be an even larger number of illegals plus a sizeable chunk of tax payers money would have to go towards educating the legals.

If it were me I would prefer my tax payers money to educate my children to be bilingual.