I took pride in being an American born hispanic and learned the language, which includes reading and writing. I tried to instill that pride in my children. My daughter when push come to shove will speak Spanish, however my son refuses to do so.
Thre are morons out there who think that English should be the national language. Navajo, Apache, Taos, Sioux…………. are better choices. He hablado español ya hace cincuetaiuno años………..
The dominant language always has belonged to the ruling class - the nobles, the masters, the bosses, etc. If anyone wants to become successful, they should learn the language of the people who would hire them. The bosses may learn just enough of their underlings’ language to give commands, but fluency of that language wasn’t usually required of management.
The majority, Coyoty, or simply the largest of many minorities?
Yeah, it’s useful for everyone to speak the same language if only as a “Lingua Franca”, i.e. something you can speak that you’re reasonably certain everybody else can understand, but if I were to choose a second language on the basis of what’s most useful to me in San Francisco I’d have to choose between Spanish, Tagalog, and Chinese (Cantonese, not Mandarin), depending on which part of town I planned on being in (there are also neighborhoods where I might hear Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, or a handful of others more often than English). For my family background it would be nice if I spoke German, for my future travel plans I might want Greek, Italian, Russian, Turkish, or Icelandic. Frankly, if I could wish to be fluent in one single language other than English, I’d probably go with Latin.
My father was a first-generation American in an immigrant community; he went to an ethnic school where the old country language was the only language in use until he was in third grade. That’s when he first learned English (his mother never did). However, he never even tried to teach me the old language because he didn’t want me to be able to understand the violent arguments he had with his sisters.
Fritzoid, Icelandic is difficult to learn well. I can read it fairly well, but a speaking knowledge is a little beyond my level of study.
My father’s parents were both born here, but were raised speaking German in the home. When they had kids of their own, though, they deliberately didn’t teach them German for much the same reason your father gave, runar; Deutsch was Mommy and Daddy’s Private Language.
Also, of course, from 1914 until 1945 there was a strong incentive not to be seen as embracing one’s German heritage in this country, even though there were (and still are) more U.S. citizens who can claim some German descent than any other European background…
People who speak multiple languages are the norm here.
But with the push for Spanish, I wonder about those people whose native language is Korean, Amharic, Lao, Khalkha Mongolian, Hindi, Khmer, or you name it.
Now that they have learned English, will they have to learn Spanish, too?
rayannina about 14 years ago
No ob-blow es-span-yawl, See-nee-oar!
Coyoty Premium Member about 14 years ago
Hispanics are expected to be the majority in the U.S. by 2042, so you better start learning now.
quinones.felix about 14 years ago
I took pride in being an American born hispanic and learned the language, which includes reading and writing. I tried to instill that pride in my children. My daughter when push come to shove will speak Spanish, however my son refuses to do so.
Yukoneric about 14 years ago
Thre are morons out there who think that English should be the national language. Navajo, Apache, Taos, Sioux…………. are better choices. He hablado español ya hace cincuetaiuno años………..
Potrzebie about 14 years ago
q-bud, drop your son with relatives in Mexico for a year or two. That should work.
jkoskov about 14 years ago
Arrogance has a name in any language. And those who said english AND spanish shouldn’t be the primary languages just don’t get it.
In my growing up, Slovenian was crushed from my life by society. Now I’m trying to learn it. So it’s not just Spanish.
Share and share alike!
All languages are part of our strengths, not our weaknesses!
Smiley Rmom about 14 years ago
The dominant language always has belonged to the ruling class - the nobles, the masters, the bosses, etc. If anyone wants to become successful, they should learn the language of the people who would hire them. The bosses may learn just enough of their underlings’ language to give commands, but fluency of that language wasn’t usually required of management.
fritzoid Premium Member about 14 years ago
The majority, Coyoty, or simply the largest of many minorities?
Yeah, it’s useful for everyone to speak the same language if only as a “Lingua Franca”, i.e. something you can speak that you’re reasonably certain everybody else can understand, but if I were to choose a second language on the basis of what’s most useful to me in San Francisco I’d have to choose between Spanish, Tagalog, and Chinese (Cantonese, not Mandarin), depending on which part of town I planned on being in (there are also neighborhoods where I might hear Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, or a handful of others more often than English). For my family background it would be nice if I spoke German, for my future travel plans I might want Greek, Italian, Russian, Turkish, or Icelandic. Frankly, if I could wish to be fluent in one single language other than English, I’d probably go with Latin.
runar about 14 years ago
My father was a first-generation American in an immigrant community; he went to an ethnic school where the old country language was the only language in use until he was in third grade. That’s when he first learned English (his mother never did). However, he never even tried to teach me the old language because he didn’t want me to be able to understand the violent arguments he had with his sisters.
Fritzoid, Icelandic is difficult to learn well. I can read it fairly well, but a speaking knowledge is a little beyond my level of study.
Soli Linguæ Bonæ sunt linguæ mortuæ.”
fritzoid Premium Member about 14 years ago
My father’s parents were both born here, but were raised speaking German in the home. When they had kids of their own, though, they deliberately didn’t teach them German for much the same reason your father gave, runar; Deutsch was Mommy and Daddy’s Private Language.
Also, of course, from 1914 until 1945 there was a strong incentive not to be seen as embracing one’s German heritage in this country, even though there were (and still are) more U.S. citizens who can claim some German descent than any other European background…
ellisaana Premium Member about 14 years ago
I work in a very multi-cultural area.
People who speak multiple languages are the norm here.
But with the push for Spanish, I wonder about those people whose native language is Korean, Amharic, Lao, Khalkha Mongolian, Hindi, Khmer, or you name it.
Now that they have learned English, will they have to learn Spanish, too?
quinones.felix about 14 years ago
My son has his own son now. I insist that my grandson call me “Abuelo”. If it’s the only word in Spanish that he will speak, it will be my title.