Thread: English-only testing will further isolate Hispanics

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English-only testing will further isolate Hispanics

By Krissy Mallory

Staff Columnist

Published: Sunday, April 11, 2010

Updated: Sunday, April 11, 2010
Krissy Mallory

The chambers of commerce in Tennessee’s four biggest cities – Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville and Memphis – sent a letter to lawmakers in opposition of a bill that would require citizens take the written portion of drivers’ exams in English.

The bill is meant to promote safety among drivers. Supporters of the bill say that it is unsafe for citizens who are not proficient in English to drive because they may not be able to read traffic signs, even though there is no evidence supporting that language barriers cause more traffic accidents.

Most traffic signs are universal. Someone could travel to almost any country and still recognize stop, yield and merge signs.

The bill is discriminatory. I do not feel the inability to speak English causes a hazard to society. Some Tennesseans who support the bill may think that it helps tackle illegal immigration issues, but they fail to consider that some of those trying to get drivers’ licenses are legal citizens and should be able to enjoy the same rights as everyone else.

A bigger safety issue is that if the bill is passed, there will be more unlicensed drivers on the streets. Those who cannot attain licenses will still drive, and they will lack the training required to get a driver’s license.

Currently, those who take versions of the written exam in languages besides English must still be able to identify road signs and pass the practical portion of the driving exam in cities with English road signs. If they fail to be functional drivers due to English road signs, they aren’t granted a driver’s license.

The inability to drive would prevent those trying to learn English from driving to English classes or to jobs where they have interaction with others who speak English. Though the bill may be intended to keep our roads safe and urge immigrants to learn English, it actually isolates them, which makes learning the language even more difficult.

Tennessee currently offers drivers’ license exams in English, Spanish, Korean and Japanese. Tennessee business leaders say a bill forcing all citizens to take the exams in English could discourage international investors who are stimulating our economy, such as Volkswagen and Nissan, which have plants in Tennessee.

To appease business leaders, an amendment was adopted that would exempt those in Tennessee for investment reasons with work visas from having to take the test in English. This still sends the wrong message to investors and gives the state a bad reputation.

As a bilingual person in the workforce, I feel that the majority of Hispanic people I encounter are genuinely trying to learn English. I speak with several customers daily who appreciate that I speak to them in Spanish and English because they need to practice.

When I say words in Spanish that they don’t know in English, they ask me how to say them in English, because they have a true interest in learning our language.

It is difficult to learn another language without practicing it and communicating with others who speak it. Our focus should not be on isolating those who do not speak English but on helping them acquire the language skills they need.

Krissy Mallory is a senior majoring in journalism and Spanish. She can be reached at skm2i@mtsu.edu.

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http://www.mtsusidelines.com/opinions/e ... -1.1314228

2 Chronicles 7:14

It is written,... if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

English-only testing will further isolate Hispanics

I didn't know hispanics were isolated to begin with. I guess Krissy Mallory has never been to California.

Oh...they're not living in the shadows either Krissy, just in case you wanted to use that cliche for your next headline...

"English-only testing will further isolate Hispanics" should be English-only testing will further isolate ILLEGALS! If one does not read or speak English they should NOT be allowed to drive in the United States until they learn not only is it a safe driving concern allowing bilingual driving tests further encourages ILLEGALS to enter the United States. The United States has always welcomed refugees and legal immigrants; the problem in the United States has to do with ILLEGALS invading our nation with out any desire to assimilate, including learning English, as citizens but only obtain citizenship in an effort to steal from our treasury and take jobs from citizens.

Don't forget it is the Special Interest Groups, Chamber of Commerce, that the author quoted and you can be sure of their agenda of Cheap Labor.

URGENT FLORIDA ALERT!!!ACTION NEEDED NOW!

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1041093.html#1041093

My wife works for Goodwill industries.

They will not hire anyone that is not fluent in english.

It is for safety concerns.

And they are not driving any cars that can kill people if not operated properly.

NO ONE should drive in the US that does not know english.

Why can't this breed of people find a way to assimilate?

Ironic, isn't it that the Koreans and Japanese are not having the same problems as hispanics, eh? I wonder why that is??

It is difficult to learn another language without practicing it and communicating with others who speak it. Our focus should not be on isolating those who do not speak English but on helping them acquire the language skills they need.

Who is isolating whom? Hispanics who refuse to speak English isolate themselves, by demanding everything in Spanish. Well DUH..you don't learn English that way AND you will be easily exploited by your own people who claim to want to "help". They can't have it both ways. English must be MANDATED or these people will never rise above!

Has anyone attempted to leave a comment on the source article? I left one this morning and it has not been displayed - waiting for approval.

They won't even try to learn english since we always offer "press one for spanish" and they play on how their buying power is in the billions......

Originally Posted by vegasvic

They won't even try to learn english since we always offer "press one for spanish" and they play on how their buying power is in the billions......

And their buying power comes from the taxpayers via welfare, not paying taxes and selling illegally anything they can get there hands on.

Here's mine:

Why can't hispanics just assimilate? On thier own, without using our tax dollars to pay for them to learn English? You know, like the immigrants who first came here did?

I live in California and I can tell you, if they know English, they have no desire to use it here. I can give you countless storys of people I know who are forced to work with them daily. I have a friend who is a Phlebotomist - she says her patients get really irritated with her because she doesn't know spanish. Also, everyone I know has had it with having to "press one" for English. Once we lose our borders, our language and our culture - we will have no country left to fight for....hispanics need to make it priority to assimilate if they want better acceptance in our society. When I hear one rudely speaking spanish in an English speaking country - I assume they are here illegally. Thats just how I feeeel....along with everyone I know and in contact with.