There is only one thing to say to Hispanics who forget that they live in the US: PLEASE LEAVE. Please write to the below columnist to tell him that if Hispanics don't want to speak english, then they can go back to wherever they came from. It is funny how Hispanics say-

1. We'll get angry if you make us speak english.
2. We'll get angry if you don't take care of our corrupt, illiterate criminal friends and relatives who are illegally here.

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It might serve us to unify in our diversity

By Eddie Jimenez / The Fresno Bee

(Updated Monday, May 22, 2006, 5:20 AM)

The U.S. Senate's move to make English our national or "common and unifying" language is being sold as a measure to ensure that people assimilate in this country.

The concept sounds like common sense: We should all speak the same language.

Says White House spokesman Tony Snow, "What the president has said all along is that he wants to make sure that people who become American citizens have a command of the English language. It's as simple as that."

Fair enough.

Our primary language is English and the ability to read and write in English makes life a whole lot easier in this country.

"We are trying to make an assimilation statement," says Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina.

OK, but in the long run, this step — given the importance of the growing global economy and the benefits of speaking more than one language — could leave us less well off as a nation.

We've been down this road of assimilation many times in this nation's history.

My grandparents came from Mexico. None spoke English. Their children — my parents' generation — are bilingual. Most of their children — my generation — speak only English. Like many of my cousins, I can get by, but I'm not fluent in Spanish.

I've tried over the years to become more proficient, but had only marginal success. There's nothing like learning a language at an early age.

We assimilated ourselves away from our culture's language.

This wasn't planned, of course.

My mom and dad remember being reprimanded for speaking Spanish in school. In part because they didn't want their sons to go through the same thing, they spoke primarily English to my brother and me, something they regret.

So we fit in, to the point of even going along with the Anglicized pronunciation of our last name. During my school days, I often heard "Jim"-enez, with the "jay" sound at the beginning and didn't correct anyone.

In college I did begin to insist that my last name be pronounced correctly. But I still don't have the advantages I might have had if my family spoke Spanish at home. It limits my ability to do my job, particularly in the Valley.

Other families can tell similar stories — stories that illustrate the disadvantages of speaking only one language.

No doubt politicians proposed making English the national language because the heated topic of illegal immigration is on America's front burner.

But the nation doesn't need another divisive debate — and it doesn't need to discourage multiple languages at a time when our economy depends, more than ever, on global trade.

Those pushing the measure say the point is to emphasize the role of English without changing current laws that allow, for instance, multilingual ballots. Bilingual education and services provided in many languages will continue, supporters say.

They admit the gesture is largely symbolic.

Funny, I've always thought that one cherished symbol of the United States is its pride as a melting pot.
The columnist can be reached at ejimenez@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6386.

To Eddie I say, "We are a melting pot, NOT A TRASHCAN".