Thread: Indiana’s SB 590 Attacks Immigrants and their Languages

Originally Posted by miguelina

When I came to the US, there was no pandering to Spanish or any other speakers. No ESL, no taxpayer funded translators, no forms in Spanish or any other language.

I am a first generation immigrant and was able to learn English. Made me work harder, out of necessity. No other foreign language speakers demand we pander to them like the new spanish speakers of today. Why bother to learn English, when all is provided in Spanish?

We do these newcomers a disservice by making it easy for them to be lazy in learning English. I am ashamed when I see how ignorant and rude some of these people are. My mother spoke with an extremely heavy accent, but even she tried to speak English when in public. If we needed a translator, that was me. Fill out forms? I did it. Didn't cost taxpayer $$$.

Why are we allowing this to continue? It helps no one and wastes millions of dollars. End the pandering now.

You bring back memories. Even though I was born in Canada my parents only spoke their Eastern European languages to me. When I started school I did not know a word of English. In school it was sink or swim. No English as a second language. In grade one I was close to failing as not only did I have to learn what the other kids did but learn English as well. My teacher fealt sorry for me and gave me extra work to do at one of the recesses so I could pass. I also filled out forms for my parents. What amazed me was my grandmother. We lived in a predominently German city which made it easy for my grandmother since they lived in Germany before they immigrated to Canada. She did not work and I stayed mostly within the ethnic community. Her nieghbors were Germans who spoke it and I remember her asking them to speak English to her so she can learn and she watched certain TV shows to learn more. She never spoke English to me so I never knew how well she could speak until she was very ill. The nurse told me she did not need anyone to translate as she has no problem with English.

Originally Posted by escalade

Originally Posted by swatchick

The problem is that some immigrants be it legal or illegal do not want to assimilate at all. They want to throw the culture they left behind on us. When they speak their langauge it is okay to them but if you speak another foreign one they get angry. I am sick of it here. Often times Hispanics say or write this is Miami speak Spanish to the rest of us and call us gringos.

Unfortunately, even the legal Latinos unwillingness to linguistically assimilate in English is THEE problem.....and then Floridians have Jeb Bush running around addressing crowds in Spanish to facilitate pure language laziness.

You got it! The mayor of Miami barely speaks English.