Thread: Proposed "Americanization movement" targeting immi

Well here's another blog entry from my other two recent posts blogger; manifest destiny and racism. Fine form...


Proposed "Americanization movement" targeting immigrants flawed

In 2006, President Bush established the Task Force on New Americans. The Task Force's objectives are "to help immigrants learn English, embrace the common core of American civic culture, and fully become American."


Alfonso Aguilar, USCIS Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Chair of the Task Force’s Technical Committee, discusses first-year initiatives during a press conference at the U.S. Department of the Treasury in Washington, DC, June 12, 2007
(Source: dhs.gov)

In align with their objectives, the Task Force released a report this week that advises the federal government to take a leadership role in an "Americanization movement." What they want to see happen is an aggressive effort to teach immigrants English and U.S. History. Otherwise, Task Force officials feel:

"If this "Americanization" fails, the nation could see major problems in 20 or 30 years, with foreign-born populations detached from the larger society and engaging in anti-social behavior."

There's no disputing that both of those doomsday predictions could come to pass but before the government begins their aggressive efforts, there are two things they need to know.

Before teaching U.S. History to classes comprised of new immigrants, it would be a good idea to revise those history books once and for all.

While the main stories are the same, it's time to include the contributions of everyone else (read other ethnicities) who created to the greatness of this country. It's time to include the roles played by Latinos, African Americans and Asian Americans in the creation of this country.

History classes that truly reflect the diverse contributions that grew this country would be lessons that could also aspire a new generation of Americans to achieve what others, who looked like them, achieved. In the process, this history would resonate more loudly and foster a greater sense of pride and connection to this country.

Secondly, it's long been known by those who service the immigrant population that there are not enough English classes for all the people who want to learn it. Over the years, the fallacy has been perpetuated by those, who enjoy spreading false rumors about immigrants, that they don't want to learn English.

Again, there not enough classes or convenient times for someone who is tired from working 2-3 jobs to sit and stay awake in class. The Task Force recommends that state governments develop Internet-based electronic learning tools for adults to learn English but the problem with that is that not all immigrant families have Internet access in their homes — the place most likely where they would access English-learning sites.

One possible solution to the English class crunch is for cities to delegate some of their public cable access channels to nothing but televised English classes — 24/7. While the solution is not ideal because it doesn't allow for the teacher/student interaction, it's a lot better than nothing at all.

Another solution has to do with cell phones. The Centers for Disease Control released the report Wireless Substitution: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, January-June 2008 where the author discovered that more Latinos, than Anglos or blacks, carry a cell phone.

It's an interesting acknowledgement because of something that Nokia has recently developed for their Chinese customers — mobile English classes.

Nokia has created a new learning application software for their mobile devices; they call it mobiledu.cn.

BBC Learning English is the international content provider for the service which features a number of English tests and practice questions for learning survival English and business English.

"Nokia Mobiledu brings users a truly seamless English learning experience by integrating learning with life; learning English on the go, anywhere and anytime. I believe Mobiledu will help English learners realize their dreams," said Angela Long, Nokia Sales and Marketing Manager of Mobiledu.cn…

Using the platform, it's possible to learn the English language at one's own pace and when they need it – whether it is to study abroad or to improve career development. The mobile learning platform also helps users to learn the English language inexpensively and without having to hunt the Internet to find translations.

If this kind of application is available in China, there's no reason why it can't be made available in the United States. With cell phones so ubiquitous among Latinos in the United States, this alternative easily enables immigrants to achieve the goals of the Task Force's recommendations.

For some reason, there is an assumption that it will be an uphill battle to get immigrants to assimilate. That's not the problem. It's when the federal government attaches exorbitant fees to the process that creates resistance.

If the government was truly sincere about wanting to help immigrants assimilate, then they should make the process affordable and as convenient as possible. It's one thing to make people work to receive their citizenship but it's quite another to make them suffer for it.

http://www.latinalista.net/palabrafinal ... arget.html

If the government was truly sincere about wanting to help immigrants assimilate, then they should make the process affordable and as convenient as possible. It's one thing to make people work to receive their citizenship but it's quite another to make them suffer for it.
Our immigration laws have worked VERY WELL all of these years... I see no need to change them!

Only those set out to destroy our country or just plain ignorant would allow the following in this video below to continue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7WJeqxuOfQ

I say stop ALL immigration LEGAL AND ILLEGAL until we get our country back in control!!!!!!!! If we want to help people, help them in their own country...then there won't be a fight for other cultures to fight to dominate OURS!!!!!!!!! Thats why we CONTROL immigration ...so there are not culture wars!!!!!!!!!!
How ANY parent or grandparent can silently sit by and not lift a finger to come together as a united people on this is beyond me... have we become so cold and disconnected for the future of OUR CHILDREN that we think it is OKAY TO SIT BY ...CLOSE OUR EYES AND DO NOTHING????
WAKE UP AMERICA... WE ALL NEED TO UNITE AS ONE PEOPLE...these globalists are not looking out for you or your children/grandchildren...BUT ONLY FOR THEMSELVES!

If the government was truly sincere about wanting to help immigrants assimilate, then they should make the process affordable and as convenient as possible. It's one thing to make people work to receive their citizenship but it's quite another to make them suffer for it.

Poles, Russians, Italians, Germans, etc., have no problem with assimilation. It's only the Hispanics that want everything to be convenient for them. Citizenship is a treasure - it should be difficult to obtain.

"If this "Americanization" fails, the nation could see major problems in 20 or 30 years, with foreign-born populations detached from the larger society and engaging in anti-social behavior."

I already see this in my town, never-mind 20 or 30 years.

"If this "Americanization" fails, the nation could see major problems in 20 or 30 years, with foreign-born populations detached from the larger society and engaging in anti-social behavior."

Its already happening! The illegal Hispanics and their supporters want to have their OWN government, and their OWN neighborhoods, and their OWN stores, and their OWN language. They dont care about AMNERICAN ANYTHING - UNLESS ITS FREE.

You cannot "Americanize" somebody who believes the land they are living on is a part of Mexico, and probably 99% of Mexican illegals believe that.

I wonder if part of the so-called "Americanization" project is to make them Americans by granting amnesty and then working on assimilation.

Also, why should any group assmimilate when they are being accomodated....translators in schools, hospitols, voting,etc?


Perhaps if ( legals/Illegals) werenot aloud to get a drivers license, get medical attention or attend school of they didn't speal english......they would learn, pronto!

For some reason, there is an assumption that it will be an uphill battle to get immigrants to assimilate. That's not the problem. It's when the federal government attaches exorbitant fees to the process that creates resistance.

If the government was truly sincere about wanting to help immigrants assimilate, then they should make the process affordable and as convenient as possible. It's one thing to make people work to receive their citizenship but it's quite another to make them suffer for it.

It is NOT the government's job to teach English! Billions of immigrants through the centuries have come to America and learned English on their own, regardless of cost or convenience. LEGAL immigrants know this and have no problems assimilating - because they WANT to!

Illegal aliens have NO respect for American culture, American language, and American LAWS! Their sole purpose here is to steal as much as they can before returning home to live like kings (or so they think). They see no need to assimilate, they demand everything in their language(s). Proving once and for all that illegal aliens do NOT belong here!

They have spent a great deal of time and money making it "easy and convient" NOT to learn English. Let's try stopping that so there becomes a need and incentive to learn it. Seems the majority of the other non-English speaking people manage to find the desire and time to learn it and nothing special is set up for them. They have LaRaza and Lulac and those groups....let's have them fork over their own money and set up classes and whatever to better accomodate their people. People have been offered free classes (through churches and libraries and such) and everything the rest of the other immigrant communities don't get....but there has been little interest in it. They aren't noting there is a strong desire NOT to speak English...there are some who are quite proud in their ability to seperate people and be catered to.....remember for some it is their intent to make everyone speak Spanish. For some it is their desire NOT to mesh in and ride this "minority" wagon for everything it's worth. There's a difference between can't and won't and I bet dollars to donuts a great number know English, but refuse to speak it because right now it's a beneficial weapon in their arsenol.

I don't know about anyone else, but when I was taught history, just about every ethnic group was mentioned in their part in our history. As with any subject, there are more detailed and in depth classes if you wish to study further but it seems they want to wipe out anything "white" and make it sound like America was created by everyone but "whites". As if the view of America isn't a bit different even for "whites" of different ethnic backgrounds. Remember....even history is taught through the eyes of an elite group and doesn't encompass every aspect of a race and their part in it.....even for "white" people. That's what we have books for......additional learning. I know there wasn't anything drilled into me more than wars. We sure didn't spend a month on Abraham Lincoln or any other specific person, year after year, like my kids were with MLK. In fact mine barely learned anything about history at all till high-school. You simply can't cover it all in one class and give every aspect and group it's due. I learn something new all the time about our history and I'm positive there's tons more I may never know.

This guy and his little group were on c-span this morning, he is unbelieveable!

If this "Americanization" fails, the nation could see major problems in 20 or 30 years, with foreign-born populations detached from the larger society and engaging in anti-social behavior."

They already are stupid!

"easy and convient" NOT to learn English. Let's try stopping that so there becomes a need and incentive to learn it.

I do what I can in my own small way with this. I answer phones for a company that provides Spanish speaking operators. Every time I get a call where the callers says, "speaka spanish?"...I disconnect or send the call anywhere but to the Spanish speaking operator. They'll get their way eventually if they call back...but not through me!