If there's one thing that get's me riled up, is somebody telling me I need to learn a foreign language in order to communicate with them in my own country. The USA is my country and English is my language.
From the time of Ellis Island, and before, immigrants have been coming to our shores;this is no problem for me. They came from blood, sweat and tears, from year's working in the homelands to save up enough money to get here, and they came in thru the Island legally. They worked for meager wages, they started at the bottom and worked their way up, they worked at their jobs, at the new schools, at life.
And they learnt the language, they learnt English. Many of the decedent's of those first immigrants thru the island no longer know the language of their 'motherland.' America is their Motherland now.
In January of 1892, Ellis Island was officially opened for business. The first person thru, was a little Irish girl: Annie Moore, 15 years old. 700 others were waiting on 3 ships in the harbor just on that day to go thru Ellis Island. 450,000 made their way thru that first year. It was officially closed in November of 1954.
Immigrants are still coming in droves to this country, unfortunately more illegal than legal. They now come thru by plane, thru customs and have to fill out papers of intent to become citizens, which takes years.
They work at new jobs, their children go to our schools, they find a new life here in my country, and they even learn the language of their new country. Those are the legal immigrant's I welcome with open arms into this country. They become productive people.
Illegal immigrants have found a way in also, thru Mexico and a few thru Canada. They come in with a chip on their shoulder, demanding that we learn their language, that we give up our jobs for them. They demand that we teach their children in their language.
Yes, America is a country of people who were themselves immigrants of long ago. There has been 258 years of immigration, most of it by legal means and 388 years if you go back to the very first immigrants who landed here on the Mayflower, in 1620.
Your in the United States of America now. We speak English here, learn it.
Here are some stats on Immigration in today's time.
Very well written, Madison. I am in Canada and I don't know if we have the illegal citizen problems you have there but, we do have a problem with people who don't speak the language. I believe that if you are willing to move to a new country you should be willing to learn the language but I have known families who have been here 20 years and more who still don't speak English. The children learn because they are in school. They translate for their
parents and grandparents and this seems to work for them though.