Speak English Correctly, Pilgrim

As a Jewish New Yorker there are few rituals as satisfactory for me as going out for a late-morning bagel. Recently, however, the enjoyment of my routine was disrupted when I noticed the shirt of a fellow customer. It had the iconic picture of Uncle Sam pointing authoritatively, with the words "Speak English, Comprende?" written underneath. I was stewing over the racist undertones of this shirt -- if you are Hispanic and an immigrant you obviously must not speak English (!) -- when the young man began to discuss his order with his buddies: "I don't want no cream cheese." Note to all xenophobes: If you are going to wear a shirt demanding everyone in America know English, you probably should learn how to speak the language properly yourself. I thought about informing him of the double negative, but I couldn't bear to waste any more time before sinking my teeth into the heavenly combination of warm dough, cream cheese and lox.

The fact is we are all the progeny of immigrants. Even if your ancestors brought the pumpkin pie to the first Thanksgiving feast, you are descended from immigrants. And guess what, not all of them spoke perfect English. The horror! They still contributed to our country and many of their children went on to become important Americans. One non-native born person with a funny accent even became the Governor of California.

Here are some other émigrés who became influential citizens: Henry (the original Dick Cheney) Kissinger, Albert Einstein, Madeleine Albright, Hakeem Olajuwon, Carlos Santana, Gene Simmons, Ang Lee, Martina Navratilova, Irving Berlin, and Joseph Pulitzer, to name a few. Each of these people worked hard to attain the American dream and they, in turn, made it easier for the future generations coming to this country in search of opportunity.

Most settlers to America, of course, do not reach the same level of fame and fortune as the above-mentioned group. But they still add mightily to our nation. James Smith, a senior economist at the Rand think tank in Santa Monica and lead author of the National Research Council's study "The New Americans: Economic, Demographic and Fiscal Effects of Immigration, notes that since 1980 all immigrants, including both undocumented and legal, have boosted GDP by $10 billion per year. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanic-owned businesses created $222 billion dollars worth of revenue in 2002.

These are hard-working people with strong family values. Many of them speak at least two languages (we certainly cannot say the same for most native-born Americans). They want only the same things you and I and every other person in this land wants: the opportunity to attain success and freedom.

Next time I go out for bagels I'm going to wear a shirt that says 'Speak English Correctly, Pilgrim!' I'm also going to bring a couple copies of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style to give away to grammar-challenged bigots. Then I'm going to Ellis Island, where my grandparents came after fleeing czarist Russia, to eat my bagel and think about how lucky those of us are who get to help make America a better place.

Comments

[greatslack]

"The fact is we are all the progeny of immigrants."

I guess since "our" white ancestors killed off most of the Native Americans, and holed away as many of the survivors as they could on land that no one wanted, we can just forget about the rest, right?

This kind of thinking is exactly why we still have the government-run ghettos called "reservations" and no one gives half a shit about what happens to the people on them. Go visit one of the reservations that decided to keep their dignity and not open a casino, and tell me why this shouldn't be an issue for the next election.

[dzho]

"Nor never none shall mistress of it be, save I alone."

( Shakespeare, Twelfth Night)

[Ingsocittome]

There is a huge difference in an immigrant and a visitor. No one dares talk about this point for fear of being called racist. Your Ellis Island parents came to stay. They wanted a new start and a new country. No one should ever think that immigrants in America is a bad thing, like you said thats how it all started. An extremely large part of the new immigration wave is just visiting. They either think that the land still belongs to Mexico or they still like thier homeland more. As a result they do not learn the language. We should all support English as the national language, not the only language. Your parents spoke Russian until they died I would imagine, but they also spoke English too. No one says we shouldn't continue to blend and evolve, but English is the one unifying factor, the one statement that says,"I am American now, and me speak english very good." (The poor grammer in that last part was intentional, I apologize for all other unintended grammatical errors.)

[cynara]

Who says migrants don't learn the language? I live around, work with, and interact with lots (50+) of first generation Mexicans legal and illegal. Nearly all of them are currently enrolled, or has been enrolled in a English as a second language class. The few that haven't taken a formal class (usually due to lack of opportunity) have studied on their own, with English grammar and language guides. Do a informal poll with the immigrants you know (if you actually know any), and ask them if they've been studying English, I can practically guarantee almost all will say yes.

Don't assume someone isn't trying to learn a language just because their language skills are not high. Learning a second language as an adult is always difficult and some people have more of a talent for it than others. Some will never, despite years of study, speak English "well". Shoot, look at Gov. Swarzeneggar's innaguration speech, it is riddled with minor grammatical errors. And some people have excellent grammar and fluent understanding, but are unable to overcome their strong accents, so they appear to have a lower fluency level. I know people that have past the TOEFL, showing an excellent fluency level in English, but are shy to speak it in public, for fear of ridicule of their accent.

As for the children of immigrants, their fluency in English is not an issue, even if they speak Spanish or another foreign language at home. Please read the following article:

http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?id=282

It shows there is very little basis for fears that Spanish will overcome English, since most immigrants, hispanics included, speak fluent English by the second generation and usually have forgotten their native tongue by the third generation.

[Journalista]

I listen with pleasure to the color, the flavor and the harmony of the accents in the voices of our country... America is blessed with diversity - I lived abroad for a while and literally missed the richness and character of my multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-lovely home.

[Ben Dixon]

I think you're missing the point here. The point is that immigrants should speak English, it dosn't mean they have to be able to speak the King's English. After all I bet you and your New York accent would find it difficult to understand or be understood by people in the deep south or in Texas.

[DrVeruju]

Is that "King George's" English? I hope not.

[cynara]

We insist on perfect English of immigrants, yet our president's english is painfully poor; the irony. If "Childrens do learn", why can't he?

http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/blbushisms.htm

[CriminallySane]

Speaking English too well is regarded with suspicion in America.

Speaking English badly is regarded as proof of "authenticity" today.

I could go on, and cite examples. I won't.