Happy 4th! - Press One For English!

[GY]

[awfulcase]

I feel discriminated in this country, no German language warning labels on products and Sprints voice recognition menu doesn't understand my accent:mad: (j/king, actually it does:))

 

I actually don't mind if I see signs, etc. in Spanish because it re-inforces the idea of the "American melting pot", and after all it's good for business, so how more "American" can it get?

 

Happy 4th of July!

[ViLo]

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEJfS1v-fU0

 

Hummmm.....Who was here first, I'll say "press 1";) for for American Indian Languages:thu:

[spokenward]

 

Hummmm.....Who was here first, I'll say "press 1";) for for American Indian Languages:thu:

 

 

Saved for emergency use only.

[ViLo]

Saved for emergency use only .

 

So, there you go!:thu:

[Gus Lozada]

Ah pero aqu

[ViLo]

Ah pero aqu

[nat whilk II]

Ah pero aqu

[Gus Lozada]

Ok, how much Spanish do I remember.... Ah = "ah" pero = "but" aqui = "here" si posteas = uhh, dunno. a guess="where I am"?? mendigo = don't know that one either...verb, first person...something like "mender" would be the infinitive...is there a latin root I can trace...mendacious, "I'd be lying"?? traidor = I've heard that word somewhere, male noun..."traitor? the embarrased icon might go with that.... So, it's, "ah, but where I'm from, I'd become a lying traitor". Close? Kinda close? nat whilk ii

 

... not even close, but on the "traitor" word

 

ViLo has not posted at HC for about two months. Then, he re-appears and NOT at the Spanish forum, but in here

 

... so I told him:

 

"[You do not post at the spanish forum] but you happily post in here, right, you damned traitor !!"

 

 

... but do not get confused. Within mexicans that means we love each other

[nat whilk II]

but you happily post in here, right, you damned traitor !!" ... but do not get confused. Within mexicans that means we love each other

 

guess I need to dig out the old Spanish textbook:D

 

But what I really want is an easy, fun way to learn Spanish - I work hard enough already...

 

nat whilk ii

[SanDiego333]

Q: What is the official language of the USA?

 

A: There is not one.

[Ed A.]

There is no official language in the US, but there is a national language. Even our government officials don't seem to know the difference.

[SanDiego333]

There is no official language in the US, but there is a national language . Even our government officials don't seem to know the difference.

 

no habla .....

 

I'm with ya...

[Ernest Buckley]

Millions of immigrants came to the US, learned the english language and made a good living for themselves. America has become so accomodating, I`m afraid it is breaking us down on many levels. We`re all immigrants so there can never be an official language. My point is: Accomodating everyone with everything is "ideal" but not sure how practical.

[Gomer Pyle]

All of my family is from Germany, Austria, Sweden and Italy. They all speak English like they were born here,They came here because they wanted to be Americans, Paul.

[ViLo]

All of my family is from Germany, Austria, Sweden and Italy. They all speak English like they were born here,They came here because they wanted to be Americans, Paul.

 

We came here for the money! and the gringos are using us and learning Spanish so they can communicate with us [is in their best interest ya'knaw! Who cares about this stuff "Can we all get along"? nobody owns this country, although the American Indians should be the ones claiming ownership...

We are all aliens here, even the whites, excuse me the Anglos.........According to the "song" only US Citizens are defending this country wrong wrong...maybe they are not watching the news

 

Peace!

 

P.S. I'm a US citizen, I was born in Eagle Pass TX.,

But I grew up in Mexico!

[Geoff Grace]

It's kind of amusing to watch people waving the American flag to defend our right to speak the language of ... England!

 

Nonetheless it's true that English has always been the default language of the United States, so I can see why it's unsettling to some people to see it demoted to an option rather than the de facto standard.

 

Personally, I love languages so the more, the merrier!

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[kurfu]

Ah pero aqu

[franknputer]

What a bunch of hateful crap. Why is this song posted in here anyway?

[elsongs]

It is a TOTAL misconception that immigrant groups "refuse to assimilate and speak English." That's just loaded language to alienate them even further. If you tracked individual immigrant families from the time they arrived here over the course of year, you WILL find that they DO learn English. Did they learn English overnight? Of course not, but then neither did you. The thing is, the American mainstream doesn't care about that and just sees the immigrant group as one, Borg-like mass that thinks alike (au contraire, EVERY ethnic group has ideological/political/cultural/religious/philosophical divisions) and the one family who is on the English learning curve is ignored because there's another immigrant family that has just arrived.

 

What most Americans are unaware of is the true reality:

 

- Most immigrants come here in their 30s, 40s, 50s.

- The younger ones are more apt to learn English

- The older ones have resigned to the fact that they are too old to learn the language fluently

- They have children born and raised here WHO SPEAK ENGLISH

- The children become cultural brokers for their parents, explaining all things to them American and helping them assimilate

- The parents still speak to them in their native language because, well, you talk to your kids in the language you are most comfortable with. But they in no way want to deny them the opportunity to speak in English because they know that by speaking English they can get a better education and higher-paying jobs.

- The kids grow up and are in a unique position to bridge cultural and generational gaps BUT:

 

- Their native culture derides them as "too Americanized" and not worthy of being part of their culture.

- American mainstream culture derides them as "too foreign" and not worthy of being a true American.

 

And they are largely ignored by both their native culture and by the American mainstream. These are the people both America and the native-speaking immigrant groups should be listening to, but both refuse to. So they have serious identity crisis issues. Are they of their native culture? Or are they American? Neither one embraces them. THAT is the problem.

 

How do I know this? I'm one of those people. And I know so many others from other groups.

[meccajay]

elsongs, I've never seen it documented in such a way as you just did, but I've often suspected that was the case.

 

Thanks for that insight and info!

[Geoff Grace]

Neither one embraces them. THAT is the problem. How do I know this? I'm one of those people. And I know so many others from other groups.

 

That sucks. Sorry to read that.

 

Well for what it's worth, as far as I'm concerned Elson, you're one of us.

 

I'm not sure that's a good thing though...

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[franknputer]

It is a TOTAL misconception that immigrant groups "refuse to assimilate and speak English." That's just loaded language to alienate them even further. If you tracked individual immigrant families from the time they arrived here over the course of year, you WILL find that they DO learn English. Did they learn English overnight? Of course not, but then neither did you. The thing is, the American mainstream doesn't care about that and just sees the immigrant group as one, Borg-like mass that thinks alike (au contraire, EVERY ethnic group has ideological/political/cultural/religious/philosophical divisions) and the one family who is on the English learning curve is ignored because there's another immigrant family that has just arrived. What most Americans are unaware of is the true reality: - Most immigrants come here in their 30s, 40s, 50s. - The younger ones are more apt to learn English - The older ones have resigned to the fact that they are too old to learn the language fluently - They have children born and raised here WHO SPEAK ENGLISH - The children become cultural brokers for their parents, explaining all things to them American and helping them assimilate - The parents still speak to them in their native language because, well, you talk to your kids in the language you are most comfortable with. But they in no way want to deny them the opportunity to speak in English because they know that by speaking English they can get a better education and higher-paying jobs. - The kids grow up and are in a unique position to bridge cultural and generational gaps BUT: - Their native culture derides them as "too Americanized" and not worthy of being part of their culture. - American mainstream culture derides them as "too foreign" and not worthy of being a true American. And they are largely ignored by both their native culture and by the American mainstream. These are the people both America and the native-speaking immigrant groups should be listening to, but both refuse to. So they have serious identity crisis issues. Are they of their native culture? Or are they American? Neither one embraces them. THAT is the problem. How do I know this? I'm one of those people. And I know so many others from other groups.

 

Post of the year!

 

I know exactly what you mean, my friend. We have several Iranian friends, and it is exactly as you describe.

[Gus Lozada]

Hey Elson!

If you are ok with the challenge/price of moving into the US, then it is all worth.

 

And being half and half is not any bad either. You can have often times the best of both worlds: your original roots and culture with a new language and tons of experience, summed to a better expectation of work and income for the future.

 

 

 

This, from a member of a family running away from a Dictatorship, embraced by a very cool country. Same language, different roots. It all rocks.

[elsongs]

That sucks. Sorry to read that. Well for what it's worth, as far as I'm concerned Elson , you're one of us. I'm not sure that's a good thing though... Best, Geoff

 

LOL

 

From my personal experience, my parents did speak fluent English before coming here, but that's only because their native country (The Philippines) was a US territory when they were born. But for most "hyphenated Americans" that's not exactly the case. I didn't suffer from a serious cultural identity problem compared to some of my peers, but when I totally feel the "oddball" when I go to an independent artists conference and am one of the few non-white/non-black people there, or when I go to the Philippines to visit family and get called a "foreigner" by most of the people there because I can't speak their language.

 

But overall I do like being a "hyphenated American" - I'm proud to be an American, for both better and for worse, and I like to preserve my ethnic/cultural identity - it gives me a connection to both my past and future as well as depth, meaning and purpose to my life (I like to think I grew up under these circumstances for a reason and that my ancestors are somewhere up there, watching me and cheering me on). There's never been a well-known Filipino-American singer/songwriter that's been successful to any considerable degree, and so I'd like to be that person...or at least make the attempt...that's really why I'm doing this music thing.