What are we headed for

[Projekt]

(Bosshound @ Sep. 24 2007,20:35) I speak Perfectly Good English and Spanish and I am Hispanic.  Whenever anyone who is Hispanic tries to speak to me in spanish I Always Act like I don't speak Spanish.  Why ?  Because you are in America. In America you need to speak English.  It is the Language of the country.  Not only that if you continue to give them an out, they will take it.  I love this Country.  It's not perfect but I made it.  They can too.  But not Speaking Spanish  

Pinche Vendido

 

 

But seriously, as a matter of respect, I will reply in Spanish when addressed in Spanish. Even if I am in the middle of an INS-ICE (La Pinche Migra) raid. Believe it...
Like Lucky said, my conversation is nobody else's business. Whether I am discussing the finer points of dropping a duece or where to buy the best tortillas for chilaquiles or who won the Mexican premier league futbol (soccer) match is none of the bystanders concern. And, if they happen to voice there concerns I will happily tell them they should have studied Spanish in High School or to make some Hispanic friends.
I speak several languages and it has only broadened my horizon. They should to.

 

[Projekt]

(Lucky34 @ Sep. 24 2007,22:38) LOL! Those are some funny signs!

By the way, I too am Hispanic (Colombian), and I love my native land! BUT, there's a F*ing reason why I'm in the US and not in Colombia! Yeah, every country has its drawbacks. It's impossible to please EVERYONE all the time. But why would you voluntarily move to a country and then b!tch about it? Yeah, the U.S.A. is NOT perfect! BUT it's more perfect than many other places around the world. If you dont like it here, leave! But before you b!tch about where you live now, try to remember why you are here.

On the other hand, I never understood why people get pissed off when Hispanics speak in Spanish... News flash! NOT EVERYTHING WE SAY IS ABOUT YOU!!! And no, we don't speak in spanish to annoy "americans", we speak in spanish because it's easier to communicate in your native language. I'm pretty close to 50-50 in english and spanish, but I have many friends that communicate much better in spanish than they do in english, so for the sake of effective communication, I speak in spanish with them. I also have "Hispanic" friends who speak better english than spanish. I speak in english with them. There's been a few cases where people have said something to me because I'm speaking in spanish to another friend. Like, "We're in America, speak English!" I think that is one of the most ignorant things someone can say... Not only does it show their lack of knowledge, but it also shows how rude they are for interrupting a conversation that had nothing to do with them on the first place! I don't blame people for getting pissed off when hispanics wanted the national anthem to be translated to spanish also (because I sure as hell was pissed off, too), but mind your own damn business! If two people are having a conversation in spanish, it's none of your business. Now, coming to the US and expecting the laws to get changed to accomodate for your ignorance in not speaking English, that's a different story. If you live here, learn the language. But there's nothing wrong with not forgetting where you came from!  

Very well put. It is like you took the thoughts from me via Telepathic waves...

No doubt, having been around and seeing many countries, I can attest to the USA having the best opportunities. So, it makes sense that people would come here.
In fact, many immigrants capitalize on America's economic benefits (establishing businesses) more than citizens because they don't take it for granted and are willing to work hard.
Just clearing the hurtle of Immigration proves their dedication to a better life and willingness to work hard toward their goal.

 

[Projekt]

(omslaw @ Sep. 24 2007,12:56) I think the frustration with so many Americans is that we must work hard for what we have and that (I'm going to pick on hispanics/mexicans) others just come into this Country are being handed everything on a 'platter'.  Who is paying for all that?   WE ARE!!

Come on man... That is a major load of BULLSH!T!! The Cubanos are the ones that are handed everything on a platter. Albeit, after they dodge bullets and shark infested waters to plant feet on the beaches of the Florida Keys. Cubans are handed an immediate legal path to citizenship status. They also take advantage of their American social network counterparts just as much as other (illegal) immigrants so cut the malarchy. There is just as much or more Spanish spoken in the burbs of Miami particularly in federal establishments such as the Post Office and others in fact they only speak spanish at the USPS in Hialeah so use some perspective brother.

 

[Projekt]

(kaosccw @ Sep. 24 2007,15:13)

(thrasherfox @ Sep. 24 2007,17:15) And the reason why our country is losing its unity? because people are no longer required to be an American citizen to live here.

This nay be a reason but I would rank a few issues higher.

The war, religion, the disparity between lower and upper class.

Few people know their neighbors, we're in a me society.

No question about that... But, you also have to add that Capitalists shipping good paying labor jobs overseas will contribute to that equation more heavily than the rest.

 

[Projekt]

(WWJD @ Sep. 24 2007,13:23) you know me and the MEDIA....  another example of media capitolizing on the SHOCK OF THE MOMENT.  kids get beat up for skin color, wearing the wrong socks, acting gay, being in the wrong click, living in the wrong neighborhood, having non-wealthy parents, looking funny or ugly or fat, I saw a lot of kids beat up in school simply because they were weaker.  Welcome to the inhuman race.  I just see another "NEWS ITEM" that serves no purpose other than to propagate more bad feelings it is covering.   Where's the news item about kids getting beat up because they are weaker?  Oh, that is not as interesting.

"NEWS" isn't.

I thought you'd catch that...

 

[Projekt]

(whitele @ Sep. 24 2007,13:31) Interesting timing. our local paper just ran an article:

Hispanic people feel new hostility

Part of the article:
Miguel Munoz was standing in a drug store parking lot having a conversation in Spanish when a pickup pulled up beside him. The driver shouted curses, shook his fist and called Munoz an "illegal alien."

"He said, 'When you come to my country, you need to speak English,' " said Munoz, a Durham lawyer who immigrated legally from Mexico 17 years ago.

I can comment a bunch on this, but I will refrain...

Why refrain? Join the party! Voice your opinion and give us a chance to counterargue.

 

[PocketRocket]

HUMMMMM "RED DAWN " Its about over..Or is it just starting.. ?

 

[Smoke_Dog]

You can twist it, flip it and turn it! The bottom is speak ENGLISH! If you know another language then so be it! But you have to speak ENGLISH 1ST!!! and realize that it's our nations language! There's ways to come to American correctly, so we all must follow them.

 

[Projekt]

(Smoke_Dog @ Sep. 25 2007,05:56) You can twist it, flip it and turn it!  The bottom is speak ENGLISH!  If you know another language then so be it!  BUt you have to speak ENGLISH 1ST!!!

So, you want to give speech lessons to all those American born and raised citizens that have such a strong accent that it makes them unintelligible?
The problem is people being taught to hate. The girl that did the beating probably has parents that condone hateful behavior. Either that or she is a paranoid nutcase.

 

[gtrpimp76]

I'm afraid of it getting so bad that ppl get so tired and fed up b/c of illegal immigration that anyone of skin color other than "white" will become collateral damage. What would happen to the legal immigrants who have gone through the long, hard process of becoming US citizens, yet, still become targeted as victims of a hate crime? It certainly seems like it's headed that way whether or not the media sensationalizes the issue. I'm Filipino, born and raised in the US, have parents who are upper-middle class with a college education, learned english, became naturalized citizens, pay taxes and love this country dearly. But once in a while, just every once in a while, you get some a$$whole who gives you attitude just because they're ignorant and have that "me" mentality. It's tough b/c sometimes you gotta man up (or woman up) and use your mind, wisdom and knowledge and not get sucked in to physical confrontation or violence as a means to a solution.

however...as previously stated......most in this country have grown awry of the immigration issue and have had enough.

 

[gtrpimp76]

(Projekt @ Sep. 25 2007,22:02) The problem is people being taught to hate. The girl that did the beating probably has parents that condone hateful behavior. Either that or she is a paranoid nutcase.

interesting point.

She may be a complete reflection of her family upbringing. She may only know what she's observed all her life through her parent's behavior, beliefs, etc. At least, that's how a developmental psychologist, such as Urie Bronfenbrenner and his ecological systems approach, would see it.

 

[thrasherfox]

For one this topic shouldn’t get too deep based on the school bus issue.

none of us were there so we have NO idea what the reason behind it was.


I have been subjected to people talking in a different language around me and I knew for a fact they WERE talking about me.

it has happened all my life and it pisses me off. So whenever anyone is near me and they are speaking perfect English then all of a sudden they switch to a different language I find it very rude.

And the reason I KNEW people WERE talking about me is either I knew enough of the language to pick up on it, or a friend that spoke the language was there and told me what was said later.

My point is, on this specific topic starter, it might had NOTHING to do with race. The girl that got her butt beat COULD have been talking about the girl who did the whooping, or the girl that did the whooping could have had people in the past talk about her in such a manner and she was too sensitive to it.

 

[Projekt]

(thrasherfox @ Sep. 25 2007,07:09) For one this topic shouldn’t get too deep based on the school bus issue.

none of us were there so we have NO idea what the reason behind it was.


I have been subjected to people talking in a different language around me and I knew for a fact they WERE talking about me.

it has happened all my life and it pisses me off. So whenever anyone is near me and they are speaking perfect English then all of a sudden they switch to a different language I find it very rude.

And the reason I KNEW people WERE talking about me is either I knew enough of the language to pick up on it, or a friend that spoke the language was there and told me what was said later.

My point is, on this specific topic starter, it might had NOTHING to do with race. The girl that got her butt beat COULD have been talking about the girl who did the whooping, or the girl that did the whooping could have had people in the past talk about her in such a manner and she was too sensitive to it.

No! You are WRONG!!

I knew somebody would lend this perspective. Nothing wrong with it as it is he said she said, rather in this case she said she said.
Maybe the Honduran girl did shoot some spit about the girl who attacked her, maybe not. Since there wasn't a tape and transcript of the event we can't be certain.
So as far as we can see the is just another illustration of one topic's prevalence in the news.

 

[Projekt]

(gtrpimp76 @ Sep. 25 2007,06:12) I'm afraid of it getting so bad that ppl get so tired and fed up b/c of illegal immigration that anyone of skin color other than "white" will become collateral damage. What would happen to the legal immigrants who have gone through the long, hard process of becoming US citizens, yet, still become targeted as victims of a hate crime? It certainly seems like it's headed that way whether or not the media sensationalizes the issue. I'm Filipino, born and raised in the US, have parents who are upper-middle class with a college education, learned english, became naturalized citizens, pay taxes and love this country dearly. But once in a while, just every once in a while, you get some a$$whole who gives you attitude just because they're ignorant and have that "me" mentality. It's tough b/c sometimes you gotta man up (or woman up) and use your mind, wisdom and knowledge and not get sucked in to physical confrontation or violence as a means to a solution.

however...as previously stated......most in this country have grown awry of the immigration issue and have had enough.

Yes... Kind of like Operation Wetback in the early part of the last century.
Bro, you will always find some white power nut that will try to hurt your feelings for being brown. I still get it sometimes.

 

[gixxer418]

I can speak from experience, my wife is from Brasil and lived in germany for seveeral years. While in germany she learned german and so did I, why ? because we lived there!!!!When we went to Brasil I had to learn portugese, why? because that was the language there. Now she has learned english has here green card and is continuing to learn english and speaks engish when in public dealing with people but between us we speak either german or portugese for the sake of better communication but only if it is a topic that can be better explained to her in another language. But I can attest to the problems encountered due to people ignorance thinking that because they cannot understand what is being said we are talking about them. And like what has been said before it is not easy to go through immigration and it is a long process but there should be nothing wrong with communicating in your native language when needed. Think about when americans go to work or visit or live in another country due to work ie; Military, how many of us speak the language there? just my two cnts....

 

[BlueHaya]

...just a side note of where things are going.

How many people seen the Dallas Cowboy vs. Chicago Bears game? They were honoring Hispanic Heritage Month (Thats fine). I am ok with mentioning it, but do not put spanish commercials and spanish writing or Half time show in Spanish speaking singers on my English speaking TV.

......just because you are Hispanic does not mean you speak Spanish.