[PRCo] Re: Europa (Foreign Languages)

[Fred Schneider]

GO TO GOOGLE, LOOK UP U S CENSUS, LANGUAGES SPOKEN AT HOME, LOOK AT  
1980, 1990 AND 2000 AND THEN CHART WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE  
FUTURE.

http://www.censusscope.org/us/chart_language.html

In 2000 it was 10.71% Spanish, up from 7.53% in 1990.  That suggests  
if immigration from Mexico continues at the same rate, it will be  
15.71% by 2010 and 22.30% by 2020.   Draw your own conclusions.    
Perhaps NAFTA has slowed some of the migration.

On the other hand, I have a question I love to ask and that is, "Who  
is the real illegal immigrant?"   Remember the English, and to a  
lesser degree Dutch, French, Spanish and Germans stole the country  
from the millions of native peoples that were already here and were  
unable to defend themselves.   Now we're saying you must speak  
English or we'll keep you out?   To me, something seems dreadfully  
wrong with that equation.    Then we imported Africans but told them  
they also didn't belong....

There was a wonderful old man, by now retired and probably dead, who  
used to manage the Pennsylvania State Employment Office in McKeesport  
back in the 1980s.   I'm going to tell you that he was of African  
American descent only because it is relevant to the history of the  
town and the story.

He remembered growing up in McKeesport, when the parents (these are  
the past immigrants we so desperately want to believe spoke English  
in comparison to the new immigrants who don't) used to send their  
children out as runners when they needed a cup of sugar, or a glass  
of milk, or whatever for a recipe.   Why?  Because the children spoke  
English.   The parents spoke Italian, Polish, or some eastern  
European tongue.   The children were the only ones who could go next  
door to a family of a different European nationality and be  
understood.   They had not been really integrated into the society.   
Apparently they never were.   The kids were.

He also talked about his own family and how little money they had.    
His uncle worked for the Best and Only Railroad and got them trip  
passes once a year to ride into Pittsburgh to shop for Christmas  
presents.   During the rest of the year, Pittsburgh was sort of an  
imaginary place a dozen miles or so away to the west that you simply  
dreamed of.



On Nov 11, 2007, at 5:40 PM, Mark McGuire wrote:

>   I'm sure Fred's figures are underestimated in states like Florida  
> and Texas. On my mail route I have many Mexican people moving into  
> homes and apartments. Whether they are legal or not I do not know.
> I have these 2 cute little girls on one of my walking streets who  
> always say, "hola" to me when I approach. I used to say "hola" back  
> to them but now I say "hello" or "hi" and "bye" because I'd like  
> them to eventually start learning our language which I'm sure they  
> will once in school.
>  Also alot of Bosnian people in one neighborhood. If you listen to  
> the parents you can definately here the accent, but most of the  
> children speak just like you and I.
>
> -- John Swindler <j_swindler at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Fred Schneider mentioned: >> What is important here? Spanish is  
>> important because 1 in every 5> U. S. citizens speaks it in the  
>> home or will shortly. We should all> bite that bullet and be  
>> bilingual and quit arguing about whose> culture is ruined by  
>> learning a second language.>
>
> I find this hard to believe.  You have a source, Fred?
>
> The only hispanic I know arrived in US at age 23 - and she didn't  
> know a word of Spanish, only spoke English.  Has about ten  
> decendents, and none interested in Spanish.  One did try Chinese in  
> high school - another German, and the rest took a pass on foreign  
> languages.
>
> John
>
>
>
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