Reader comments
Caught in language gap

What were they thinking when they came here, that we all speak spanish? The key to this is to learn English. If their kids are so good at it, maybe they could teach it.

Oddly enough immigrants in the 19th century figured out how to learn the language. It's hard, but it's the price you pay for immigration. If I immigrated to Mexico I doubt I'd get any help learning Spanish -- and I bet the rampant bilingual literature you find here would be available there.

That why we need school choice so those that can not speak English have the opportunity to receive quality education.

The problem is not the language barrier - the problem is that the largest percentage of these people are ILLEGAL and if the government was doing their job, they wouldn't be here in the first place. THIS IS AMERICA -- LEARN ENGLISH!!. I am so sick and tired of going to public places and having to repeat myself multiple times because i speak ENGLISH. When my grandparents came to this country (legally, of course), they did not hesistate to learn English. Do the same.

Gee, in all the years of immigration that has NEVER happened before. Get real. It is the price you pay for living the American Dream. Suggested reading: Hunger of Memory by Richard Rodriguez.

They chose to come here and we do speak ENGLISH. Don't whine about it now.

we lived in a foreign country for 4 years. We took no lessons. We interacted with the people and learned the language that way. It is better. These people open businesses that cater only to hispanics so they can avoid speaking english. It is their duty to learn the language on their own and fit in more with our society as we did where we lived. it used to be called "do as the Romans do."

Give me a break. Do you really think your ancestors came to this country -- through Ellis Island -- with perfect English? Have you ever heard of Chinatowns or Little Italys bustling with businesses catering to, heavens above, their own ethnic groups? I pray this sad show of ignorance doesn't reflect the general level of history knowledge of D-News readers.

This country has such a proud immigrant tradition -- though, strangely, we have always demonized them. (For example, the Irish, the Chinese, the Italians, etc.) It would appear that we can't let this wave of Hispanic immigration go without similar derision and hate.

God bless America, indeed.

Thank you, WWJD. Finally somebody with some sense. We are all immigrants and I would be surprised if our immigrant ancestors ever learned English any better these people. Yet we revere them for their sacrifices.

The children are learning English and making something of their lives. Illegal or legal, the majority of these immigrants are hard-working individuals whose only desire is to give their children something a little better than they had. The problem is the "new" Republican mindset a la James Buchanan which hopes to put a bubble around our country and shut off everyone else to opportunities that brought our ancestors to this country. Make it easier for those that want to come here to work and have employers that want to hire them. Then--and only then--can we focus on the drug dealers and possible terrorists that truly want to hurt our country.

Correction. "James" should be "Pat."

Thanks WWJD. The bubble is already here in Utah. Sometimes it makes me wonder if the mayority of utahns have ever crossed the state border or if they ever listened when taking the American History class in high school.

Aprenda a decir el ingles o irse a casa!

I wonder if any of our ancestors ever took the time to learn to speak any of the Indian Languages??

Why are opposing views on immigration automatically classified as "hate" speech or "derision?" This is a logical fallacy intended to prevent or dissuade rational people from having a civilized discussion about immigration. It does not garner support for your point of view, nor does engaging in ad hominem attacks by calling people "ignorant".

Why is it so difficult to accept that people are concerned about Hispanic isolationism? No one here has "demonized" Hispanics.

I for one DO NOT want to waste tax dollars on bi-lingual education when it is the responsibility of the families involved to learn the language of the land. The article fails to mention that you can purchase courses on tape at any bookstore for less than $50. Or how about actually making the attempt to communicate with your neighbor who speaks English? The problem is that many (not all by any means) Hispanics move to locations and associate with people WHO ONLY SPEAK SPANISH!!!. Of course, they're not going to learn English, engaging in this kind of isolationism. I would like to see more (all) accountability placed on the individuals complaining and not bandied about as failed social policy. Thank you.

El Alacrane, your insensitive message might be understood better if you knew how to write Spanish correctly. By the way this is as much their home as yours. Yes, "they" need to learn English, but telling "them" to "go home" is about as hypocritical as you can get unless you are an American Indian.

confused,

There are absolutely biases on all sides of this particular issue -- I would be most guilty if I didn't admit to my own. However, I would hope that you wouldn't deny the historical nature of the current immigration "debate." Throughout this country's short life the same problems have come up over and over again. I think it is important that all people appreciate that history.

Indeed, you are free to feel the way you do. However, at what point does your liberty to disagree impinge on the equally important liberty of another to make a better life for their family? I'm sure you would be appalled if Americans had refused to help or even recognition the difficulties of your ancestors when they arrived in this country. (Though, perhaps they were lucky and were white, Protestant, and English-speaking, which would have eased their transition.) Refusing to fund bi-lingual education -- which allows students to continue to progress while they learn English -- just creates an under-class of children that will surely cause an unquantifiable amount of hurt in the future to them and our country.

I also agree with you that our immigration laws are a failed social policy -- and I would take it one step further and submit to you that they are fundamentally immoral (a stance that is sure to draw fire!)

Finally, have you, or anyone you know, learned a foreign language as an adult? Even with the help of the tapes you mention? It is difficult! That is why nearly every wave of immigration has seen the adults struggle to communicate while their children go on to pick up the language easily -- and now we have returned to the topic of this story...

This article is a blatant, biased FARCE. I have been to Tio�s many times. Tio�s Restaurant, at 600 W. 5300 S. has been there for 20 years � they all speak English just fine. English classes are easily available for FREE, just check at your nearest meeting house. Latino families communicate just fine at home. Probably Generation gap is a much worse problem than language gap. This article is just another volley in the Cannon�s Pro-illegal-immigrant campaign. If the Deseret Morning News Editors would like to print an article about a �real� �terrible problem�, how about uncovering some of the overwhelming problems American citizens face when and illegal immigrant steals their identity.

We lived on the central coast of California for eight years where we were in the midst of many Mexican immigrants. Most of them were isolated, like Confused says, so that they only spoke Mexi-Spanish. Many of them were illiterate in their own language. That's what happens with illegal immigration -- there are no standards. These people watched only Spanish TV and had Spanish translation in church. I, who learned Spanish in South America, where I lived for 2-1/2 years, knew Spanish better than they did.

On the other hand, my wife, who immigrated here legally from Europe, learned English by being immersed in English in school, listening to the radio in English, watching TV in English, etc. When I met her at the U, I thought she was from the East Coast from some high class school. English immersion works if the people are motivated to learn and want to fit in.

Bi-lingual education, on the other hand, is a DISASTER! DON'T GO THERE! We saw it first hand in California. The cost is enormous and the result is that the students do not learn English because they have the Spanish crutch. Their parents don't learn English either, so they have that anchor holding them back.

I have no sympathy for anyone who comes to a country illegally, is being educated by those whose laws they broke to come here, and then whines because it is HARD!

experienced,

Your lack of sympathy is disheartening. With that attitude we might as well melt the Statue of Liberty for scrap. You clearly came from a wholly different situation than those other immigrants you speak of. Clearly, you can't expect people coming from a desperate situation with little formal education to be able to adjust in the same manner you did.

I can't comment on the education system in California, so what you say may well be true. However, here in the Salt Lake Valley there are schools that have excellent dual-language programs (Midvale Elementary springs to mind.) In this age when our schools literally live and die by testing, keeping immigrants students -- of any language group, Bantu, Serb, Bosnian, you name it we have some here in SLC -- from progressing in their studies in order to become fully fluent in English causes real problems.

You constitute a very special form of immigrant that is in some respects atypical from the American experience. In earlier centuries this country was flooded with immigrants who neither spoke the language nor knew the customs of this land. However, with time they adapted (congregating in ethnic enclaves for support, for example Little Italy or Chinatown) and even flourished (check out Asian-American socio-economic stats!) Hispanic immigrants will also, with time, integrate, but just as throughout our history (which you now are a co-owner of), it will be a challenge.

Illegal? Perhaps. But what if the law is unjust? I suppose that is a conversation for another time.

Welcome to America.

The solution is simple - LEARN TO SPEAK ENGLISH. I'm getting tired of getting messages in Spanish when I make a phone call and get an automated answering system. I'll bet if I went to a country (and it wouldn't have to be a Spanish speaking country) whose native language was not English, I would either learn the language or not communicate. If they live in the United States they speak English. It should be our national language.

This is much to do about nothing! Both sets of grandparents immagrated from the Netherlands in 1915. Grandparents spoke dutch to the kids and the kids spoke dutch back to them.

The kids learned english because that is what all the kids in the neighborhood and at school spoke. My dad's mom never really learned english because she kept to the dutch community in the avenues of SLC. My grandfather learned english because he had to if he wanted to be successful as a contractor.

I have no problem with anyone wanting to keep their traditions and honor their heritage, but why do we need to waste limited resources to help individuals stay fluent in a language that is not going to help you be successful in your english, math, history, and civics classes?

Learning english is what will help anyone get ahead in this country.