Apr
23
Press One For English?
Filed Under Current Events | 10 Comments
The immigration debate is one that is far from over. The United States of America has often been described as the great melting pot. And I think that immigration has been one of the key factors that have shaped this place into the great country that it is.
But decades ago immigration was an entirely different beast than it is today. When my great grandfather came to this country, he came with the ambition to not only succeed, but also to assimilate. He came to America because he wanted to become an American. One of the first and most important orders of business for him, his wife and my grandparents (their kids) was to immerse themselves in English. I have been told that speaking Italian was not even allowed in their house!
Well this is in stark contrast to the immigration we are seeing today. Today’s immigrants have what seems to me to be a complete unwillingness or at least no motivation to assimilate. In fact it seems to me that it is quite the opposite. Instead of learning English the new immigrants expect us to provide everything in Spanish. Should I really have to press 1 for English whenever I make a call in America? My great grandfather would be very disappointed if he could see what is happening. This is one of the key issues in today’s immigration debate.
