I understand illegal immigration

[Wyld Blu 35]

nope,

Kids learn languages faster; it's not uncommon for European to speak 2, 3, 4 or more languages because countries are so close from one another, or like in the case of Switzerland where they have 3 official languages (french, german and italian).

So, no it is a tad harder but not impossible, besides I dislike the attitude of not push the kids to learn, nothing in this world nor life are easy

NUFF said

I wish my grandparents would have spoke german to me when I was little. Learning a new language now is sooooo hard. All the rules are completely different than what I'm used to. I like the challenge, but give up and start again quite often.

I am 50 yrs old now and trying to learn Dutch. I found that speaking it to others is MUCH easier and a faster way to learn than using The Rosetta Stone for me. I am not opposed to pushing kids to learn either. I think challenge is good. I think not having a choice is not.

That said, I think America is WAY too easy on students especially when it comes to learning another language. I took the one mandatory semester of Spanish I was required to take. I found that when I tried to speak any spanish to my spanish speaking mexican friends then, they were entertained. I didn't realize then there are MANY different languages that sound a lot alike. I learned more of the "street" (as the teacher called it) spanish and loved learning it. I wish our schools would do it like they do in Europe. You start learning other languages right along with your other studies throughout your whole school experience. Then you become somewhat fluent. Not like the cut rate way they taught it when I was in school, or even now.

-Blu-(oy gavault)

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Well I guess you know how a generation of Quebec Anglo kids felt in the years after the Bill 101 Language Law was introduced in 1977.

With limited exceptions, all kids had to attend French speaking schools.

Even kids who came from English speaking homes, and from families that had lived in Quebec and been English speaking for generations.

And even when the parents were willing to pay for private school tuitions.

No one had a problem with bilingual education, or even immersion programs in French.

But mandatory forced French-only education for all, with no legal recourse?

No sh!t many families hit the highway, literally, and packed up and moved down the road to Ontario.

Not cool.

Ontario??? Cold as frozen hell

stfu and go back to hotter than hades meseeko, u!

Ontario eez my home and native land. Well, one of my many home and native lands

Dude, I am an adoptee of the sister Republic of Saskatchewan; land of all things commie

[Amby 490]

I have a bit of advice when learning a new language. Make sure your teacher isn't drunk

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I have a bit of advice when learning a new language. Make sure your teacher isn't drunk

that helps

My French teacher looked like Dustin Hoffman... in Tootsie. Quite creepy

Bonjour, je m'apelle yo mamma

[scandal 951]

Well I guess you know how a generation of Quebec Anglo kids felt in the years after the Bill 101 Language Law was introduced in 1977.

With limited exceptions, all kids had to attend French speaking schools.

Even kids who came from English speaking homes, and from families that had lived in Quebec and been English speaking for generations.

And even when the parents were willing to pay for private school tuitions.

No one had a problem with bilingual education, or even immersion programs in French.

But mandatory forced French-only education for all, with no legal recourse?

No sh!t many families hit the highway, literally, and packed up and moved down the road to Ontario.

Not cool.

Ontario??? Cold as frozen hell

stfu and go back to hotter than hades meseeko, u!

Ontario eez my home and native land. Well, one of my many home and native lands

Dude, I am an adoptee of the sister Republic of Saskatchewan; land of all things commie

Please give my regards to Comrades Tommy Douglas, Roy Romanow and Ray Hnatyshyn ... .the finest Kommies for Krist ever produced in Kanada, and all from RoS (Republic of Saskatchewan). [Well, Hnatyshyn was no Kommie, he was a Konservative, but I like his funny name, so tossed him in for good measure]

Anyway.... you are MAJORLY negligent Sister Len, for not having dropped by the Happy 1st/4th thread to give us your Canada Day/Independence Day greetings. All dual -allegiance VJers are REQUIRED to stop by.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Please give my regards to Comrades Tommy Douglas, Roy Romanow and Ray Hnatyshyn ... .the finest Kommies for Krist ever produced in Kanada, and all from RoS (Republic of Saskatchewan). [Well, Hnatyshyn was no Kommie, he was a Konservative, but I like his funny name, so tossed him in for good measure]

Anyway.... you are MAJORLY negligent Sister Len, for not having dropped by the Happy 1st/4th thread to give us your Canada Day/Independence Day greetings. All dual -allegiance VJers are REQUIRED to stop by.

Oh #######. I am bad.... on my way.

[MrsBocanegra 3]

I am sure there where other reasons for your kid to fail in school - don't give me this BS about being the fault of non-English speakers.

Yes, I have never heard of a class other than a Spanish class being taught in Spanish in an American public school.

Of course, we're talking about the Left Coast so anything is possible.

It happens! My nephew who only speaks English was placed in an ESL class. It took the school almost three weeks to fix their mistake. The school is located in Farmers Branch, TX.

I think requiring children to learn a different language is a major plus. It doesn´t necessarily have to be Spanish.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

I would say that I am anti illegal immigration and agree with most posts except for the issue regarding law enforcement. Whilst I don't think they should be wasting time actively looking for people. However when a crime is committed an an arrest is made the federal authorities should be alerted and should come take the person away and prep for deportation.

There was an article in my town recently (northern CA) where for 2008 over 1/3 of DUIs are illegal yet they can post bail and walk away. More often then not they do not follow probation and even with a bench warrant still walk around free. Its sort of like the US has created a class of people that are "below" the law where law enforcement can't handle them in the same way as US citizens because of ID and other related issues.

I would say I'm neither more or less angry having gone through immigration for my wife...I realize that they suffer to a certain extent and don't have a true place in our society. Only the next generation will benefit.

[Ladylethal 12]

As an addendum to the original topic...how have your views changed (if they have) about illegal immigrants now that you are going, or went through the legal immigration process?

-Blu-(stirring the pot again)

Not at all.

Just as my views of shoplifters don't change when I pay for my groceries at the checkout counter.

Legal = good. Illegal = bad. What's so hard to understand?

Well, all jokes aside, my view on the subject at hand is: I do not support illegal immigration. I DO look down upon my fellow countrymen who have the "stick it up their asses gonna go live in US whether they want it or not" attitude, I believe in working hard to better your country as opposed to escaping to the US for a better life. I do understand some people are in dire situations and feel that it's die or find a way to other countries (not just US have problems with illegal immigration). I agree that the government is in serious need of an immigration reform and ways to reinforce illegal immigration prevention.

But in all this what bugs me, personally, is knowing that to the majority of americans, just for being foreign I'm automatically illegal, and if I try to explain that I married a citizen and we decided to live here then I'm a GC #######. And even if you say that to a fellow brazilian living here illegaly, they'll be against you and saying "at least I didn't marry just for the sake of the card". There's no attention to the fact that many of us living in US today coming from marriages or work visas might not have necessarily chosen to live here, but it's what was appropriate at the time. I tire of saying I'd return to Brazil any day, and I plan to, as soon as my husband and I find good opportunities there for us.

As for Spanish in schools, I was an exchange student in AZ in 1996, and they did have all spanish classes for the hispanic students, which were probably half of the entire school. Funny thing is, they wanted to place me in that class and I had to explain seriously that I knew way more English than I knew Spanish. They thought that since I spoke Portuguese it was the same thing.

Ask how many Puerto Ricans that visit the 'mainland' get greencarded for things such as bank services, etc.

As for the baited comments that state this site is full of illegal immigration supporters, well... that is that.

Yep, since I live here in PR I know well how they too are severely prejudiced for being puertoricans. Americans call them freeloaders 'cus theoretically they don't file taxes federally (it's a bit diff than US but yes, they file federal taxes as well). And I am sure if you ask most of them, they'd say they'd rather become a State and abide by all US regulations, than remain a colony and have to abide by all US regulations without proper representation in Congress and without voting for President.

[HAL 9000 96]

As an addendum to the original topic...how have your views changed (if they have) about illegal immigrants now that you are going, or went through the legal immigration process?

-Blu-(stirring the pot again)

Not at all.

Just as my views of shoplifters don't change when I pay for my groceries at the checkout counter.

Legal = good. Illegal = bad. What's so hard to understand?

Well, all jokes aside, my view on the subject at hand is: I do not support illegal immigration. I DO look down upon my fellow countrymen who have the "stick it up their asses gonna go live in US whether they want it or not" attitude, I believe in working hard to better your country as opposed to escaping to the US for a better life. I do understand some people are in dire situations and feel that it's die or find a way to other countries (not just US have problems with illegal immigration). I agree that the government is in serious need of an immigration reform and ways to reinforce illegal immigration prevention.

But in all this what bugs me, personally, is knowing that to the majority of americans, just for being foreign I'm automatically illegal, and if I try to explain that I married a citizen and we decided to live here then I'm a GC #######. And even if you say that to a fellow brazilian living here illegaly, they'll be against you and saying "at least I didn't marry just for the sake of the card". There's no attention to the fact that many of us living in US today coming from marriages or work visas might not have necessarily chosen to live here, but it's what was appropriate at the time. I tire of saying I'd return to Brazil any day, and I plan to, as soon as my husband and I find good opportunities there for us.

As for Spanish in schools, I was an exchange student in AZ in 1996, and they did have all spanish classes for the hispanic students, which were probably half of the entire school. Funny thing is, they wanted to place me in that class and I had to explain seriously that I knew way more English than I knew Spanish. They thought that since I spoke Portuguese it was the same thing.

Ask how many Puerto Ricans that visit the 'mainland' get greencarded for things such as bank services, etc.

As for the baited comments that state this site is full of illegal immigration supporters, well... that is that.

Yep, since I live here in PR I know well how they too are severely prejudiced for being puertoricans. Americans call them freeloaders 'cus theoretically they don't file taxes federally (it's a bit diff than US but yes, they file federal taxes as well). And I am sure if you ask most of them, they'd say they'd rather become a State and abide by all US regulations, than remain a colony and have to abide by all US regulations without proper representation in Congress and without voting for President.

Yeah they pay for things out the wazoo alright between very stiff import regulations that would stay under any colonial/absorption status, etc... but I strongly disagree most would actually want statehood- not that it will ever actually happen even if 100% of the island population wanted it. But that's another theme. I just laugh my rear off when I see it happen. People that are US Citizens since 1917 getting greencarded because the geniuses doing the carding didn't quite pay attention during history class.

Anyway... I would still like to see a list of folks here that come out in droves to support illegal immigration, and if so, for what reasons. The silence thus far, beyond the hysterical BS propagated by a few loudfingers is indeed very deafening.

[Ladylethal 12]

Dunno, my husband and his family and everyone I know are for the political party going for statehood, since staying as is sucks and if they go independent the island will be worst than Haiti.

[jundp 191]

WA's public education sucks then

Not really. Not as bad as some places. Of course, I don't teach in a public school.

As for views changing about illegal immigration. Well, before going through this process I was much more open-minded about illegal immigration. While I can be sympathetic to the person and their situation, I'm not for an all-out amnesty and the bottom line is: it ain't cool.

[HAL 9000 96]

Dunno, my husband and his family and everyone I know are for the political party going for statehood, since staying as is sucks and if they go independent the island will be worst than Haiti.

My pops was a PNP politician and 95% of my familia is too.

The whole 'independence = instant misery is an old argument that resonated in a Cold War era that doesn't exist anymore and never made sense to people that keep a closer eye on the actual potential a nation has by the people it produces. Have they also used the Cuba will invade PR line too? Things don't work like that in a modern world where transition periods are set up with intelligence to create a healthy, vibrant economy to trade with the former colonial power, not become a banana republic. IMO... many estadistas have a near permanent case of self esteem issues.

Besides like I said... the US Congress will never grant it so I am not concerned about it happening either way.

Anyway... gotta go.

Edited July 1, 2009 by HAL 9000

[Niels Bohr 72]

Eliminate all "under the table" jobs! Will probably eliminate more than half of illegals!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Dunno, my husband and his family and everyone I know are for the political party going for statehood, since staying as is sucks and if they go independent the island will be worst than Haiti.

You know, when the Brits were being asked to relinquish their empire worldwide, western "intellectuals" (read 'a s s h o l e s') predicted every nation they left would collapse into complete anarchy. We needed the Brits there, we were told, to keep the peace and teach us lesser peoples how to live like men.

Well, eventually the Brits left. And the old colonies have made mixed progress. Some have done quite well. Some got off to rocky starts and are beginning to do well. And some have, in fact, turned into hellholes.

What has been the determining factor each time? The actions of the people left behind after the Brits left.

Will PR turn into Haiti? If they don't act right, sure. But it is by no means a foregone conclusion.

Eliminate all "under the table" jobs! Will probably eliminate more than half of illegals!

When will governments learn they can not eradicate what has always existed?

Edited July 1, 2009 by Randomizer