Immigration

[Alex+R 0]

Who the hell is advocating mass relocation of billions? (Say "billions" in the Dr. Evil voice.) Where's the 100 million figure coming from? At max, there's about 15 million illegals here. Are they all going to split, like amoebas?

Seriously. Has anyone seriously advocated for unrestricted immigration? There's a whole middle ground between "NO ONE SHOULD IMMIGRATE (BUT MY FIANCÉE BECAUSE WE'RE IN LURRRRVE)" and "LET EVERYONE COME IN."

A work visa isn't unrestricted immigration. Neither's the H1-B.

'd my ####### off to the part in bold.

I still don't understand how people can be forgetting refugee immigration and other types when they say everyone should speak English when they get here. It suggests to me that people are conflating the influx of illegal immigrants and other types of immigration.

[Niels Bohr 72]

I came here without knowing English. And, I've contribute alot to the community more so than those families who lived here for generations. I don't like those who mentioned that a prerequisite be required for English.

Edited May 2, 2007 by consolemaster

[mawilson 2,133]

What about people bringing their mother from a tiny Southeast Asian village without a lot of opportunity for gaining English fluency?

I also think English fluency should be a requirement. I'd make an exemption for the

elderly and disabled, but 40- or 50-year-old "mothers" should learn the language.

[Nagishkaw 510]

I came here without knowing English. And, I've contribute alot to the community more so than those families who lived here for generations. I don't like those who mentioned that a prerequisite be required for English.

Connie, with all due respect.....get over yourself, would ya?

[Alex+R 0]

I think at least intermediate English should be a requirement to live here, but opportunity should be given to learn it in the US. Maybe they have a year or two to pass a test. Clearly they can't naturalize without learning it, but maybe they need that in place for keeping a greencard.

[KHURRAM SERAJ 0]

I think at least intermediate English should be a requirement to live here, but opportunity should be given to learn it in the US. Maybe they have a year or two to pass a test. Clearly they can't naturalize without learning it, but maybe they need that in place for keeping a greencard.

I agree

[Caladan 19]

I think at least intermediate English should be a requirement to live here, but opportunity should be given to learn it in the US. Maybe they have a year or two to pass a test. Clearly they can't naturalize without learning it, but maybe they need that in place for keeping a greencard.

Ehhhhhh. I sort of like the sentiment, but I also can't see deporting someone's Baba because she didn't manage to learn enough English to pass the test. Either that, or the test would have to be so weak as to be practically useless.

I would like to see mandatory classes or something as part of green card process, to help with assimilation, but there's plenty of people who have contributed to the country who didn't speak English very well. It's very hard to learn a language late in life. As long as the person is sponsored and isn't on welfare, I don't much care if all they do is chatter to their grandkids in Italian, y'know?

[mawilson 2,133]

As long as the person is sponsored and isn't on welfare, I don't much care if all they do is chatter to their grandkids in Italian, y'know?

Hence the exemption for the elderly

[Fandango 1,439]

Who the hell is advocating mass relocation of billions? (Say "billions" in the Dr. Evil voice.) Where's the 100 million figure coming from? At max, there's about 15 million illegals here. Are they all going to split, like amoebas?

Seriously. Has anyone seriously advocated for unrestricted immigration? There's a whole middle ground between "NO ONE SHOULD IMMIGRATE (BUT MY FIANCÉE BECAUSE WE'RE IN LURRRRVE)" and "LET EVERYONE COME IN."

A work visa isn't unrestricted immigration. Neither's the H1-B.

ITA.

But I think the whole 'unrestricted immigration' might be a spillover from the other thread...dunno tho.

[Ban Hammer 13,336]

I came here without knowing English. And, I've contribute alot to the community more so than those families who lived here for generations. I don't like those who mentioned that a prerequisite be required for English.

maybe there can be an exception for stay at home spouses?

[Caladan 19]

As long as the person is sponsored and isn't on welfare, I don't much care if all they do is chatter to their grandkids in Italian, y'know?

Hence the exemption for the elderly

Meh. People's brains lose the language plasticity much much earlier than legally elderly. I just figure that the best way to assimilate new immigrants is to ensure their kids are integrated. The older guys will just die off eventually.

[Caladan 19]

I came here without knowing English. And, I've contribute alot to the community more so than those families who lived here for generations. I don't like those who mentioned that a prerequisite be required for English.

maybe there can be an exception for stay at home spouses?

Not enforceable, really. You'd be limiting someone's ability to work, and can you imagine the potential for abuse? "If you get a job I'll have them take away your greencard because you don't know English, get back in the kitchen, b*tch." Or if the family falls on hard times.

Just leave it as it is. If you want the benefits of citizenship, learn the language. If you don't, your loss.

[mawilson 2,133]

As long as the person is sponsored and isn't on welfare, I don't much care if all they do is chatter to their grandkids in Italian, y'know?

Hence the exemption for the elderly

Meh. People's brains lose the language plasticity much much earlier than legally elderly. I just figure that the best way to assimilate new immigrants is to ensure their kids are integrated. The older guys will just die off eventually.

They should have enough plasticity to to be able to answer "what's the purpose of your visit"

in English when asked by a POE officer.

[Ban Hammer 13,336]

I came here without knowing English. And, I've contribute alot to the community more so than those families who lived here for generations. I don't like those who mentioned that a prerequisite be required for English.

maybe there can be an exception for stay at home spouses?

Not enforceable, really. You'd be limiting someone's ability to work, and can you imagine the potential for abuse? "If you get a job I'll have them take away your greencard because you don't know English, get back in the kitchen, b*tch." Or if the family falls on hard times.

Just leave it as it is. If you want the benefits of citizenship, learn the language. If you don't, your loss.

that previous post of mine was sarcasm

[Caladan 19]

That's not fluency, though. By those standards, I'm fluent in Spanish, because I can understand 'No sneakers in the washing machines please' at the laundromat when it's on the wall in Spanish.

Sorry charles. Thought that was a bit strange coming from you, who is normally sensible.