Five-in-six Americans support making English the official language of the United States

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Why all the talk of deportation? There are so many guest workers here for a number of years that eventually run out of options and find themselves needing to return home.

I don't think so -- they would much sooner find their way into your home and my home.

Why the doomsday scenarios? Again, lots and lots of guestworkers return home upon expiration of their work visa or termination of their employment w/o ever finding their way into your home or mine. If the argument is that the approach to force their departure via termination of their employment opportunities won't work, then we ought not to be discussing any guest worker program whatsoever. All we'd be doing then, following your doomsday scenario, would be to legally invite hundreds of thousands of future burglars each year.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

You think it would eliminate the "push 2 for Spanish" message on the USCIS phone system?

That one really gets to me! Why not have other # options like push 3 for tagalog, 4 for Japanese. 5 for Korean and so on....

Becuase you might sit for hours lstening to that language menu seeing that there are hundreds of languages out there. It's just not practical.

[Fandango 1,439]

So what changes would result if we were to make English the official language? Would it have any consequence? Or would we just be trying to make a point?

There is a fear and a movement motivated by that fear - that Spanish will become more integrated into American English. So what better way than to pour bleach on it.

Thank God, the race card played just in time.

I was a little worried we're not getting there in this thread.

Then why should anyone give a damn about the integration, use, or implementation of Spanish into our language? As if our English language isn't already riddled with 'foreign' words. Languages evolve...get over it.

Why did you feel the need to play the race card in this thread?

Because it's an emotionally charged knee jerk last response when there's nothing of substance to really say...

imo, of course

[one...two...tree 2,762]

So what changes would result if we were to make English the official language? Would it have any consequence? Or would we just be trying to make a point?

There is a fear and a movement motivated by that fear - that Spanish will become more integrated into American English. So what better way than to pour bleach on it.

Thank God, the race card played just in time.

I was a little worried we're not getting there in this thread.

Then why should anyone give a damn about the integration, use, or implementation of Spanish into our language? As if our English language isn't already riddled with 'foreign' words. Languages evolve...get over it.

Why did you feel the need to play the race card in this thread?

Reinhard, how do you equate me pointing out a very real element 'fear' as racism? Nativism, nationalism, isolationism, xenophobia are more accurate. Being afraid of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture of turning this country into a 'third world' country exists whether you want to acknowledge that reality or not.

Edited May 23, 2007 by Steven_and_Jinky

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

So what changes would result if we were to make English the official language? Would it have any consequence? Or would we just be trying to make a point?

There is a fear and a movement motivated by that fear - that Spanish will become more integrated into American English. So what better way than to pour bleach on it.

Thank God, the race card played just in time.

I was a little worried we're not getting there in this thread.

Then why should anyone give a damn about the integration, use, or implementation of Spanish into our language? As if our English language isn't already riddled with 'foreign' words. Languages evolve...get over it.

Why did you feel the need to play the race card in this thread?

Reinhard, how do you equate me pointing out a very real element 'fear' as racism? Nativism, nationalism, isolationism, xenophobia are more accurate. Being afraid of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture of turning this country into a 'third world' country exists whether you want to acknowledge that reality or not.

I boldended the phrase for you. That's what I took as the race card being played. Or was the bleach you referred to not meant to be a whitening agent?

[mawilson 2,133]

Nativism, nationalism, isolationism, xenophobia are more accurate. Being afraid of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture of turning this country into a 'third world' country exists whether you want to acknowledge that reality or not.

So? All of the above things are real. No-one wants this country to turn into a Mexico of sorts, is that so bad?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

So what changes would result if we were to make English the official language? Would it have any consequence? Or would we just be trying to make a point?

There is a fear and a movement motivated by that fear - that Spanish will become more integrated into American English. So what better way than to pour bleach on it.

Thank God, the race card played just in time.

I was a little worried we're not getting there in this thread.

Then why should anyone give a damn about the integration, use, or implementation of Spanish into our language? As if our English language isn't already riddled with 'foreign' words. Languages evolve...get over it.

Why did you feel the need to play the race card in this thread?

Reinhard, how do you equate me pointing out a very real element 'fear' as racism? Nativism, nationalism, isolationism, xenophobia are more accurate. Being afraid of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture of turning this country into a 'third world' country exists whether you want to acknowledge that reality or not.

I boldended the phrase for you. That's what I took as the race card being played. Or was the bleach you referred to not meant to be a whitening agent?

I don't know...what's the ramifications of making English the official language of this country? What will it mean if say, an Hispanic word or phrase become so common-speak that it is integrated into our American version of English? To forbid the infiltration of words from other languages into our own would be tragic, IMO. Change is constant, but some people fear it...they want things to remain static.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Nativism, nationalism, isolationism, xenophobia are more accurate. Being afraid of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture of turning this country into a 'third world' country exists whether you want to acknowledge that reality or not.

So? All of the above things are real. No-one wants this country to turn into a Mexico of sorts, is that so bad?

In the global scheme of things, it's incredibly unrealistic. People are immigrating and emigrating throughout the world. Change is inevitable. Why this desire to be static?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Nativism, nationalism, isolationism, xenophobia are more accurate. Being afraid of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture of turning this country into a 'third world' country exists whether you want to acknowledge that reality or not.

So? All of the above things are real. No-one wants this country to turn into a Mexico of sorts, is that so bad?

In the global scheme of things, it's incredibly unrealistic. People are immigrating and emigrating throughout the world. Change is inevitable. Why this desire to be static?

Change can be good or bad. It is ok, IMO, to identify what you consider is good (or positive) change and aspire to that. Maybe mawilson thinks US->Mexico would be a change for the worse (I tend to agree, assuming we are talking about the current state of Mexico as the end goal).

[homesick_american 1]

I don't know...what's the ramifications of making English the official language of this country? What will it mean if say, an Hispanic word or phrase become so common-speak that it is integrated into our American version of English? To forbid the infiltration of words from other languages into our own would be tragic, IMO. Change is constant, but some people fear it...they want things to remain static.

That's extremely silly. The United Kingdom has English as its official language (alongside a couple of other languages native to the British isles) and there is no Gestapo-like 'Academie Anglaise' like what they have in France dictating the precise yet clunky translation of borrowed words/terms. In France, you're supposed to say 'le chien chaud' instead of 'le hot dog'. The majority of French people pay no attention to such ridiculousness, and they're fiercely proud of their language.

Why do you think something like that would happen in America? It's absurd.

[Dwarf_Ogress 0]

Just my 2 cents:

When I had to choose a foreign language for my college degree I chose Spanish because I knew that I would get to practice it here where I live as it is a dominant language. It is a bit frustrating to walk into a store and see items listed in both Spanish and English. It makes me feel bad for people who do not speak either language. However if I were to go to a foreign country I would HAVE to learn the language in order to communicate and to get the things I need. I feel that by having everything translated into Spanish provides native Spanish speakers the opportunity to not learn English. I dated a Mexican-American man years ago and his parents have lived in the USA for over 20 years and do NOT speak a lick of English! I appreciate the people who come to my work to take the ESL tests in order to take a class to learn English!

Edited May 23, 2007 by FutureMrs

[Ban Hammer 13,345]

You think it would eliminate the "push 2 for Spanish" message on the USCIS phone system?

That one really gets to me! Why not have other # options like push 3 for tagalog, 4 for Japanese. 5 for Korean and so on....

press 1 for english, press 2 to be deported if you can't freaking understand english!

[homesick_american 1]

You think it would eliminate the "push 2 for Spanish" message on the USCIS phone system?

That one really gets to me! Why not have other # options like push 3 for tagalog, 4 for Japanese. 5 for Korean and so on....

press 1 for english, press 2 to be deported if you can't freaking understand english!

If you didn't speak English, how would you know to press 2?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

You think it would eliminate the "push 2 for Spanish" message on the USCIS phone system?

That one really gets to me! Why not have other # options like push 3 for tagalog, 4 for Japanese. 5 for Korean and so on....

press 1 for english, press 2 to be deported if you can't freaking understand english!

If you didn't speak English, how would you know to press 2?

What if you're deaf... and only speak Spanish?

Do the text-phones offer multiple-language support?

[Dwarf_Ogress 0]

How about "press 5 and wait a looooooonnnnnggggg time"? lol