Hell if you can't speak passable english then your a pain in my ***. I delvier to all kinds of restraunts(mex,asian,jap,american) If i am trying to get paid so i can get on with my day and cann't find someone who speaks english i get annoyed. If i moved to their country i would learn as much as i could of the language before going. As for Immigrants, i care about 2 things. Pay everything i have to pay (taxes,healthcare, etc.) and SPEAK ENGLISH. I am not saying you need to be a group speaker but cover the basics like boss is gone and will be back in an hour. It sucks to try to find the guy who owes you a grand when there is 20 people their and one speaks passable english and he went to the bank.

 

Patience and Signing goes a long way. in general we say that (and I Say we because Puertorrians are U.S. citizens at birth) one of the perks of being a commonwealth But we don't mean it. we travel to other countries and speak English expecting people to understand us. that happened tome in Paris and Rome and English isn't my 1st Language, Span:shis. yet for some reason we travel and expect everyone to speak English

 

wow...assimilate eh? give up everything about my culture so that i can live in yours to make your life better?
that is a very western view...and it shows just how ethnocentric americans are...by the way immigrants are treated, the way americans act when they go to non-english speaking countries, etc...

just know that all these perks of being american will not last...democracies don't last for more than 200 years or so...and our time as a super power is up...

sad to say...the majority of the posts here are fueled by stereotypes, anger and frustration...why not use knowledge and facts if you want to debate in this topic?

anyone read "Pedagogy of the Oppressed"? i highly doubt it...because while everyone wants to make a stink about it...no one really cares to look into it...but only base it off 'personal' experience...

 

assimilate does not mean give up everything about your culture. It means be able to operate in the new culture you're trying to live in, and not expect that new culture to treat you "special" when you don't tryto adaptto it. I would be pissed at one of my great grandparents too, she refused to speak english when they moved here from germany. I think that is freakin rediculous no matter what culture you are from and which one you move into.

I try and learn enough of a language to be able to be understood when I go and visit somewhere that doesn't speak english. They do appreciate that I try, even though it is probably terrible and gramatically dreadful, and that is all I ask of people that come here too. I'm also not trying to live there and make everyone learn whatever I speak, which is what I have a problem with.

I do agree that our time as a super power is quickly coming to an end, the problem is that democracies become too "civilized", which is definitely happening right now. Just look at the way we are half fighting a semi war in Iraq.

Guess what stereotypes arebased on fact, doesn't mean everyone falls into that sterotype, but alot of ppl do.

And don't be so certain that all of us "sterotypers" don't read classic lit. Some of us have read works by Freire.Quite a socialist he is, oh and that book is also based on personal observation too, alot off his work in Brazil. Everything is based off ofobservation, hell it is one of the steps in the scientific method. In the fourth chapter of that book I think supports what I am saying, cultural synthesis, not antidialogics (invasionof culture, and manipulation).

 

your definition of cultural assimilation is a bit loose...assimilation usually does imply (and usually is the case) that is being assimilated loses very much of what makes that group different to begin with...hence it's usually associated with the 'melting pot' way of thought, vs. the "tossed salad" way of thought.

yes...if in a country to live, do learn the language...but remember, this country is made up of many different races...and we only speak english here because they had the best technology and conquered everyone else who were here before them...otherwise we'd be speaking different native american languages! where you're at used to be mexico...so just remember who was here first!?!??!

i think pretty soon it'll be chinese people going everywhere acting as americans do since they are up and coming super power ;-)

yes...i agree with you about stereotypes stemming from facts...it's just facts that have been generalized to the entire group.

i'm glad you're versed in other types of lit unlike others who just like to open their mouths and hear whatever it is coming out of it! i think socialism and the "C" word are great (not capitalism but the other one...don't want to type it cause it'll probably trigger something crazy on the net and i have feds up my butt)...on paper that is...it just doesn't work well in real life...because it just doesn't jive well with human nature, competition, want, etc...

then you mash all this up with all these other issues, etc...and you see that all problems are so interconnected and deeply routed that the only way to solve them is for everyone to have a lobotomy and function like unicellular organisms.

 

I wasn't attacking you, I hope it didn't come off that way probably did though. I was attempting to defend some of what I said lol.

 

They are great in theory, practicality............no. They are terrible in the real world, and completely impossible to pull off. Just the way people are, some are better than others (more gifted, whatever). So biologically they can never be achieved especially the C one.

 

no i know you weren't attacking mang...if i felt you were attacking i'd delete your thread and ban you...muahahhaha...

what's the "C" one you refer to? spell it out so i know it's the same as i was referring to...muahahhahahahh!?!?!?!??!

 

When I think of assimilation, I think of the Borg from Star Trek...and they don't f_ck around. They'll put bolts and metal into your skin, and won't even care if you think it hurts. Then you have to walk around with no personality until your motherboard gives out...sheesh! How rude is that?
(sounds like Jack Handy, eh?)

Hey Tahoe, you might want to read a book called "A Different Mirror" by Ronald Takaki. It is a look at the history of America from a multi-cultural standpoint...sounds boring as hell, but it is a good read.

 

I'll let you do that spelling lesson first tahoe lol.