At one point in my life I was general manager of a company that employed some one hundred people most of whom were Latinos. Very few spoke English.
Six who spoke English were in management positions.
On occasions when I spoke to any group of employees I would ask (through an interpreter) if they noticed that their most successful friends spoke English. I attempted to encourage employees to learn English.
Logically it would seem that our government would promote this too.
However the reverse seems to be true. We are educating them in their own language; providing them with Spanish speakers with free legal help; printing documents in Spanish; and letting them take drivers license tests in Spanish even though they cannot read the roadside signs; also providing public assistance as they are unable to compete without knowledge of English; and much more.
All this ostensibly designed to assist them but in effect retarding any transition into English.
Prior to the Latino influx there were other numerous huge waves of immigrants to our country. To what extent did our government at any level attempt to assist them, The answer is none.
Yet those groups quickly learned English if not the incoming immigrants themselves certainly their children did. Why? Because there was no option.
It is well known too that total immersion in a new language is the best way to learn that language. No ESL (English as a Second Language). No help whatsoever.
As a nation becomes prosperous it finds itself with the problem that there is no one left or wants to do the menial work so they bring in people to perform these jobs such as sanitation, lawn care, dish washing, ditch digging etc.
There is hardly a nation in Europe that does not allow some form of immigration. That is what America does tho the government would rather refer to it as “illegal entry into the USA”.
Don’t tell me that it is impossible to seal the borders. Or really do we want to? If we keep the majority of them unable to participate in the great American dream, perhaps we can permanently keep them to do the menial labor. In effect perpetuating a sort of slave class.
Latinos who do speak English are in a position of power which rests on the fact that many Latinos do not speak English They are the link between.
I have never yet heard an English speaking Latino politician or businessman meaningfully encourage their kind to learn English.
Why should they.
Am I being overly cynical? I don’t think so.
Perhaps someone could convince me otherwise.
Theodore Theodorsen
Manhasset
