Do Today’s Immigrants Refuse to Learn English?
One of the most prolific myths by Nativists is the claim immigrants refuse to learn English or assimilate. Somehow we are expected to believe that today’s immigrants are different than yesterday’s. Historically every new crop of immigrants has struggled with the English language. It turns out this same pattern has been repeated throughout history. According to the Dillingham Immigration Commission Report, immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe would never assimilate, and the children of non-English speaking foreign-born fathers were retarded. This massive report from 1907-11 formed the foundation for severe restrictions on immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe, and bars on non-European immigration. From Table 76 of the report:
Dillingham Immigration Commission – Retarded Children of foreign-born non-English speaking fathers.
During colonial times there was a widespread belief that German immigrants would never assimilate, never learn English, etc. For some reason the immigrants who were never supposed to assimilate eventually do!
I’ve heard this claim about today’s immigrants often enough that I did some digging. Today’s immigrants are no different than yesterday’s! According to a 2006 study by PEW Research, 92% of Latinos consider teaching English to the children of immigrants is very important, as compared to 87% of whites and 83% of blacks. 96% of foreign born Latinos consider teaching English very important. Contrary to public misconception, Latinos, especially foreign born Latinos, actually consider teaching English more important than any other group! Notably:
As telling, perhaps, is a look at how many people said teaching English to immigrant children is not important. Among Latinos, only 2% held this view compared to 27% of non-Latinos.
There are two organizations at the forefront of the official English movement, U.S. English and Pro-English. They were both founded by the same John Tanton who founded the Federation of Americans for Immigration Reform, Center for Immigration Studies, NumbersUSA, and numerous other groups related to immigration, population control, conservation, and the environment! U.S. English and Pro-English seek to pass laws that require government services be provided in English only. Some states have even passed laws mandating that written drivers license exams only be given in English, which most new immigrants cannot pass.
Few Americans and few immigrants disagree with the goal of a common language that binds us, English is already the de facto language of government, and no one has seriously proposed that any language other than English as the language of government. However, these two organizations seek to deny ANY government services in any language other than English. The answer is there’s a hidden agenda to make America less welcoming to all immigrants because other organizations with ties to U.S. English and Pro-English have a goal to drastically reduce levels of legal immigration.
There’s no rational reason to deny drivers licenses to immigrants who are not proficient in English. Traffic signs, etc. are designed to be independent of language (if you don’t believe me take a drive across Europe). However, a handful of states now prohibit written drivers exams in any language other than English, while other states such as Iowa permit written tests in other languages but don’t make available drivers guides in other languages, making it near impossible for many immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. Missouri is one of the latest. The end result will probably be that legal immigrants and perhaps many naturalized citizens in Missouri will drive without a license due to inability to pass a written exam in English. We don’t condone violating the law, but people do have to work, after all, don’t they?
The author of the bill stated his constituents were tired of hearing people speaking in Spanish! Do you suppose his bill had more to do with xenophobia (irrational fear or dislike of foreigners) than public safety? To use a Minnesota term that was originally Swedish, you betcha!
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Bob Quasius is the founder and president of Cafe Con Leche Republicans
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