redblueamerica.com

I am writing a speech for a class requiring immigrants to learn english before they can become an american citizen and stumbled upon that requirement on the Homeland Security website. It just seems to me that we don't follow through with what we say on this matter. Shouln't we as a unified nation stick to our words and laws. The Mexican Constitution states that you must speak fluent Spanish and give up your citizenship to your original country and yet they still don't teat you equally by limiting you to certain land and not being able to vote as well as being kicked out without probable cause. Our country is the land of the free (as americans) but making english the dominant language does not mean that you can't keep your original culture, religion, and beleifs in your own time at home and with family. It seems to me, because there is such a diverse array of immigrants who come here they should learn to take pride in that choice and learn our language...it doesn't seem probable for English speaking people in their homeland to have to learn the many different languages that have seeked us out as the place for them to live. It is a priveledge and with that comes responsibilities to the country.

while I believe immigrants should learn fluency in English, as my grandparents did, it's an impossible requirement to implement. Most of the illegal immigrants from south of the border have no more than an 8th grade education in their own country, and a huge percentage are functionally illiterate in their native language. I don't believe they have any interest in assimilation, they just want the money our society can offer.

Yes, I agree, it should be required to have an understanding of the English language when becoming a citizen. Read it, write it, and speak it.
And yes, we are spending thousands of dollars teaching Spanish in American schools, but who said anything about us teaching Spanish as a first language? Who wouldn't want to be capable of speaking more than one language? That is called education. The more languages you understand, the better off you'll be.

They are SUPPOSED to know English to become a citizen but just like the border and hiring of illegals it is not enforced. The U.S. better start enforcing our immigration law; I will not vote for any candidate that will not do something to stop the illegal immigration. If we need more immigrants then an average of 700,000 per year since the year 2000 then we should decide to allow more in.

Schools in Texas provide instruction in Spanish to bilingual students from preK through 5th grade. Highly qualified teachers are passed up in the hiring process for a teacher who can speak Spanish. Class sizes for English only students are 20 to 24, while Bilingual classes contain 10 to 14 students. If being able to communicate in English is fundamental to being a citizen, why do we spend billions of dollars teaching kids to read and write in Spanish?