In Miami, Spanish is becoming the primary language

This is the United States of America, not Spain, Mexico or any other Spanish speaking nation. The sooner Congress makes it law that English is our offficial language, the better. When anyone travels to a foreign country, they not only expect you to speak their language, they demand it. When all the nationalities came to this country, whether it was Ellis Island or else where, they had to learn how to speak & read English. There were no prompts on the phones for which language, different languages on packaging etc etc. Only in the major cities and major hotels in foreign countries will any other country speak to you in English, unless you happen to be in Great Britain or some other English speaking country. If you live in the US you should have to speak & read English.

official*

Grow up!!!

I agree with it should be English. I am a Hispanic/Latin woman and if I can speak English and Spanish thatn so can everyone else. Why should I have to meet your needs of Spanish if you are in America. Alot of the customers at my job speak spanish only and expect and demand for me to speak spanish to them, its America! I am teaching my daughter spanish too but English is the language she knows more.

Now don't get me wrong my family came to America from Mexico. My family learned the language and became citizens...so if they can do it so can everyone else. We still keep the traditions too but we had to adapt to this country and if we don't like it then we can go back.....

I for one, I am Hispanic, speak Spanish and English fluently. I see it as a First Ammendment issue, freedom of speech. What is more fundamental to freedom of speech than the language that you express yourself? English speakers think that when we speak Spanish is immediately about them. Guess what, we have better things to talk about. At any rate, didn't your mother taught you that listening to other people conversations is rude? As a I say, grow up. BTW, if English is the "official language" , why does every single Presidential candidate have to have ads in Spanish? If you don't want me to speak my language, I guess you don't want my vote either. Cities like Miami and other cities with Spanish speaking citizens know this and since I guess those citizen pay taxes for services, they deserve to have those services translated in their native language. So grow up!!!

Wrong...

Cubans coming to the United States should be required to learn English. Learning English should be compulsary, not optional.

I'm all for people speaking their own languages, but people should at least make an effort to learn the native language, because it's just the right thing to do. It is very wrong that Miami panders to Spanish speakers, causing non-Spanish speaking Americans to feel alienated in their own country.

In my case, if I moved to France, I'd learn French. If I moved to Spain or Mexico, I'd learn Spanish and I would NOT expect my new country of residence to pander to my needs.

Try to think of it in terms of going to someone else's house to stay for a long period of time. You would not force your rules on them, but you would respect their rules and at least make an effort to "fit in".

Hello wrote:

Wrong...
Cubans coming to the United States should be required to learn English. Learning English should be compulsary, not optional.
I'm all for people speaking their own languages, but people should at least make an effort to learn the native language, because it's just the right thing to do. It is very wrong that Miami panders to Spanish speakers, causing non-Spanish speaking Americans to feel alienated in their own country.
In my case, if I moved to France, I'd learn French. If I moved to Spain or Mexico, I'd learn Spanish and I would NOT expect my new country of residence to pander to my needs.
Try to think of it in terms of going to someone else's house to stay for a long period of time. You would not force your rules on them, but you would respect their rules and at least make an effort to "fit in".

Right on point!!!!!!!!

In my country we had lots of immigrants from many countries. This week we are celebrating the centennial of the Japanese immigration, the latest group of immigrants. Some older people in the countryside cannot speak the national language very well. But in a way or another everybody learned the language and became a country national in their souls. I believe that if immigrants are treated in a way that they feel they are welcomed and a part of the nation, they'll work hard to fulfill that role. If you arrive in Brazil without speaking one word of Portuguese, even if you just speak Russian or something, people will be nice to you and try to help you. And you will want to learn at least how to say 'Obrigado'(Thank you). Separating people by race, seems to be a big problem over there, I don't believe it helps at all in the language unification.
I don't think people should need to speak Spanish. Yet, learning languages is good in many ways. As for government offices offering services in Spanish, I don't think it should be any different. I currently work in Japan. I can handle Japanese on my daily life and even read small texts, considering the short time I've been here that's amazing. Japanese take 6 years to learn all the characters. But when I am at government offices, like renewing my visa, I prefer to be sure of what I'm doing.
I think this article was written in a very tendentious way.

Brazilian wrote:

In my country we had lots of immigrants from many countries. This week we are celebrating the centennial of the Japanese immigration, the latest group of immigrants. Some older people in the countryside cannot speak the national language very well. But in a way or another everybody learned the language and became a country national in their souls. I believe that if immigrants are treated in a way that they feel they are welcomed and a part of the nation, they'll work hard to fulfill that role. If you arrive in Brazil without speaking one word of Portuguese, even if you just speak Russian or something, people will be nice to you and try to help you. And you will want to learn at least how to say 'Obrigado'(Thank you). Separating people by race, seems to be a big problem over there, I don't believe it helps at all in the language unification.
I don't think people should need to speak Spanish. Yet, learning languages is good in many ways. As for government offices offering services in Spanish, I don't think it should be any different. I currently work in Japan. I can handle Japanese on my daily life and even read small texts, considering the short time I've been here that's amazing. Japanese take 6 years to learn all the characters. But when I am at government offices, like renewing my visa, I prefer to be sure of what I'm doing.
I think this article was written in a very tendentious way.

Well said! You are a fair and intelligent person! Viva Brazil!

jewelz wrote:

<quoted text>
Right on point!!!!!!!!

You losers are obsessed with the successfuls Cubans!

Anonymous wrote:

I for one, I am Hispanic, speak Spanish and English fluently. I see it as a First Ammendment issue, freedom of speech. What is more fundamental to freedom of speech than the language that you express yourself? English speakers think that when we speak Spanish is immediately about them. Guess what, we have better things to talk about. At any rate, didn't your mother taught you that listening to other people conversations is rude? As a I say, grow up. BTW, if English is the "official language" , why does every single Presidential candidate have to have ads in Spanish? If you don't want me to speak my language, I guess you don't want my vote either. Cities like Miami and other cities with Spanish speaking citizens know this and since I guess those citizen pay taxes for services, they deserve to have those services translated in their native language. So grow up!!!

Well said! you hit the nail!

John Q Public wrote:

This is the United States of America, not Spain, Mexico or any other Spanish speaking nation. The sooner Congress makes it law that English is our offficial language, the better. When anyone travels to a foreign country, they not only expect you to speak their language, they demand it. When all the nationalities came to this country, whether it was Ellis Island or else where, they had to learn how to speak & read English. There were no prompts on the phones for which language, different languages on packaging etc etc. Only in the major cities and major hotels in foreign countries will any other country speak to you in English, unless you happen to be in Great Britain or some other English speaking country. If you live in the US you should have to speak & read English.

99% of all Spanish speaking people at the USA speak English too.Morons like you are the ones that lack the brains to speak more than a language!Grow up,get a life!

Anonymous wrote:

I for one, I am Hispanic, speak Spanish and English fluently. I see it as a First Ammendment issue, freedom of speech. What is more fundamental to freedom of speech than the language that you express yourself? English speakers think that when we speak Spanish is immediately about them. Guess what, we have better things to talk about. At any rate, didn't your mother taught you that listening to other people conversations is rude? As a I say, grow up. BTW, if English is the "official language" , why does every single Presidential candidate have to have ads in Spanish? If you don't want me to speak my language, I guess you don't want my vote either. Cities like Miami and other cities with Spanish speaking citizens know this and since I guess those citizen pay taxes for services, they deserve to have those services translated in their native language. So grow up!!!

You can not keep a country together long with multiple languages. Just wait. It's already happening. Look at Canada as close example Politicians are speaking Spanish for votes and are fools.

CHEF BOYARDEE wrote:

<quoted text>
99% of all Spanish speaking people at the USA speak English too.Morons like you are the ones that lack the brains to speak more than a language!Grow up,get a life!

99% is incorrect. 68% is.

think wrote:

<quoted text>99% is incorrect. 68% is.

68% is correct if you only counts the ones that arrived in the last 15 years,but if you add the first and second generations you'll get a much larger %!

John Q Public wrote:

This is the United States of America, not Spain, Mexico or any other Spanish speaking nation. The sooner Congress makes it law that English is our offficial language, the better. When anyone travels to a foreign country, they not only expect you to speak their language, they demand it. When all the nationalities came to this country, whether it was Ellis Island or else where, they had to learn how to speak & read English. There were no prompts on the phones for which language, different languages on packaging etc etc. Only in the major cities and major hotels in foreign countries will any other country speak to you in English, unless you happen to be in Great Britain or some other English speaking country. If you live in the US you should have to speak & read English.

Miami Cubans are literate, often white collars professionals. They are, politically, the most conservative among latin americans living in the states. In fact, if it were not for the Cubans who pretty much have the swing votes, Florida would have been a blue state long ago. If it were not for them I suspect that the embargo would have been lifted by now. Whether people like or not, feel uncomfortable or not, Spanish will always be spoken in the USA. Puerto Ricans prefer Spanish and that has been one of the big stumbling blocks of becoming the 51st state. Most people are not ill at ease with spanish speakers. In fact, more Americans are learning the language. Most European countries are multi language speakers and have been for ages. We Americans should do the same.
It is not a symptom of divided loyalties. Is that the issue?

think wrote:

<quoted text>You can not keep a country together long with multiple languages. Just wait. It's already happening. Look at Canada as close example Politicians are speaking Spanish for votes and are fools.

I looks like you never been in Europe!Btw do you know how many different languages are spoken in China or Russia?As I always advice "Read,Learn and then post!
Russia

Of Russia's estimated 150m population, it is thought that over 81% speak the official language of Russian as their first and only language. Most speakers of a minority language are also bilingual speakers of Russian. There are over 100 minority languages spoken in Russia today, the most popular of which is Tartar, spoken by more than 3% of the country's population.
Other minority languages include Ukrainian, Chuvash, Bashir, Mordvin, Circassian and Chechen. Although few of these populations make up even 1% of the Russian population, these languages are prominent in key regional areas.

.
China1
Wú
Wú is spoken in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces and in Shanghai and Hong Kong by about 77 million people. Major dialects of Wu include Shanghainese and Suzhou.
Further details of Shanghainese

Yuè(Cantonese)
Cantonese is spoken by about 66 million people in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces and Hainan island in China, and also in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia and many other countries
Further details

M&#301;n Nán (Southern Min)
M&#301;n Nán is spoken in the south of Fujian province, Guangdong province, southern Hainan Island, in the south of Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces, and also in Taiwan, Singapore and many other countries.
Further details

Jìny&#365;
Jinyu is spoken mainly in Shanxi province and also in Shanxi and Henan provinces by about 45 million people. It used to be considered as a dialect of Mandarin, but is now thought to be a separate variety of Chinese.

Hakka
Hakka is spoken in south eastern China, parts of Taiwan and in the New Territories of Hong Kong. There are also significant communities of Hakka speakers in such countries as the USA, French Guiana, Mauritius and the UK.
Further details

Xi&#257;ng (Hunanese)
Xiang (Hunanese) is spoken by about 25 million people in China, mainly in Hunan province, and also in Sichuan, Guangxi and Guangdong provinces.
Further details

Gàn
Gan is spoken by about 20.5 million people in Jiangxi province and in parts of Hubei, Anhui, Hunan and Fujian provinces.
Further details

Mín B&#277;i (Northern Min)
Mín B&#277;i has about 10,3 million speakers mainly in Northern Fujian Province and Singapore. Mín is the Classical Chinese name for Fujian province and B&#277;i means 'north' or 'northern'.

Mín D&#333;ng (Eastern Min)
Mín D&#333;ng is spoken mainly in east central Fujian Province and also in Brunei, Indonesia (Java and Bali), Malaysia (Peninsular), Singapore, Thailand. The approximate number of native speakers is 250,000.

Mín Zh&#333;ng (Central Min)
Mín Zh&#333;ng is spoken mainly in central Fujian Province.

Dungan (&#1093;&#1091;&#1 101;&#1081;&#1079; &#1118; &#1081;&#1199;&#11 03;&#1085;)
Dungan is spoken by the Muslim Hui people in China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. There are approximately 50,000 speakers. Dungan is the only variety of Chinese not with Chinese characters. Instead it is written with the Cyrillic alphabet.
Further details

P&#365;-Xián
P&#365;-Xián is spoken by about 6,000 people mainly in east central Fujian Province and in Malaysia and Singapore.

Hu&#299;zh&#333;u
Hu&#299;zh&#333;u is spoken in southern Anhui and northern Zhejiang provinces. It used to be considered as a dialect of Mandarin, but is now thought to be a separate variety of Chinese.

NorPoOr wrote:

<quoted text>
Miami Cubans are literate, often white collars professionals. They are, politically, the most conservative among latin americans living in the states. In fact, if it were not for the Cubans who pretty much have the swing votes, Florida would have been a blue state long ago. If it were not for them I suspect that the embargo would have been lifted by now. Whether people like or not, feel uncomfortable or not, Spanish will always be spoken in the USA. Puerto Ricans prefer Spanish and that has been one of the big stumbling blocks of becoming the 51st state. Most people are not ill at ease with spanish speakers. In fact, more Americans are learning the language. Most European countries are multi language speakers and have been for ages. We Americans should do the same.
It is not a symptom of divided loyalties. Is that the issue?

Well said.The more language we learn the better.Learning can not be called a 'sympton of divided loyalties'!You are a smart and educated person.Only fools refuse to learn!

Inthe1970s, there was a strong movement to legislate English as the national language.

It was shot down by pandering liberal Democrats.

And today, we live in a nation of, "Press 1 for English".

Nice job, libs!

Although my children speak english a first language, We only address one another in spanish when we go out in public, mostly because it makes people like "John Q Pubic" sao unhappy.

Look folks, this may not fit in to your world view, but the economists I read tell me we need immigration because as a nation we are aging too fast.

Look at it like this. Woulds you rather have social security paid for by immigrants, or no social security at all?