change happens, get used to it.
from cette_vie
carpentersville, il residents express bigotry against hispanics moving in.
For them, it boils down to this: many Mexican immigrants are reluctant to adopt the American culture. “They want the American dream, but they don’t want to assimilate,” Sigwalt told me. “Immigrants are what made this country great, but the immigrants of yesterday and the immigrants of today are totally different people. They don’t have the love of this country in their hearts.”
I said this to Connie, there's no better to make me grit my teeth than to use the word "assimilate".
What does that even mean, to "have the love of this country in their hearts"? Do they really think that their ancestors decided to immigrate to the US out of pure love for the country? Oh wow, I've fallen in love with America! Let's go! It seems much more likely that the ancestors of yesteryear (irish, german, italian) came here for many of the same reasons that hispanics immigrate here -- better jobs, more opportunities, and a new start.
When the Germans, Poles, and Italians arrived, they didn't speak English right away, either. I'm sorry, but learning English is not something that happens as soon you step foot on American soil, or once you tell the mechanic fixing your car to "learn some English". And you say that one should learn the language before you come to the country; you wouldn't do the same thing. You know the reason why you wouldn't go to another country before learning english first? because lucky you, you were born in America. You don't need to go anywhere else to find better opportunities. Congratulations, you won the birth country lottery.
But learning English does happen by the second generation, and this is what happens then:
2nd gen: So that's how I feel about the X, Y, Z affair.
Asshole: Wow, you speak English so well! Where are you from?
2nd gen: California.
Asshole: No, I mean, where are you really from?
2nd gen: Um. My parents are from Korea.
Asshole: Really? North or South?
You want us to assimilate? We've done it, more or less. We speak your language better than you do. We work harder than you do. And now, we eat at McDonald's and get fat, just like you! But no matter what we do, we'll always be an other; is it any wonder why we throw up our hands and stop trying to please?
carpentersville, il residents express bigotry against hispanics moving in.
For them, it boils down to this: many Mexican immigrants are reluctant to adopt the American culture. “They want the American dream, but they don’t want to assimilate,” Sigwalt told me. “Immigrants are what made this country great, but the immigrants of yesterday and the immigrants of today are totally different people. They don’t have the love of this country in their hearts.”
I said this to Connie, there's no better to make me grit my teeth than to use the word "assimilate".
What does that even mean, to "have the love of this country in their hearts"? Do they really think that their ancestors decided to immigrate to the US out of pure love for the country? Oh wow, I've fallen in love with America! Let's go! It seems much more likely that the ancestors of yesteryear (irish, german, italian) came here for many of the same reasons that hispanics immigrate here -- better jobs, more opportunities, and a new start.
When the Germans, Poles, and Italians arrived, they didn't speak English right away, either. I'm sorry, but learning English is not something that happens as soon you step foot on American soil, or once you tell the mechanic fixing your car to "learn some English". And you say that one should learn the language before you come to the country; you wouldn't do the same thing. You know the reason why you wouldn't go to another country before learning english first? because lucky you, you were born in America. You don't need to go anywhere else to find better opportunities. Congratulations, you won the birth country lottery.
But learning English does happen by the second generation, and this is what happens then:
2nd gen: So that's how I feel about the X, Y, Z affair.
Asshole: Wow, you speak English so well! Where are you from?
2nd gen: California.
Asshole: No, I mean, where are you really from?
2nd gen: Um. My parents are from Korea.
Asshole: Really? North or South?
You want us to assimilate? We've done it, more or less. We speak your language better than you do. We work harder than you do. And now, we eat at McDonald's and get fat, just like you! But no matter what we do, we'll always be an other; is it any wonder why we throw up our hands and stop trying to please?