Ok I'll be honest, I just want to see if this gets more hits than the coin issue!

What does everyone think of how common Spanish is becoming printed on everything and anything it seems like....

My opinion, I grew up in TX, everything was in English and Spanish, signs, printed matter, menu's, everything! Since then I've traveled alot and now live in VA. It's not as bad here with signs, but everything everywhere in the Country is now printed in Eng/Spanish. I think it's rather crazy personally. Our national language is English and I think English should be the main language on everything. I learned Korean when we moved to Korea, I took 4 years of Spanish in school and used it in Mexico. I feel that if you are going to live and make your future in another country you should try to learn the language. NO other country around the world has everything printed to make it easier for foreigners, they don't care! Now before you go flaming me, my best friend of over 10 years is Columbian/native Spanish speaker. Her grandmother whom I love dearly has lived in TX for at least over 15 years, and she can't speak English. But it's no problem, b/c everything is in Spanish. I just think a new citizen should be encouraged to learn our language, not add Spanish to our national language!

Go ahead-flame away, I'm used to it! Doesn't bother me anymore!n my soapbox:

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A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.-Eleanor Roosevelt

I, myself, think that if you live in a certain country- you should know their language. I feel that about living in America, France, China or where ever. ESPECIALLY if you are going to be working next to and with people all day. It bothered me when they said that the National Antham should be in English and Spanish. It really did. If people want to live in the USA they should learn to speak ENGLISH! When we were at a mexican restaurant in Kansas City a few months ago the waiter could barely speak or understand any english at all- WHAT in the HECK! He's in the US, working by taking food orders (of mostly english speaking customers)...Should he not know ENGLISH!?!?!?!

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One happy wife and mommy!!!

Okay I will apologize in advance in case I offend anyone. Sorry.

I am all for those who want to come here to America, from any country, to have a better life, or just to come here for whatever reason. That is great and welcome! I will talk to you, be friends with you, work with you, worship with you, encourage my kids to be friends with you and so on. I am all for it. But please, please, please learn our language. I spend two weeks in Mexico as a teenager and we had to learn the language or at least enough to get by and had a translator to help. I know people who moved to other countries, whether for good or temporarily and they had to learn the language. Speak what you want in your home, but learn English and use it in public. We have a few fast food places here where they can't even take our order because they don't understand or speak English. When my kids went to public school (for only two months) there where parents whose kids had to tell them what the teachers were saying because they didn't speak english!!!

Like I said, welcome to America, but speak ENGLISH please!!!

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Jenifer
Proud wife to one amazing man
Proud mom to four awesome kids

April showers bring May flowers
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

anything that has a commercial aspect to it has only to do with the greed of american companies and their stockholders(us-not literal).

Expecting people of any race/ethincity to just learn a language implies a complete knowledge of a language. Think how hard it would have been for u to learn Korean/spanish if u only knew how to speak English. Your framework for reference would not exist.
There are many languages that have no written language. many Native languages are dying because of that fact.

allgirls

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allgirls, mom to 3 girls

It took me two semesters to learn spanish comfortably enough to have most of a conversation with someone...I know it takes a while, but the least they can do is put an effort into it.
It is great that people want to come to our country for a better life- I am all for it. BUT I only support it if they come legally! A lot of the people who do come here legally seem to be making the effort to speak our language. It is a privalige to live here, people should look at it that way. If they want to live in America, live like a true American, than they need to speak (at least partially speak) English- or be working on their english- Just my thoughts. And I know people will disagree with me, but that's only the way I think.

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One happy wife and mommy!!!

I have to agree w/ the original poster. Everything in our area is in English and Spanish. People that come here from other countries dont feel the need to learn English b/c they are basically being catered too. Also, it is IMPOSSIBLE in our area to get a job whether its pt/ft/per diem or anything else unless you are bilingual in English and Spanish. I have been totally qualified for several positions that I have applied for and go in for an interview and then at the end of the interview they say oh your qualified for this position and we think that you would do a wonderful job and oh by the way are you bilingual in English and Spanish and when I saw no they say sorry but we cant hire someone that doesnt speak both languages. Personally I think thats totally ridiculous!

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SAHM to Elias 3/00, Camdyn 7/03 and Teagan 5/08

It makes me cranky too. I was in meijer the other day and all the aisles have been relabeled with english/spanish titles. Are we going to add french? german? farzi? The area I live in has WAY more oriental or middle eastern minorities than it does hispanic. I'm sorry but this just doesn't sit right with me. When I was in Russia or mexico, etc, I didn't expect everything to be labeled in english.

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I too agree with the fact that anybody that wants to live here and work here needs to learn our language. I also don't like the fact that everything is in English/Spanish....be it signs, forms, menus, etc... I am a Mexican/American female.......I also have people in my family who just never learned the language and refuse to do so. I get very bothered and offended by that behavior. The way I see it is, if you came to this country because of all the opportunities it offers and because you wanted to give your family a much better way of life.....why would you refuse to assimilate to the language and culture of this country. It feels like people just want to "take" but not "give". Some of my relatives, who are US citizens......always root for Mexico no matter what......whether it be the Olympics, World Cup.......I on the other hand always root for the USA. They tell me that I'm a traitor and that I forgot where I came from.......in my opinion, I'm a US Citizen not a Mexican Citizen...even if my parents are from Mexico. I love "my" country and feel proud when the US wins at whatever we are competing at the moment.

There is one thing that bothers me though.............people that want any other language than english to be illegal. They want only english spoken and no other language. That to me is absurd. I think as long as you learn the language and use it when necessary......go ahead and speak whatever you want the rest of the time.

Actually, I believe this statement is false. I don't think we have a "national language" and that is where the problem lies. I do have a problem with so many things being in spanish. Why is it that spanish is given such a priority. What about French, German, Korean...etc... you get the drift. I do think that English should be made the official language of the US and those wishing to be here should learn to speak it. I have no problem with touristy spots catering to other languages, I just don't think it should be prevelant in the schools and on legal forms and such.

I agree with you.....that's completely ridiculous!!!!!