Featured Half English/Half Spanish TV Commercials Go Mainstream

Where in the article (I did not watch the videos), excepting the comments, is there any mention of catering to illegal aliens?

I think you're drawing a bias-influenced conclusion.

 

How good and pluralistic is it if you were unemployed, looked at the ads and spot a job you knew you qualified for, and can definitely do, IF ONLY you were "bi-lingual" (translation: spanish speaking also) in your own country ?

 

Great point:thumbs:

 

This reminds me of the old line that if you think education is expensive try ignorance. It is much more expensive in the long run.

 

Catering to lawlessness? Sorry, I'm not following you here. Unless you mean that these commercials are geared to illegal immigrants. Is that it?

So far as I know there are no laws regulating what language may be used on TV. My suggestion for you is to change the channel when these commercials come on. Also, switch off Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, etc. It will do you a world of good.

 

This makes no sense.

So you're saying that no new applicant for citizenship can take the test in any language other than English?

 

Again, there's no law establishing English as the primary language of the United States of America (a country named for an Italian mind you.)

America is just as much the country of those who speak English, Spanish, German, Russian, Portugese, Japanese, etc. etc. etc.

Secondly, this kind of requirement is no different than "must be proficient in Word 2010" or "must be able to read and write" or "must have a CDL." All of these are requirements for jobs that are perfectly legitimate and reasonably required. Are you telling me you'd be offended if a job required you to have profeciency in the latest Microsoft Office Suite and you didn't know how to use a computer?

 

Obviously, if the job required an applicant to be bi-lingual and you are not bi-lingual, you are NOT qualified. Being able to speak Spanish could very well be a necessary part of a job.

 

Yeah, right!!!

Instead of one nation of AMERICANS, we are now a hodge-podge of hyphenated semi-Americans with the first half of the hyphenation taking center stage.

Makes us better -HAH!!!!:tear:

 

I agree people need to get used to living in a pluralistic society. But does it make us better? I'm not sure. I think it's simply a fact of life and has no inherent advantages.

 

Come on ITL, the people of this country have always lived in a pluralistic society. I come from 1st generation Italians, Polish/Ukranian/Slovak's, Welsh/English (thats me) plus my cousins---Irish, German etc. So please dont tell me we are not all involved in a pluralistic world when in fact we are. But here is the deal, we integrate. Mostly because we all came over here (speaking for my ancestors) legal & above board.

Now when I take my daily walks into town with my trusty dog Kip, all the Spanish shops have one language signs advertising themselves.....care to guess what the one language is? Ding, Ding......"SPANISH" & whats that tell you? :smilewinkgrin:

 

What kind of answer is that? You either can or cannot show in the article a mention of catering to illegal aliens.

 

As far as I know, there is no law either in Mexico (though I might be wrong), or any Latino country that their primary language is Spanish, but do they need anyone to be bi-lingual ?

No, sir. America is a country that was settled primarily by English-speaking people. It is a country whose constitution has primarily been in the English language, where the history was written in the English language by English speaking historians.
Now, its peoples may have come from different Ethnic backgrounds like you mentioned, but once upon a time those settlers and immigrants struggled to learn the English language, and assimilated into the American culture.
Those who came here legally know and can attest to the fact that among the many requirements is that they NOT BECOME A WARD OF THE STATE or the country, so those who sponsored them needed to show they have the means and the money to financially support those who come here from the home country or wherever until they also become socially and economically productive residents or citizens, and all these are requirements which ILLEGALS CIRCUMVENT and continue to do so successfully to the point that it is now the government of this country, and its citizens that need to give way and bend backwards to accomodate ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

No, sir. these are not the same as knowing computer software or such, or being able to drive a rig.
Those are JOB SKILLS available for anyone to learn.
Speaking spanish is not a skill, per se.
You are born into the language, raised in it, or learn to be proficient in it.
And the very reason it has become a requirement nowadays is because of the growing number of illegals who have skirted both the above-mentioned sponsorhip requirements.
They have now become a major factor for businesses to contend with if they are to make sales or any form of business at all.
So they require you, in America, to be proficient in another language, otherwise, those who do speak the target language get preference over you, and in fact get paid more than you would be.

No, sir. I will not be offended.
However, I will learn to use the computer and use Office if it is what is needed for me to get ahead in my job, or to get the job if I have been unemployed for a long time.
In fact, it is good to add more skills to one's skill set whether one knows that he is going to be unemployed for a while or not.
But here's the thing.
Even if one does learn to speak pidgin Spanish, who do you think you will hire if that one is sitting side by side with another native Spanish speaker ?
Years ago, I tried to apply for a job with a firm that wanted English speakers, and they make you speak into a phone and read a script in their website.
Then they politely thank you and say because they are looking for NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS they wish you the best in your job hunt.
What do you think was the issue ?
I can speak English fairly well, I can read English fairly well, and I can write English fairly well, however, my accent may have been too undesirable for their client base's purposes.
But that was fine with me.
All I needed to do was whittle away at the accent.
So, back to the question.
Here's a pidgin Spanish speaker, and a fluent one, and you're in business with primary clientelle the Latino market, and most do not speak Engish.
Who do you hire ?

 

Jedi, there there. It'll be okay. You're getting a bit paranoid over the language thing. It's not a plot. It's just that English isn't everyone's language and this country isn't about language. English just happens to be what they decided to make the official language. It doesn't make you "less" American to speak something else.

So yes, to gain citizenship, one does have to be taken in English unless you meet the criteria for exemption. However, you can be a citizen and not speak a word of English.

You never know who is speaking another language. They could be a natural born citizen, born and raised here. They could have been born here, but lived in another country and then came back. They could be illegal. They could have been granted asylum. They could be here working. They could be visiting. They could have a green card. You never know. Don't be skeered! Languages are interesting, not something to be afraid of.

 

Back in 1998, when I was barely a year here in the States, I read an article in the Washington Post, or was it the Times, about black and white Americans moving out of the Miami-Dade area, along with some Asians, and congregating in a suburb outside of Miami.
The reason was they wanted to feel like they were in the United States of America, and not Cuba, or another Latin American country because Miami had its street names and districts in Spanish, most newspapers and radio stations had news in Spanish, and the music blared in Spanish.
At the time I found it funny and childish.
But now I understand, and share their sentiments.
In Chicago, they are demonstrating because they want the government to provide sick illegals with health care.
What the heck ?
They want government to make certain even illegals get what legal immigrants and citizens are entitled to (and barely able to receive).

 

OK, I'll rephrase--we're going to have to get used to living in a pluralistic society where immigrants do not feel the need to assimilate our language and culture.

 

In all due respect, why did they move here in the 1st place if they dont want to integrate? Plus that mind set is very limited, both economically & socially.

 

I suppose they came here for economic opportunity. There's no way to compel them to integrate, but the smarter ones will figure out they will go further if they do.