It seems to me that we have two different issues here.
1. Illegal immigration.
2. English language.
I am against illegal immigration while being in favor of legal immigration. My father immigrated to this country in 1924, legally.
However, I am also open to allowing illegals who are married to a legal resident, or the parent of a US citizen to be given a path to legal status. I would not break up a family. (What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.)
A little background. Both sets of grandparents were immigrants. On one side they came from Mexico (grandfather) and Ireland (grandmother). On the other side they came from Germany (grandfather) and France (grandmother). So I grew up in an extended family that spoke Spanish, Gaelic, German, French, and of course, English. I have no problem with anyone speaking a language I don't understand in my presence.
(Although I did have one humorous incident. When I first met my wife's grandmother and aunt (both native German speakers) they decided to talk about me a bit, in German. I sat and read a magazine while they discussed my looks, my demeanor, my taste in clothing and anything else that came to mind, all in German so I would not understand. After a couple minutes I stood to go to the rest room and said, "Entschuldigen Sie mich einen Augenblick bitte" and walked out of the room. The expressions on their faces was priceless! My wife and I still laugh about it over 40 years later!)
I live on the border. I mean right on the border. In Hidalgo County, Texas. I can hit the US Border (the Rio Bravo - usually called the Rio Grande by Anglos) with a rock on a good day. Hidalgo County is 91% Hispanic. And of those, 75% are descended from those who lived here while it was still part of Mexico in the early 1800s. We, and the other Anglos, are the newcomers. But English is still the common language. There are very few who do not speak any English. Most of the clerks in the stores are bi-lingual, which doesn't bother me a bit. They always speak English to me as soon as they see me, assuming English is my only language. (My wife is also a Spanish speaker. A Spanish speaking Dane/German - figure that one out!) But neither of us have any problem with that assumption.
I would not be opposed to English being the official language of the US (right now the US has no official language, unlike most other countries.) Spanish is the language de jure (official) in all Spanish speaking countries of Central and South America, including Spain itself, with the exception of 5 countries, including Mexico. (There are 21 countries where Spanish is the predominant language.)
But I also believe it behooves us to learn other languages. When Mexicans come to the US we expect them to speak English. But when we visit Mexico we expect them to understand our English. Go figure!
If you don't like Mexicans or the Spanish language, Texas is probably not the place you should be living. Remember, Texas used to be called Tejas, Méjico.
1. Illegal immigration.
2. English language.
I am against illegal immigration while being in favor of legal immigration. My father immigrated to this country in 1924, legally.
However, I am also open to allowing illegals who are married to a legal resident, or the parent of a US citizen to be given a path to legal status. I would not break up a family. (What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.)
A little background. Both sets of grandparents were immigrants. On one side they came from Mexico (grandfather) and Ireland (grandmother). On the other side they came from Germany (grandfather) and France (grandmother). So I grew up in an extended family that spoke Spanish, Gaelic, German, French, and of course, English. I have no problem with anyone speaking a language I don't understand in my presence.
(Although I did have one humorous incident. When I first met my wife's grandmother and aunt (both native German speakers) they decided to talk about me a bit, in German. I sat and read a magazine while they discussed my looks, my demeanor, my taste in clothing and anything else that came to mind, all in German so I would not understand. After a couple minutes I stood to go to the rest room and said, "Entschuldigen Sie mich einen Augenblick bitte" and walked out of the room. The expressions on their faces was priceless! My wife and I still laugh about it over 40 years later!)
I live on the border. I mean right on the border. In Hidalgo County, Texas. I can hit the US Border (the Rio Bravo - usually called the Rio Grande by Anglos) with a rock on a good day. Hidalgo County is 91% Hispanic. And of those, 75% are descended from those who lived here while it was still part of Mexico in the early 1800s. We, and the other Anglos, are the newcomers. But English is still the common language. There are very few who do not speak any English. Most of the clerks in the stores are bi-lingual, which doesn't bother me a bit. They always speak English to me as soon as they see me, assuming English is my only language. (My wife is also a Spanish speaker. A Spanish speaking Dane/German - figure that one out!) But neither of us have any problem with that assumption.
I would not be opposed to English being the official language of the US (right now the US has no official language, unlike most other countries.) Spanish is the language de jure (official) in all Spanish speaking countries of Central and South America, including Spain itself, with the exception of 5 countries, including Mexico. (There are 21 countries where Spanish is the predominant language.)
But I also believe it behooves us to learn other languages. When Mexicans come to the US we expect them to speak English. But when we visit Mexico we expect them to understand our English. Go figure!
If you don't like Mexicans or the Spanish language, Texas is probably not the place you should be living. Remember, Texas used to be called Tejas, Méjico.