The average person, world wide, lives and dies within 12 miles of where they were born. It takes a certain type of aggressive personality to strike out into the world and break that paradigm. I've always said that's why Europe isn't worth a squirt. Anyone with any gumption packed up and left to come here two centuries or more ago. The aggressive ones that were left killed each other in a couple World Wars or we went over and polished them off. That kinda gives the lyric, "we won't be back til it's over over there." a whole new meaning. It's over.
Here's something I've seen that you can see. I used to live across the street from a small store. You could buy snacks, drinks, handkerchiefs, reading glasses, post it notes. What nots and you can cash checks and send money orders from there. It's owned by a couple from Kenya. They claim to be brother and sister but who knows? I've notice strangers to a new place tend to alter personal details to fit their new, place based, identity. Nice people. Highly motivated.
The neighborhood is the center of Latin culture in Pittsburgh. That means a lot of Mexicans. Some legal. Others, not so much. We learn some low Spanish. They learn some low English. In ten years I haven't seen a rapist, murderer or drug dealer. It's been my experience that those types of people, no matter their origin, tend to be private about their intentions but over time their intentions become clear with or without a language barrier.
I have seen this on Friday afternoons. These immigrants crowd the little store to cash their paychecks. Never more than five hundred dollars; normally less. They then crowd the counter to wire a majority of that money home to family and loved ones at least a thousand miles away. These people's intentions are plain with or without a language barrier. Write when you get work.
My point is: If I see a guy who is willing to pack up, leave everything he knows behind to travel a thousand miles to a place where he doesn't know the language, doesn't fit the culture just to work to benefit his family, chances are I want that guy working for me. That is a literal, living expression of the American Dream. Inside he looks more like me and you; much more so than some people can imagine. The immigration laws are xenophobic in conception and completely un-American. Bartholdi's mother had a better understanding of our values than the average American. If you don't know who Bartholdi's mother was, stop now. This reading is too advanced for you.
To a certain extent I agree with the formulation , " If you can't speak the language get the fuck out of the country". English as the language of the United States is just common sense. I do not believe common sense should be common law. We have enough trouble and common sense isn't all that common. Nor do I believe in bilingual education. My step-father grew up in not just a Slavic speaking household but in a Slavic speaking neighborhood. When he and his peers went to public school the first six months was spent teaching them English. Then they were taught in English. I don't think I need to over sell the idea of being bi-lingual. He was an unintentionally, articulate man.
That entire episode illustrates what has happened over and over again in the American Dream. The first immigrant generation never becomes fluent in English . I remember someone saying how frustrating it was for a person who was witty and urbane in their original language to be forced to express themselves like an idiot in the language of their adopted country. Their children assimilate.
There is nothing new under the sun. Xenophobia and assimilation are common, perpetual, really quite interesting and assimilation is always beneficial.
Hear, hear!
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