A little habla about the bilingual
Those who believe they love America more because they were here first and because they only speak English have been all about Barack Obama’s comment last week that we should teach our children to speak another language, namely Spanish. (Some discussions on Technorati here.)
The blah and the plah of it makes me think about removing the Google Alert I have for “bilingual.” While I have found some wonderful sites and news because it of this little word alert, it is, more often that not, depressing — especially this election season when the division in our country is so pronounced.
Can’t we all just get along?
Por favor?
And hey, here are some links to non-illegals teaching their children second languages: Bringing Up Baby Bilingual, and My Bilingual Kid.
It always makes me angry that because my kids are growing up bilingual with Swedish that somehow it is “better” than Spanish. That is is more acceptable. That moms I run into find it “great” that we are teaching our kids two languages, versus my neighbors from Ecuador whom everyone looks down upon because their English was learned second. The ignorance of people just astounds me.
Yeah, I really wish we could all get along. I’ve already been a in a few disagreements online and offline about this subject.
Interesting, isn’t it?
A friend who is an English-only speaking American is teaching her son to speak Spanish with help from school and outside help. A neighbor asked her “Why? Do you want him to be a gardener when he grows up?”
That said, I’ve never had anything but compliments from anyone who has ever heard us out. Don’t remember any dirty looks. But maybe there were dirty thought?
Karen, so not worth arguing. At least to me. I figure, let’s talk in 20 years and see.
I heard all the controversy and from the level of anger I figured Obama was going to ban English altogether! Why do people get threatened by language?
When did it become okay for other people to decide what is correct for ones own family?
Prejudice is one thing.
Ser chismosa is another.
We don’t have the stupid American reputation for nothin’