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Originally Posted by PochoPatriot
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The real problem is that these people are NOT loyal to their new country. This is THE between the immigrants of previous generations, and the new immigrant of this generation. Much of this can be attributed to the advances of technology. Today, it is not very hard to keep track of what's happening in their home country. Back in the day, it was virtually impossible to do that. Therefore, the ties to home country are never completely cut, and their loyalties remain with the home country. This is why many of the south of the border immigrants and their children still think of themselves as Mexican, Honduran, Guatemalan, etc.
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The other thing that will help this country is to make English the OFFICIAL language of the United States. Meaning that all official business must be done in English. I have changed my view on this. Prior I wanted an English preference, but I have begun to see the need to make English the official language. Without a common language, our country and culture will continue to balkanize. I have recently seen this in the community that I am currently living in which is predominately Asian. The teens PREFER to speak their "home" languages over English with their peers. English must be made the official language of the United States.
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Good observations, but I have some exceptions about the commonly held view that immigrants in the past were somehow more patriotic.
The truth is, if that were the case, we wouldn't be having the problems we are having now. It is the these same immigrants and their children that are making it so hard to combat the corrupting of our laws and economy with legal and illegal immigrants. We never should have allowed so many immigrants into the country as we have in the past. I firmly believe that it is these immigrants who are responsible for both WWI and, consequently, WWII. These two wars did more to destroy any hopes we had for progress in both Europe and the US. We still have yet to recover. And of course these same immigrants helped to stoke the Cold War, something that continues to pollute our economy and foreign policy.
The people who make up our history of immigrants have always been and continue to be opportunists and politically evasive and elusive. The exceptions prove the rule.
It also is not true that US citizens should prefer to use English over their language of ancestry. And, of course, some populations of immigrants have always had a certain license to live under their own language. The only thing we need to see is that the conduct of government and especially its services and political process be all conducted in English, and if you cannot speak English, then you cannot be a US citizens and you should not be able to participate in these.* If this means making English the official language, I'm all for it. But immigrants should be encouraged to speak their native language, and even advance in it. And, not in the public education system.
I think if more people -- myself, for example -- were able to speak in the language of their country of origin, politics in this country would have an entirely different character and especially our foreign policy.
*Obviously, some non-English speakers have to be grandfathered in. I always think of the Cajun south where most people speak French. And of course native Americans should be encouraged to conduct their business in their native languages. But should Spanish be allowed as a functioning language of government? No.