Gosh, I must have hit a nerve. Racist.... HARDLY. Last time I checked, the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights and ALL
of America's Founding documents are in ENGLISH. Previous immigrants from Europe learned to speak English in
short order. Now we have people from everywhere, who want to have their own "identity" with little regard for anyone
or anything else, who have no intention of assimilating into American Culture. What's happened to America's Great
Melting Pot???? Radio, Television and printed Media have taken free speech to the extreme. They promote discord,
while sewing the seeds of their beneficiaries whims in an attempt to promote their own agenda. Perhaps we should
now be called, The Divided States of America. For the record, there were many settlers long before the spanish
speakers in the Southwest you mention. Asians, Russians, Native Americans to mention but a few. This may come
as a surprise or shock to some of you but IMMIGRATION is one of the top issues this year. The slanted media will
do whatever it deems necessary to further their own agendas.
This is the last post like that we'll accept from you. Your attitude is xenophobic and has no place here. And your statements are laden with inaccuracies and untruths.
Going back about 300 years or so, what was to become the United States had zones where the language of the European settlers was French, German, Dutch and, in immense zones, Spanish.
First generation immigrants did not lean English "in short order". The first generation, often with limited formal education, got jobs where only the most basic English was required. Their children leaned the family tongue at home, and English at school and with friends.
My first job in radio included running the board for WJMO in Cleveland on Sunday mornings. We had about 10 hour and half hour shows in everything from Italian to Polish to Hungarian. Most of the participants... and the shows all seemed to have six to eight people... spoke no English. The one or two that did know some English guided me in running the mikes and the recordings.
In Cleveland, we also had two full signal FMs that had nothing but "foreign" language broadcasts all week; one was owned by the son of a Greek immigrant who wanted to help others to adapt to America. All those stations were a lifeline for first generation immigrants, as much of the spoken work content was about getting along in the new country. And the music was part of their culture, which would never change.
Assimilation is very much slower than you seem to think it is. Those who did not know two or more languages from the time they were kids had a hard, hard time learning English when they came to the United States. Just the highly educated who might have gone to bilingual schools where they were born are most of those who seem to "instantly" learn English. My daughters, for example, always spoke Spanish at home but went to schools where half the classes were in English... but they are not of a comparable education level as those who come here to have a better economic future for their family.
Your history is wrong, too. The "great Southwest" was populated by indigenous peoples who had migrated eons before across the land linking Asia with America. But it was conquered and developed and settled by the Spanish and became part of Mexico when that nation became independent over 200 years ago. There are many who live across Texas, AZ, NM and even Southern California whose ancestors were here 400 years ago!
There are many nations where radio reflects the various cultures and languages of its residents. One of my stations in Ecuador had Quechua speaking (traditional spelling) DJs in the early morning hours because much of the rural population did not commonly use Spanish. For decades, Mexico City had several English language stations given the population of ex-pat business people in that city in the 60's and 70's.
Oh, and Puerto Rico, U.S.A. still has a couple of English language stations, although the other 128 are 100% in Spanish. Paris has a Spanish language FM. Canada has many French language stations, and the bigger cities have stations in Chinese and other tongues as well. And so on.
Wherever there are large groups of immigrants or migrants, you'll find media that serves them in their language. And all over America there are stations on or next to Native American lands broadcasting in their language.
Giving new immigrants their language, their music and their culture while they learn "ours" is part of extending the welcome mat to deserving and needed immigrants. It allows them to learn about their new country in understandable dialogues while maintaining their pride in family and heritage.
Oh, and precisely because of all of this the United States does not have one official language. In fact, several states and territories have more than one!
