¡Adios, amigos!

I have not exactly researched this, but I suspect I may be the whitest Lopez in the state of California.

My grandparents are from Spain on one side, Italy on the other.

So it’s been interesting, as a native of this state, to have readers of the six California newspapers I’ve worked for assume that everything I’ve ever written is informed to some degree by my “ethnicity.”

My ethnicity is Californian. My parents spoke other languages before they spoke English. This morning in the L.A. Times cafeteria, when the clerk gave me the price of my coffee in Spanish, I felt pretty good, since I often try to speak to her in Spanish in my lifelong attempt to learn the language.

All of which is my way of saying -- after reading the reaction to one paragraph of Spanish in the Mirthala Salinas posting below, as well as daily diatribes sent to me by world-class bigots -- that if you don’t want to hear or read Spanish or any other language but English, this would be as good a time as any to move to another state.

Read Steve Lopez's recent columns.

Comments

[Jon K.]

While it is of course good for people to be bilingual. What is terrible is that there are people in this country who have lived here for decades and still cannot speak English. It's ridiculous. It's beyond rididiculous. I lived in Mexico for three months and within two months I was communicating in basic Spanish for the majority of my communications. Why? I WAS IN MEXICO! PEOPLE SPEAK SPANISH THERE! In America, people speak English. I'm not just beating up on Mexicans. I've known Armenians, Persians, Vietnamese, Chinese.... the list goes on... who come here and do not want to put the effort into learning BASIC English.

I am in no way suggesting that they must give up their heritage. Not at all. My family is very proud of our heritage. Both my grandparents on my father's side did speak English when they immigrated from Europe. But they spoke English in the home after my father was born, and it helped ensure a successful life for my father.

Let me put this simply. You don't immigrate to another country to remain stubbornly addicted to your culture. If I immigrated to Mexico, and all I did was eat American-style foods, speak English, hang out with other American expatriates, and celebrate American holidays, then it begs the question, "Why the hell did I immigrate to Mexico in the first place?"

We are a nation of immigrants. Australia was orginally a penal colony. They were a nation of criminals. It doesn't mean that Australia should wholesale allow any criminal to immigrate there. It makes no sense.

It also makes no sense for America to allow wholesale immigration of people who do not want to encorporate themselves, even moderately, into American society. "American Society" means a lot of different things, but, above all, it means that you have a good understanding and use of the English language. That simple.

For God's sake! All the traffic signs are in English.

If we are to have any coherency in our society, people need to be able to communicate. If there is a language we should ALL be able to communicate in, it should be English. Any movment that leads us away from that direction is frankly unAmerican.

Period.

[tsarina]

My family emigrated to New England while it still belonged to Britain and to California while it still belonged to Mexico. If you emigrate to a country, you need to learn the language that is spoken there. I don't mind someone posting a blog in another language, but I would resent the LA Times publishing stories in languages other than English. I resent the fact that the ATM asks me what language I want to conduct my transaction in. I live in America. We speak English here. Period.

[Mike]

From the latimes media kit (2006)
http://www.latimes.com/extras/ads/circ_05.html

RACE/HISPANIC DESCENT (of people that read latimes daily)
White - non-Hispanic 61%
Black - non-Hispanic 7%
Asian - non-Hispanic 7%
Other - non-Hispanic 4%
Hispanic 21%

Interesting that you would risk alienating 79% of your readership.
Mike

[Cindy Randall]

Jon K. you said it exactly as I have said it for years. I have actualy been made to feel guilty because the HIspanic person I was speaking to, who worked in an American company, down the block from my house didn't understand what I was trying to communicate.

We need to get real and not placate to those who have chosen to be here in America. No more billboards in other languages other than English. How egomaniacal of those who come here and never learn English, to think we will accomodate them.

[DFC]

Nobody comes here for the food or the movies. They come here to succeed. The langauge of business in the US is English, so I'm perplexed why someone who's here for the opportunity would decline to learn the language of opportunity.

[LOLO]

This is a reponse to John's comment in which he expresses the need for all non-English speaking immigrants to learn english after living here for so many years. There are many factors involved in learning a new language in a new environment. This is a country of immigrants and there will be enclaves of what sociologists call economic or involuntary immigrants. Many latin american immigrants are here not because they want to turn this country into Spanish speaking North America but because there are opportunities to feed their children's bellies. Many can understand the language but are afraid of speaking either because they are self-conscious about their accent or they are surrounded by people who speak the same language. These are called immigrant communities or enclaves that form for bases of support and comfort. John cannot say that first generation immigrants are not learning English because as a teacher I put forth my undying effort to teach young immigrants English (and they learn it well). So John, please don't worry, we are trying hard to carry on this country's tradition. It's too bad us americans do not teach or learn more than one language 'cause maybe this can eliminate a mentality of ethnocentricism.

[Stephen]

This is the UNITES STATES of AMERICA!

My family came here after WWII not knowing a lick of English, and didn't have any English as Second Language schools to help them learn it. They did it themselves, and went on to assimilate into becoming Americans. Their native tongue was not allowed in the home within three years of their arrival here.

My wife is Hispanic, and REFUSES to speak spanish in public settings because her family came here from Mexico to join - not take the cash to send back to their native country - American society. A Spanish speaking colleague at work told me how a spanish speaking customer at a local drug store complained to the store manager about a clerk who couldn't speak
Spanish!! Unbelievable!!

I welcome all, but am really getting annoyed with the REFUSAL of some to assimilate into American society. I know Russians, Ukranians, Poles, Aremenians, Koreans, Chinese, Filipinos, and Hispanics who have mastered English within 5 years - usually less - upon their arrival to the United States of America. They are doing wonders for our economic productivity and giving back to society - rather than consistenty taking.

I have also worked with people who have been here for 30 years, and can't speak English!! One friend of mine is married to a Mexican national, who slapped their daughter for speaking English in their home!! This needs to stop.

Join us all, or go home.

[Lee B.]

At the cafe I frequent, all the workers - Latin American immigrants without exception - speak such flawless English that I have asked them to speak Spanish to me to beef up my knowledge of the language. It broadens my horizons. Sure, immigrants need to learn English, and if they don't that will be their problem, but I'm not sure that's Lopez's point.

[Chris]

Why are these people so angry about crossing paths with the Spanish language in their daily lives. Does it hamper their quality of life? Is it ugly to look at? I don't understand why people are so willing to share their hatred without shame. And for the ones who can't speak it, it's almost as if they're proud of not knowing something, which is just embarrassing.

[Peter Angermeier]

Well, Steve, before I'm the one who needs to move........

Yes, we are a nation of immigrants. But the language of business, of sucess, is English. And not only here in the US, but worldwide. There are very good reasons for that.

So, for those coming here with no proficiency in English, the choice is clear:

Go to school, learn English, become a legal citizen, and you will have every opportunity.

Refuse, and you get to mow my lawn. Your choice.

-Peter

[Peter Angermeier]

Well, Steve, before I'm the one who needs to move........

Yes, we are a nation of immigrants. But the language of business, of sucess, is English. And not only here in the US, but worldwide. There are very good reasons for that.

So, for those coming here with no proficiency in English, the choice is clear:

Go to school, learn English, become a legal citizen, and you will have every opportunity.

Refuse, and you get to mow my lawn. Your choice.

-Peter

[LILI]

I will speak what ever language I wish to speak in public and if you don't like it - TFB! Nothing you can do about it either...PERIOD

Good going Steve Lopez and LA Times - Imprimir en español si quieres!

[juan basulto]

i live in southern mexico,merida. i've been in L.A.
i know there are a lot of people whom speak spanish in L.A. but i would not like read news on spanish because the LOS ANGELES TIMES is a english-language newspaper.
at the same time i would not like read el diario de yucatan on english.
there are spanish-language newspaper like la opinion.
my native laguage is spanish and when i went to L.A. i readed both la opinion and L.A. TIMES, there was less information on la opinion, it was sad to me, i don't know what happen with the latino people, thanks to my love for baseball i know a little of english. the language of the world is english.
there is more infromation on english than on other language.
i'll be more happy if i could get L.A TIMES here in meirda, yucatan.
english-language L.A. TIMES FAN.

[Delise Means]

When we travel to other countries, they do not break their backs to accommodate us in English. Forms are in the language of the country. Our government should not be wasting our tax money to cater to illigal immigrants. If private companies such as radio and TV stations feel they can make a profit by broadcasting in other language. That is fine, but no government monies should be going to make illigals comfortable. Why is English only so hard to understand? It would make life easier for everyone.

[Jay Jerome]

It's not about not wanting to hear or read Spanish, Steve-- it's about not wanting to be inundated by Spanish.

The other day I called the Glendale office of the DMV. Sure enough, you get two messages before you can proceed with the call: one in English, the other in Spanish. Glendale, which has more Armenians then any other U.S. city, has about a 40% Armenian population. So why isn't the Glendale phone greeting in Armenian?

Today I was at Kaiser's Emergency Room, in Hollywood. All the sings on the walls, on the counters, and on the doors are in English and Spanish. But in the hospital I saw more Asians then Hispanics - so why doesn't Kaiser post signs in Japanese and Chinese and Korean and Taiwaneese, etc. etc. etc.???

The duel language phone message that most annoys me is the one you get when you call 311 for the Citywide Services Directory. On it you hear two consecutive greetings from Mayor Villaraigosa -- one in English, the other in Spanish. I guess the Mayor isn't ashamed to show a prejudice for his own native language, or doesn't care that he's slighting L.A. residents of other ethnic origins who speak different languages, and instead favors his own.

[ajk]

Here's what I don't get.

If we are all supposed to read Spanish and the original announcement was in Spanish, then fine, print the announcement in Spanish. But then why add a translation? The Times either expects us to read Spanish or not. If it doesn't expect us to read Spanish, then it should not have printed the original Spanish announcement. If the Times does expect us to read Spanish, then the translation was an insult to Steve and all the other Italian-Spanish Americans.

Hoy Vey! Which in Spiddish means "Today's Vey!"

[Steve]

Facts:

(1) Bad news: If you cannot speak the local language, whatever it is, you are functionally stupid. You can't understand what's being said, so like a moron you can't follow directions and you can't make yourself understood.

(2) Good news: There are only two major languages in the entire Western Hemisphere: English and Spanish. (If you know Spanish, you can understand Portugese in Brazil, and most of the French speakers in Quebec also speak English.)
(3) In the U.S., many -- maybe most -- adults resist learning a second language because it's time-consuming and difficult. It's an accepted fact that learning language is easiest when you're a young child. So . . .

(4) As usual, education is the answer. At the very beginning, in kindergarden, if your folks speak English, you start learning Spanish too. And vice versa. By the sixth grade, everyone's fluently bilingual and can comfortably travel anywhere in the hemisphere and in a good part of Europe. And if your folks speak Serbian? Well, we'll start with English and you can learn Spanish later, maybe in high school.

Problem solved in one generation. Not bad as social problems go.

[Jon K.]

Jay Jerome,

I agree.

[Noemi]

This comment is for Peter,you are such a jerk!!! I think you have no common courtesy for the people that "mow" your lawn which you imply are ALL Latinos!

[Bonnie Lee]

Wow... I love this entry and all these responses!! The only way to get pass some bigots' racism is to openly talk about it. In my opinion, everybody on the planet is at least somewhat prejudiced if not blatantly racist. We've got to get people TALKING about our differences, rather than completely avoiding the subject, so that we can all realize just how different we are but we can work past it to get along peacefully. I actually think Los Angeles is eons ahead of other places in the United States, but obviously we've still got some work to do. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, don't be afraid to speak it. To those who may harbor some resentment or prejudice against Spanish-speaking people, please remember that this is indeed a nation of immigrants. When your great-great-great grandparents arrived here, they were most likely treated the same way. As a Chinese-American, I try to remember this every day when I deal with people who may or may not understand me. Either as a person or even my daily speech. Everyone, at the end of the day, is really in the same boat. Let's try to live as people, not as races!

[pheenom]

Right on Noemi,

Hey Peter here's a non English word for ya' PUTZ!

[Jon K.]

What infuriates me most are groups that talk about "Reconquista" of reconquering the United States to "undo" the wrongs of the Mexican-American War 170 years ago.

Sometimes things are a lot simpler than we'd like them to be as "englightened" people.

The simple truth is that Americans have become as a society a bunch of wimps, and other societies are taking advantage of it, not because they're "bad" but because we're wimps. We'd do the same if weren't wimps.

I'm all for legal immigration, but you can't have 12-15 million people illegally running around your country undermining cultural coherency.

It's pretty simple. It's the hang-wringing wimps out there who make the issue much more complex.

[John]

Unfortunately it is the same world-wide; the majority is swept along by the do-gooders who tell us that we have to accomodate the migrant yet the migrant does not have any responsibility placed upon them to integrate or to even learn the culture of the country into which they have migrated.
A broad-sweeping generalization I know but, the end result is that migrants group together so they don't have to learn to speak or deal with anyone outside their community.
I don't have any problem with any migrants, hell I am one. But I don't go on living the life of my previous home. We do things in American, we are succeeding in American and we are supporting America.

[John Berg]

Mr. Lopez directs his vitriol toward those who were put off by the Times' printing a quote in Spanish. What the Times editorial staff and he neglect to mention is that this paper's flagging circulation has more to do with the fact that something as inconsequential was printed in the first place. Increasingly more people (i.e. those either well-to-do, intelligent or not primarily Spanish-speaking) have dropped their subscriptions to this paper, primarily for its abysmal journalistic quality. In order to save a sinking ship, the Times, Mr. Lopez and Gustavo Arellano (whose claim to fame is being in the employ of a throw-away: the OC Weekly), need to pander to the dwindling number of poor souls who deign to read the Times: those poorly educated and those who apparently speak much better Spanish than they do English. I am non-plussed that a supposedly educated and unbiased fellow such as Mr. Lopez can respond to people who call a spade a spade and take umbrage at the Times' perennial pandering to Hispanics, calling tehm world-class bigots. Only an ignoramus who lacks the ammunition for a nuanced response trots out the straw men of racism and bigotry.

[Jon K.]

Steve,

I fricken resent you telling me to move out of my state where I was born simply because I don't enjoy watching our culture be degraded by people who don't want to learn how to speak English. How does that make me a bigot? If I lived in Mexico and refused to speak Spanish, would you think that Mexicans would have a right to be annoyed with me? Of course they would!

And I have just as much right to be annoyed by people who move here, but don't respect our culture nor feel the duty to attempt to integrate into it.

And when I lived in Mexico, (which I did) I respected their culture.

This political correct nonsense is just that. Nonsense. Sometimes common sense is a much more potent tool to see what's actually going on.

[Mike]

John Berg...well said!!!

[D.A. Aguilar]

I'd like to thank Mr. Lopez for his perspective. It seems like anytime Spanish is brought to us in a new medium (no matter how minuscule the amount of actual Spanish there is) the bigots come out of the wordwork to complain. I come from a similar background as Mr. Lopez, a Spanish surnamed, non-Spanish speaker. It's hard for people to believe that I wasn't raised speaking Spanish, people unfortunately assume that Spanish surnamed means Spanish speaker.

We live in a multi-cultural society, where different backgrounds are represented, and different languages are spoken. Would these folks have been offended if that blurb had been printed in French or German? I think not.

Why are all the complainers living in California if they don't want exposure to different cultures and/or languages? They should all go run to an all English-speaking enclave where they won't have anything to complain about. I, for one, would find a place like that quite boring.

[Shag]

Many Americans have egos and think it's all about this country. The myopic view of the person who was upset that, ATM machines are not english-only is just stupid. I have travel the world and am thrilled that most countries will have sign that are not only in the native language, but in other languages as well.
We are already behind the rest of the developed world in many areas, should we not accept make others feel welcome? Also, just look at a map of California, and see on many Spanish names you'll see for cities, towns and streets. What does that tell you, dimwit.

[billy jones]

Welcome to The Angels, home of the Dodgers. I would love to buy a home in Green Sticks(formerly Palos Verdes) know any good real estate agents?

[Hy]

My first, knee-jerk reaction to the issue of public signs and displays in a language other than English, or in addition to English, is: you live here, learn English. Then I realize that this is California and Los Angeles, and I understand that it's mere practicality to have another or other languages posted in addition to the English. If you go to Chinatown and use an ATM, you'll find an Asian language or two in addition to the English. If this were some midwest town, I would expect to see only English, or if they felt it was necessary, a Native American dialect. As it stands, I don't think anyone should get up in arms about this, and I believe what's practical is what's best. America's heritage will remain intact. This woman got bent out of shape over a second language being displayed? Whatever. Time to stop being the Ugly American.

One thing that does annoy me: when people carry on at length in another language that I don't know, and they go on and on. It too often has felt like they were amusing themselves at my expense. Call me insecure, but it doesn't feel good (sometimes).

[paula]

wait, all of this for one simple paragraph?
wow.
interesting. muy interesante.

all complainers you would have a heart attack if you lived in south florida.

[William]

Steve, have you lived in another country?
Your constant referring to people that disagree with you on this as "bigots" is laughable. Your suggestion that people "move if they don't like it" is sophomoric.

[OK]

In most countries around the world a good portion of the population has some knowledge of a second language, usually English. It's taught in school, to elementary school students. When people from the US travel, there's a good chance that people around you understand a good deal of what you are saying
(generally speaking they'll let you know that if you're not being a jerk).... so for people here to be so resistant to learn a second language, especially one which is spoken in the majority of countries in the Americas (other than Canada, the US and Brazil, every country in the Americas speaks Spanish) is just plain dumb.
Learning a second language only enhances a persons abilities... and as "Steve" pointed out makes it a great deal easier to travel the world.
This English only attitude only makes us ignorant... and keeps us that way.

[Hombre Viejo]

What is missing about the language spoken among citizens of the United States is how the use of English only is unifying. Not only does it save millions of dollars in cost, it standardizes communication and makes things simple.
Every immigrant group who has ever committed to becoming a U.S. Citizen had to become proficient in English
The only people who resist that unifying requirement are the illegal alien residents invading us.

Si no va a aprender a hablar Inglés y el uso que usted no son parte de nosotros. Por favor, regrese a su propio país. Get it?

[John Gomez]

People don't know a bit of history. Before they argue that "immigrants" should learn English, they should be informed that Hispanics lived in California long before the English-speaking immigrants arrived. A few drops of history will do us all good:

1) California (together with Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and other states) were part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain since the 17th century, until 1821.

2) Spanish-speakers settled these lands from the 1700's, about a century before English-speakers arrived.

3) These territories were part of Mexico since independence from Spain until 1848

4) In 1850, about 80% of the population of California was Spanish-speaking.

So who are the natives of California? Before we insist that Mexican immigrants learn English in California, we should think that maybe their ancestors were here long before us.

[Hugh Jorgan]

Mr. Steve Lopez, your own reaction to this lively "debate" points to your professional deficiency. As a reporter, do you not realize when you are in the middle of a culture war? The hispanic side wants more recognition; the anglo side feels encroached upon at every turn. You should be reporting on the whys, hows, and wheres of this story. Instead you have chosen to take sides.

Are you not able to take a step back, and report on what is happening in our community? Seems more like you have you crossed the line and become an advocate.

Turn in your Press badge, and post your essays on the Op-Ed page.

[Carmen]

In response to one of the commentators above (Jay Jerome), there's a legal reason why all the government documents get translated into Spanish, even in your town of Glendale where the Armenian population is highest. It has to do with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. That treaty codified the state into a bi-lingual one. It states, "All laws, decrees, regulations and provisions emanating from any of the three supreme powers of this State, which from their nature require publication, shall be published in English and Spanish." Federal treaties trump any state attempts to barrel over them, including CA's English-only laws.

Though I agree it makes sense for people to transact business in English, often for their own protection and welfare (doctors, police, fire fighters, etc.), it has nothing to do with the L.A. Times giving a nod to the majority population in L.A. and tipping its hat to their ethnic roots. Bring on the Spanish and learn a little. Just seeing more Spanish clues and fewer French ones in the crossword makes my day. Viva L.A. Times!

[Tom]

I tried to help the driver at a car accident before the police arrived, but she only spoke Portuguese. I saw a hiking accident in the SGV mountains where everyone in the group only spoke Korean.

So Steve, how many languages must I learn in order to live here? My ethnicity is the same as yours: my family learned English when there were not all the resources to do so as there are now.

On the other hand, in my travels around the world, I frequently find people studying English "so we can do business or get ahead".

[Jack]

What I see is the paranoia of those monolinguals who are so afraid of change that they do what they know best, discriminate! You are all so ignorant, it's laughable. You demand that Spanish speakers LEARN THE LANGUAGE, when you haven't mastered it! Run a spell and grammar check before you post anything.

Oh and don’t forget to thank your landscapers, servers, laborers, etcetera for making your life so much easier!

[Mr.X]

Contrary to what people here have posted, in Mexico, English is spoken (sometimes very well) and the gringo (and his dollars) are welcomed with open arms. In Cancun, while looking at time shares, I conversed with a Mexican caballero (gentleman) who spoke to me in flawless Spanish. Then, when speaking to my Indonesian-born mother-in-law and Chinese-born wife, he would talk to them in flawless English with a wonderful Spanish accent.

I am sure that if China, France, or Russia were the next-door neighbor of the U.S., many more people would be speaking in that language simply because of the proximity and accessibility. Or judging by the comments on this blog, some Americans would just grit their teeth and entrench themselves even more in their English-only bunkers.

Even former President Fox wrote his autobiography in English and went on the the talk-show circuit speaking in English.

On a side-note: when using an ATM in Mexico, one can choose between English or Spanish languages. (As a matter of fact all banks - except Banorte -in Mexico are foreign-owned... F.Y.I. Citibank owns Banamex, el banco nacional de Mexico)

The plain truth is theat everybody in Mexico (and immigrants in the U.S.) realizes the necessity of learning English, and it is taught in public and private schools. (Conversely, the universities are filled with foreigners trying to learn Spanish.) Even the Spanish language as spoken in Mexico contains many English words that are understood and used by Mexicans.

Here are some common examples: Te gusta mi nuevo "look"? (do you like my new look?) Se te antojan unos "hotcakes" (Would you like some pancakes?) Pusieron un buen "show" (They put on a good show) Súbete el "zipper." (Pull up your zipper) Pon tu chaqueta en el "closet." (Put your jacket in the closet) Other quick examples: "broder" (for brother), "tip," "chef" (which is French), "los ratings," and "un casting." I am sure there are many more, but you get the idea...

But here's a suggestion for our English-only friends: I'll agree to talk to you in English if you agree to talk to me in Spanish. Que les parece? Deal?

[JimT]

Steve -

I love to read all of your columns, even those I don't agree with.....But....

Move from my native state (3rd Generation)? If I could only afford to, I'd be outa here in a heartbeat. But where in the USA can you go to avoid it? Nebraska maybe? Maine? Spanish speaking folks have literally begun to saturate the USA.

Does having to listen to Spanish practically everywhere I go in Southern California "hamper my lifestyle"? You betcha it does.

Does it look and sound ugly to me? Yep.

Most of my Hispanic/Latino friends (most of them recent immigrants in the past 30 years or less and several are best friends of mine) have this discussion with me and others many times and tend to agree with the above. If you want to move ahead in this country, English is the only way to go. Keep speaking your native language - you will remain stuck where you're at economically and essentially be stagnant. English proudly spoken here!

[MA]

"Does having to listen to Spanish practically everywhere I go in Southern California "hamper my lifestyle? You betcha it does." This comment is so asinine it's laughable - how moronic that your lifestyle is so dependent on this. I mean, you can't be that incompetent...well, on second thought. You sound like damn crybaby.

[John Rabe]

In the time I've wasted listening to all the "Press one to continue in English" messages on the phone, I could have ordered and consumed at least a dozen tacos!

[Mr.X]

To all our compassionate friends who make the case that financial success is dependent on speaking English (a.k.a "concern disguised as predujice"), I would like to point out that the richest man in the world is Mexican and he speaks Spanish. No, it is not "Guillermo Puertas" (pun on Bill Gates)... His name is Carlos Slim (or "Skinny Charlie" ibid).

[MaryJ]

Ah but all the English-speaking native-born "bigots" ARE moving out of California, Stevie-boy. And taking their middle-class, educated, tax base with them. To the tune of 300,000K per year. And they are being replaced by Third World immigrants with third grade educations who don't pay taxes.

That's why we have a $16 billion budget deficit. That's why our school system is number 47 in the nation, when it was number one when I was a child. That's why our infrastructure is falling apart, when it was number one when I was a child. And there's more to come my boy, more to come.

Have fun living in the Third World toilet that used to be California.

[MaryJ]

His name is Carlos Slim (or "Skinny Charlie" ibid).

What's Carlos Slim doing with his billions? Bill Gates gave all his money away to help poor Africans. Carlos Slim sits in his palace while his government sends millions of poverty-stricken Mexicans to El Norte for middle-class ENGLISH-SPEAKING Americans to support with our "free" welfare system.

[Mr.X]

MaryJ:

By way of his companies and businesses, Carlos Slim has produced thousands of jobs for Mexicans, which have the effect of retaining Mexican citizens not pushing them out.

However, since wages are so much higher in the U.S. than in Mexico (a consequence of U.S. Foreign Policy, I might add), many Mexicans decide to immigrate to the U.S. to work here. Mexico is not communist (you should thank God for this). They have the freedom to leave the country if they wish (either legally or illegally), and the U.S. has the right to protect their borders (if they wish).

Don't blame Mexicans for the U.S. being lax in protecting their borders since the U.S. economy is based, in part, on cheap labor. Maybe that's why the border has been so porous for the last 170 years (since the U.S. theft of the Mexican southwest). Remember, you need the proletariat, or working class, in order for a capitalist society to function properly, and that's the role the Mexican has taken in order for you to have low prices at the supermarket, constructions, restaurants, etc.

Think about that before you go blaming Mexicans for the deficit in CA (you should be blaming Arnold like Gov. Davis was blamed before). Why attack Mexicans for doing the dirty jobs that no white, English-only speaking American wants to do, and who contribute so much to the society than they take?

And if English-only speaking Anglos want to leave CA, then so be it! Latinos will gradually move in and gladly take over the high-paying jobs that you all leave behind!

Oh, and the last time I checked, the people who used welfare more than any other group were poor, single white women and children. Please don't politicize that tragic fact!!!

[Mr.X]

Oh, and one more thing: Mexicans who are here illegally, still have to pay taxes on their payroll checks. But since they give phony social security numbers, they never see one penny of those taxes returned to them in the form of refund checks!!! That's FREE money that the U.S. does not return and which goes to support the U.S. budget and all it myriad programs: military, social security, welfare, education, etc., etc., etc...

Mexicans who are here illegally also pay state taxes on all the things they purchase: groceries, gas, entertainment, cars, etc., etc., etc...

Like I said before: Mexicans contribute a lot more to society than they take!

[Frank J]

I live in the northeast and see the same phenomena happening here almost on a daily basis. I recently got a message on my answering machine from my local pharmacy telling me my prescription was ready. Here's the problem: It was in Spanish and I don't speak the language. I am a third generation Portuguese American who happens to bear (for good or bad) a very "Hispanic' -actually "Iberian"- sounding name. When I called to speak with the gum-chewing clerk responsible for leaving the message, asking to be given phone messages in ENGLISH SINCE THIS IS THE LANGUAGE OF GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS of MY STATE, she was highly offended and responded that she assumes customers with "Spanish" names like to be addressed in SPANISH. My grandparents never quite learned proper English even after many years of becoming US citizens but they never imposed their language or culture on anyone else. This type of ignorant and arrogant behavior exhibited by this clerk
is why I believer there is such a backlash against immigrants today.

[Toni]

It would be nice that people who feel so proud because they are monolingual in English at least learn how to write it well. This way we, the bilingual, trilingual, and multi-lingual crowd, can learn from their language proficiency and exclusivity.

Toni