xenophobic jerk

[trochee]

I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English.

might as well say "English -- the language the Bible was written in". Because Francis Scott Key has the direct line on the Original Intent, dontcha know.

I wonder if he's upset about the modifications to the melody too?

ETA: Erik Bakovic has more on Language Log.

Comments

[trochee.livejournal.com]

so how is this fixed by forcing people to learn English?

wouldn't addressing the underlying racism and class-based inequalities be a better way to spend time and energy? It seems like blaming the victims who have been shunted to the bottom.

"Those partial bilinguals are just lazy for not becoming fully bilingual," said the monolingual hegemon who reads his text from a teleprompter.

[xaosenkosmos.livejournal.com]

so how is this fixed by forcing people to learn English?

How do you propose people leave the ${LANGUAGE}-speaking ghetto if they can only speak ${LANGUAGE}?!

And if they're not leaving their little corner of the city for work, where is the money to support that corner of the city going to come from? People from outside will have a hell of a time transacting business there, since there's a language barrier. It's not a matter of "Those fucking ${SLUR}s," but one of "I go there for spices and imports, but it's such a hassle."

I'm not even touching the rest of this. You have your worldview, and i have mine, and there's no convincing gonna happen either way. If, in your view, that makes me a cultural hegemon who's oppressing some victim, well, hey, i'm comfortable with that.

[seaya.livejournal.com]

Ethnic enclaves don't exist for you. They exist for the people who set them up. You might get fringe benefits like "spices and imports" but it really is not about you. It's rather paternalistic to tell people what they should or shouldn't do about their own upliftment and associations in a supposedly democratic society.

Your words lead me to believe that you are uncomfortable going to an ethnic neighborhood. Well, imagine how uncomfortable it is for newcomers in the general culture. This is why people take time to network with those who have been here before and ease their toe into the cultural soup of America. It is not up to you to figure out how the economics of it are going to work. They work! Trust me on this! Centuries of history back it up, from the Irish all the way to the Hmong. Immigrants come and follow the same patterns because it works. Because supporting each other is its own economic reward. And everyone else here is richer for it.

Stifle that kind of richness and you pretty much destroy what makes this country what it is.

And if they're not leaving their little corner of the city for work, where is the money to support that corner of the city going to come from?

Ever hear of taxes which they also pay?

You have your worldview, and i have mine, and there's no convincing gonna happen either way. If, in your view, that makes me a cultural hegemon who's oppressing some victim, well, hey, i'm comfortable with that.

You have the privilege of staying in ${HIDEY_HOLE} and not being affected one way or another by any of this. Must be nice!