Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h7TKLa721148; Fri, 29 Aug 2003 16:21:36 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 16:21:36 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <3F4FB4CC.4D49597@udel.edu> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Ken Todd <kentodd@UDel.Edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9331] Re: Accept English Only donation? X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.75 [en] (Windows NT 5.0; U) Status: O Content-Length: 2291 Lines: 47 For instance, the parents of President van Buren almost 200 years after the Dutch had arrived? ttweeton wrote: > > Being Bi-lingual Ken is a golden opportunity for those who are able to > remain so but this is not the problem. The problem stems from those certain > individuals who don't think learning English is that important, if they can > get by with not doing so. And many get by with not doing so in Miami. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ken Todd" <kentodd@UDel.Edu> > To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> > Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 11:21 AM > Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9312] Re: Accept English Only donation? > > > I would like to know the source of this myth. I have never heard it > > before. "myth" understates its distance from historical fact. As I have > > commented before on this list, until WWI immigrant communities > > throughout the United States freely and happily maintained their > > languages in theur schools, their press and their local public affairs. > > At that time the grotesque chauvinistic campaigns for mandatory English > > and statutorily defined patriotism. Recently I came across another > > example. Martin van Buren, 11th president, grew up in a Dutch speaking > > household. Now of course, he obviously learned English. But he didn't > > have to, and his parents and town were able to sustain the Dutch > > traditions, which like those of Spanish speakers in the Southwest, > > preceded those of the Anglos who had taken power over them. Somehow the > > fact of intrusive government and ramified technologies of administration > > does not strike me as a sound reason for reducing the rights and > > freedoms once enjoyed by linguistic minorities. > > > > Joe Little wrote: > > > > > > > I'd like to see some of us survive in places where no one speaks any > > > > languages that we know... not as vacationers, but as immigrants > trying > > > > to make a living. We'll probably complain why no one knows any > English > > > > in that backwards country! > > > > > > Albert & all, > > > > > > Learning the local language would shoot to the top of the list of > "things to do", as-- unless it's a myth-- in olden times. No complaints. > It's would be my choice--by hook or crook--to be there. > > > > > > Joe
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