Language & Immigration: "Hispanics" and "Asians"--Feul for English Only?

Immigration and Immigrants have and continue to be a polarizing topic in this country in general and in this election in particular. This is ironic, considering that we are a nation of immigrants. Since the inception of this nation, certain dialects and languages have been deemed potentially traitorous, unAmerican, Unacceptable.

• Native American Languages Outlawed
• Spanish Outlawed in the Treaty of Guadaloupe (1848)
• Bans by state on German, Polish, Irish and other languages

Hispanic cultures show strong allegiance to HOMELAND, FAMILY, RELIGION (Catholicism) and LANGUAGE (Spanish). Asian cultures as well. What the two have in common is that we homogenize these groups and see them as one culture, indistinct from each other, and their languages. This inability to see or care about the cultural traditions within these groups is at the root of linguistic prejudices that we see expressed.

misconceptions:

1. the idea of a homogeneous Hispanic/Asian community which refuses to learn English
2. the belittling of non-Castilian varieties of Spanish
3. the labeling of second generation bilinguals as semi- or alinguals
4. OFF-WHITES (Ambiguous)

Media portrayals:

1. Latinos
1. violent
2. explosive tempers
3. gang members
4. pimps
5. drug dealers
6. prostitutes
2. Asaians
1. males
1. tricky
2. surreptitious
3. determined
2. females
1. submissive
2. beautiful
3. delicate, needing male direction
3. Good Asian Male: (change)
1. unobtrusive
2. well behaved
3. smart
4. industrious 
5. successful (exhibiting cultural values conducive to socio-economic success)
3. Muslims/Arabs????
1. terrorists?
2. radical Islamist's
3. misogynists

Policy Reactions and Dealing with Immigrants:

We view the world as being composed of MONOLINGUAL NATIONS composed of uncontested , identifiable groups which are natural not only MONOLINGUAL, but also MONO-CULTURAL, so language is associated with nation. This creates an US versus THEM mentality

• Accent Reduction
• Associating language with RACE (Asians, Hispanics)
• English Only movements
• Resentment of "rudeness"
• QUESTION: Is it rude to speak English in front of those who don't understand it? ---English speakers that claim to feel excluded believe that he/she is reasonable in expecting everyone to accommodate to her/him. ENTITLEMENT
• Never have their racial embodiment questioned publicly
• Immigrants have COME OVER HERE (immigrated)
• Immigrants take our jobs and money (others)
• immigrants do not have the grace to learn our language-suggests their lack of commitment to the American Way of Life. AMERICAN=ENGLISH

LANGUAGE SIGNALS SOLIDARITY & IDENTITY

Discriminatory laws against Spanish sample page 265

Discrimnatory acts against Asians:

• Asian Exclusion Act of WWII
• Japanese internment camps in the US
• MOCKERY
• ching chong bing bong
• not understandable
• media and childrens cartoon
• schoolyard chants (also Jews, Blacks, etc)

Education Laws in the Southwest

• linguistic hyper-segregation in Arizona schools
• HR2083 passed in 2000, forbid any language other than English to be used in the public schools
• Tom Horne and the anti-Latino Ethnic Studies movement
• SPANISH ONLY (page 274-275)?

Perpetual Foreigner Syndrome: The Asians

• WHY IMMIGRATE?
• Push and Pull
• target smaller nations to dominate politically and economically  and socially.
• warehouse of goods and services in the colonies
•