Exactly, but let's say you get cut off by an Asian and then you end up rear ending that person. Today's society will immediately stereotype and say "YOUR ASIAN YOU CANT DRIVE OMFG ITS YOUR FAULT". Why would they say this? Because it's what they were raised to think. It's in media, they hear it from word-of-mouth..then no matter what they see, they could see 400 people driving horrifically in a day, but the ones that they will notice will be the Asians.

What the point of the new civiliation theory was, was that if an African steals 10 bucks from a German, the African wouldn't be seen as an African thief. People would just see him as a thief. They will naturally create hate towards each other, but it won't be the kind of hate we have today. People today are so blind and arrogant, that they refuse to believe anything else from what they've been raised to believe.

 

I agree to a point. I live in Cali, so I'm aware of one of the worst school districts in the nation. The LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) is just plain awful. I went to a private school for most of elementary school, and the public school for Middle and High School in the Bellflower Unified School District. I went to take my SAT's at Gardena High School, and some of the rooms had books that still stated man hadn't made it to the moon! How can you get a decent education, when your materials are outdated by DECADES? Even if you were a student with a 4.0 there, you're going to struggle once you get into college because you aren't prepared. Yes, we're always going to have the kids that don't want to be in school, and they're going to be of every gender and race, but kids from less than great neighborhoods are at a greater disadvantage. This is economically based rather than racially, but the two sometimes go hand in hand.

This is why Blacks and Latinos are beefing so hard right now. The LAUSD is now nearly 90% Latino. The schools are overcrowded, and the education sucks. The Government spends a lot of money on bilingual education which slows down the amount of learning because everything has to be repeated. As a result, Blacks feel more and more left out, and their education continues to suffer. That ____es them off, especially when over half of Southern California is estimated to be illegal immigrants.

THAT I CAN AGREE ON! :p

I'm blessed to have both parents still together, and a mom who graduated from College even though her professors and teachers were racist in the South. After knowing what she had to do to graduate, how can I sit and complain when live is significantly easier for me?

 

This is one of the many reasons why the American government needs to have a press conference that goes something like this:
"Good day my fellow Americans. I will begin my speech in a matter of seconds, but before I do I would like to let everyone know this is a final statement and no questions should be asked after I am finished."
[long pause]
[clearing of throat]
"English is the official language of America. We refuse to learn any other language just as those nations we Americans frequent refuse to learn any language besides their native one. In order to thrive in America one must learn English. Thank you - that is all."

[rant] I, for one, am tired of having to press 1 or in worse cases 2 to get an automated English recording. I don't think there should be an option. I seriously doubt if I go to a predominately Spanish speaking country or a predominately French speaking one that there will be an English option. [/rant]

 

I was born in Montana.
I started school (Kindergarten) in Chicago, in the early 1960s.
I had not a clue, but when I saw my school pix years later, I realized I was one of about 4 white kids.
Never knew or was aware of it then.
Most were black and Puerto Rican.
My dad was in grad-school at the UofC, and that's how I started life.
Over time, experience and other things have indeed shaped my views on minorities.
Living in LA, having kids in our (crappy) shools, and living in a diverse area have all changed me.
Not all for the better, not all for the worse.

What bugs me is that people are afraid to even discuss race honestly.
It's too bad too, because until we do, there's gonna be no improvement.
None.

 

QFT.

I don't know why it's becoming a standard for schools to teach Spanish in them, especially when English is the most spoken language in the world. It's already the primary language in America and England, and it's slowly becoming the primary language in India, China, Canada and most of Europe. There is no point for schools to waste time teaching a language which serves no purpose in the majority of the world.

The funniest part about this, is that Spanish speaking families in Chicago were outraged because the schools refused to give students a Spanish form of a standardized test. Sorry, but if your student is lacking in the english department, he's lacking education all together in this country.

 

^you guys obviously didn't pay attention in government class. Many of you are whining about STATE jurisdiction issue. The federal government has almost nothing to do with th the entire education system, unless you count federal grants and scholarships, which make up but a tiny fraction of the education budget.

English is the federally recognized language, but the federal government has no control over state and locally mandated guide lines.

The little parts that is even remotely touched by the federal government is really controlled by Congress and interest groups. The president may draft the federal budget, but congress must approve it and disperse the funds (usually into more interest groups).

 

^^^ no, but the fed's can hold back funding to states that have their heads up their asses.
That's what they SHOULD do.

 

I think you're missing the point. City, State, Nation...w/e. The fact of the matter is that this is America, the dominant language is in fact, English. The point is that there is no reason to attempt to adopt Spanish as a new language.

 

No one said what branch of the government is ignoring the problem. We were discussing race and why the issue of race persists. I'm very aware of who controls what...

That having been said, many countries do speak and teach english, but it makes sense from a business perspective. For example, a few weeks ago, the SoCal-tC Club met with the designers of the Scion tC. They were all Japanese and while they couldn't speak English very well, they could understand what we were saying. They told us that English is mandatory in Japanese schools. This is true for many other countries as well.

America is full of people from all over the world, and they all speak different languages. It seems quite unfair to force everyone else to learn English because of necessity, and then make an overwhelming exception for one group. Live in So Cal and aren't bilingual? Good luck finding a job!

I understand that the Latino market is booming, and as a company, it behooves me to do whatever I can to appeal to that market, but it's getting a bit ridiculous now. No other race is as catered too. That makes a lot of other minorities upset. Especially when it starts to affect the quality of their lives (ie education and healthcare).

 

You can take it one step (or many) further.
Living in LA, you can't even apply for a lot of jobs unless you're Hispanic or a woman.
That's jacked up.
My family, my wife's family, had no such luxury when they came here.

 

Languages other than English should be handled as they are now as far as recent immigrants to the country needing something from the country> Provide instructions in other languages, offer translators so they can understand the rules and fill out forms. That is OK.

BUT when it comes to passing a written driving test, require them to be able to read and understand the signs, damit!

In schools, teach in English, REQUIRE English, give tests in English. If one doesn't know English in this country, one doesn't have a chance to really get ahead. Teaching hispanics in Spanish only serves to keep 'em down and limit their futures.

So, teach in English, and if kids don't understand English, offer intense courses in English to let 'em catch up.

Teaching in another language in the US only ensures those kids will have no real future.

 

I've read and heard stories of people losing jobs they've had for 20+ years because they found someone else who was multilingual to take over the position. That has to be crossing some kind of line. I mean my job could be taken from me for the simple fact that I can't speak more than one language? I would definitely fight that all the way to the Supreme Court.

 

I agree with all you guys regarding language. What's the deal with the English Language Unity Act of 2005? I remember hearing about it way back when, and I haven't heard of it since!

More info on the English Language Unity Act of 2005:

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/rights...ialenglish.htm

 

It all depends on the situation. In a business perspective, being bi-lingual is important, but only if it's an international company and the position is a corporate one, which requires travel, etc.

 

Hahahahaha CA is listed as English being the official language!

 

There's but one problem with the English Language Unity Act of 2005. It's for naturalization...lots of non-English speaking people aren't here to be naturalized. They're here illegally and wish to remain here illegally.
Here's an even bigger problem: Why go through all the red tape to be naturalized if the government isn't going to do anything? Why try?

 

Which is one of the factors why I'm not really backing Obama and Clinton. I realize that it's not realisitic to start some mass deportation, but I'm not for making such a large group of illegal citizens legal either...

To me, that makes me think if enough people do something illegal, you can bend the law. So I say we all put as many illegal parts in our cars as possible :p

Especially in Cali with our Draconian hippy emission laws

 

RE the responses to my post, sorry I hab't realized that this had veered off topic. I was under the impression this was a presidential debate. I was wondering why it was relevant....

And for the record, I am for ONE US language. But it's up to the state govn't to enforce that.

 

It's relevant because Obama was finally pushed to discuss race...
So, yes, let's talk.
He's two-faced on the issue.

He condemned Imus and said he should be fired.
He said we should not be "enabling" hate like that.

OTOH, he makes excuses for his Pastor.

That sums it up.

 

Well, the only man solid enough in the current campaign at this moment in time is being ignored (Ron Paul - you knew it was coming). I'd love to see a black U.S. President, but not Obama. Now, if Alan Keyes could get the recognition he deserves I would vote for him with no problem.