Should we as a society encourage assimilation in the United States?
This question is ever present with the large number of people immigrating to the U.S. every year. Often times, immigrants are unfamiliar with the English language and American customs. There is nothing wrong with people being ethnically different and speaking other languages. But for the sake of both the immigrant and native, those immigrants seeking to live in the U.S. should try to assimilate into American society. This includes learning English.
With this being said, those from other nations simply just visiting the U.S. don’t need to learn English as a second language or be up to snuff on every aspect of American culture. When I say we should encourage assimilation into American society, I wish to just make things easier and more practical for everyone involved. Americans should be open to experiencing new cultures and languages as it adds cultural enrichment to society.
But out of practicality, English should be picked up by immigrants looking to live in the U.S. I am of the mindset that distinct cultures are important and shouldn’t be erased by any means. It would just be easier for both the immigrant and the native to have a common language to communicate in. It is only fair that the language in question is that of the native, and this goes for any society really.
Some people in the U.S. take up the argument of forcing immigrants to learn English. The idea of a government forcing people to learn a language is appalling and spits in the face of freedom. Someone who immigrates from another country legally and decides to live here should not be forced to learn English or any other language. If someone decides not to learn the native language, then that decision and the resulting consequences are on them. Those who argue that the government should force immigrants to learn the native language assume that the government would do a good job at this task anyway.
As a society, we should be helping new immigrants assimilate into American life without trying to destroy their own culture and language. The question of whether or not to encourage immigration is a different debate, but we should be helping those immigrants that are already here adjust. That seems to be the American thing to do.
The U.S. is a melting pot of different cultures and that is something to be embraced.
(Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Here’s my top-ten list of what we should expect from those who want to become Americans (and those who are already Americans, for that matter). The list was first published in a National Review Online column [link: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/378393/e-pluribus-unum-roger-clegg ], and it is fleshed out in Congressional testimony [link: http://www.aila.org/content/fileviewer.aspx?docid=23115&linkid=164788 ]:
1. Don’t disparage anyone else’s race or ethnicity.
2. Respect women.
3. Learn to speak English.
4. Be polite.
5. Don’t break the law.
6. Don’t have children out of wedlock.
7. Don’t demand anything because of your race or ethnicity.
8. Don’t view working and studying hard as “acting white.”
9. Don’t hold historical grudges.
10. Be proud of being an American.