So, I’m drinking coffee and reading CNN. Nothing different than any other morning. After PJ and Ken leave for school and work and MJ goes down for morning nap, I bust out the ol’ Mac and get to work. But today, this one particular article really caught my attention right off the bat. First, I’m always interested in reading about changes in demographics across our country. I find it fascinating and pertinent to my life and my children’s, but today, one particular line in this one particular article fully struck a chord. Maybe because I had JUST blogged about!

Anyway, the article in CNN/Living is called, “Whites become the minority in Kansas County“. It’s about the influx of Asian and Somalia immigrants to a particular county in Kansas and the fact that the influx is so great that Whites have actually become the minority. It goes on to discuss how some people have accepted the change and are embracing the differences, while learning to live with the “new” Garden City. It also mentions the reason why there is such an influx. There’s a large number of meatpacking plants in Garden City and the Asian and Somalia people are coming to work in these plants for the steady pay and jobs.

All of this was interesting, but what hit home was when the former Mayor, Tim Cruz, began discussing how his Grandmother was an immigrant to Garden City in 1910. After leaving a Mexican town, Cruz’s Grandmother made a home in Garden City and raised her family there. And then Cruz says something that I remember my own Mother saying to me whenever I asked, “Why don’t you speak Spanish? How come you never taught us?” Cruz said:

“He also remembers as a boy being told, “Don’t speak Spanish, you’re in America, speak English.” And now, despite trying to learn on many different occasions, Tim Cruz can’t speak Spanish.”

So there it is. I now know, it wasn’t just my Mom or my Grandma, it was a particular movement at the time. Our Grandparents and their children came to America and tried desperately to assimilate. Present immigrants seem to take the exact opposite approach. More and more immigrants are finding more rural areas to put down roots and they are not being shy about where they come from or who they are. It’s definitely a more proud and entitled movement, today.

I’m definitely new school and live in Southern California, the melting pot center of the country.  I’d like to think I’m 100% ok with immigrants maintaining their culture, food, dress and language, but I am also concerned when the English Language learners impact my child’s education. We haven’t had too much problems in either of the schools that PJ attended, but I could see that being a problem in some schools.  My parent’s are definitely old school and I can see my Dad right now, “Damn straight! You’re in America, speak English.”

I know my Dad understands Spanish and my Mom can speak it, albeit, slowly. But even so, they believe to their core, that English is to be spoken in America and if you don’t like it, go back to Mexico. I’m thinking there are more people like them than we care to admit, especially in that 50 plus age group.

Where do you stand? “Don’t speak Spanish, you’re in America, speak English.” or “This is America, the melting pot. Embrace your culture and your language.”