Latinos learn English at the same rate that all groups of immigrants in our history have learned it. DP
By CYNTHIA TUCKER, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ajc.com: Late last month came shocking — shocking! — news about the ability of immigrants to assimilate: Latinos in this country do learn English.
Who knew?
OK, I'm being slightly facetious, responding to just one of the strains of hysterical overreaction to illegal immigration. That complaint cites the alleged dangers of allowing large numbers of Spanish-speakers into the country, people who would tear apart the American cultural fabric and, as GOP presidential candidate Tom Tancredo warns, threaten the very bulwark of Western civilization.
(Tancredo, a Colorado congressman, could use a history lesson. Spanish is very much a Western language; immigrants from south of the border are predominantly Christians and many are Catholics, members of the earliest organized Christian church.)
Those who worry about the fate of the English language can rest easy. A recent study conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center found that 88 percent of second-generation Latino immigrants described themselves as strong English speakers. That figure increased to 94 percent for the grandchildren's generation.
The survey also found that Latino immigrants are more likely to speak English very well if they are "highly educated, arrived in the United States as children or have spent many years here." Only 23 percent of first-generation Latino immigrants in the survey described themselves as highly conversant in English. (The study's authors made no distinctions between legal and illegal immigrants.)
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
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