Originally Posted by kaykwilts
Forgive me for this....but I would love it if we went back to all immigrants desiring to learn English and wanting to become an American....I get really tired of not being understood by someone who lives here but chooses not to speak English....and the feeling that at 52 I have to learn a new language in order to communicate with most checkers at the grocery store.
I once tried to communicate with a Spanish speaking person in their language after two years learning Spanish in high school. I came away with more appreciation for how difficult speaking a second language is. Most of them work jobs that are physical and raise a family as well on little money. When you are tired you don't feel like tackling another hard task, yet many do learn English. Becoming a literacy volunteer and you would help them. We'd have to walk a mile in their moccasins as the American Indian saying goes, to understand how it is to be an immigrant. Kindness is a universal language...we all understand it.