I blogged in January about the issue I have with our non-English speaking citizens who refuse to learn to speak English, and the way certain companies, businesses and government entities enable them, therefore forcing me, and you to "press one." My blog was chosen for the "Best of the Blogs" that week, although it was edited in title, and content.
A reader in Hales Corners had this to say about it in an article in HalesCornersNOW:
Let's Celebrate Our Diversity and Not Only in English
By Jan Gorzalski
HalesCornersNOW.com user
Posted: Jan. 26, 2008
Your "BEST OF THE BLOGS" article in the January 24th issue, "No, I won't press one for English", prompted me to do what I don't normally do, and that is to write a response. Author, Janet Evans, expressed frustration in being "forced" to accommodate non-English speaking residents by making various language selections (Press 1 to continue in English; press 2 to continue .....) in many of our pre-recorded telephone messages. While I can certainly share her frustration in connecting to a recorded telephone voice in lieu of a "live" voice, I cannot understand her reluctance to accommodate all people in our multi-lingual society.
As a decedent of immigrants myself, I know that "Lady Liberty" welcomed both our English as well as non-English speaking ancestors. America is a nation of immigrants and we "Americans" are blessed by its rich diversity. This multiplicity should be celebrated as a quality which makes our country unique.
In our busy lives, it often feels as though we cannot spare the extra minute or two it takes in order to accommodate people with diverse needs. That is precisely when we should pause for the moment, take a deep breath, and appreciate that America is home to all of its citizens-those that speak English and those that do not.
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Well, Jan Gorzalski....
You don’t quite have my story correct.
Yes, I was “forced” to press one. In this instance I picked up the phone call from my insurance company, which is based in the United States of America, and a recorded message, in English, came on and said, “To listen to this message in English, press one.”
I’m sorry if you don’t think that as an American citizen, that’s wrong. Maybe that alternative should be given to Spanish speaking people instead of to those that speak the native language of this country. My “frustration” that you speak of, in this instance, wasn’t that I couldn’t connect to a live person. It was that I, an English speaking American, must make the choice of a language.
I also am a descendant of immigrants. My grandfather came over on a ship, by himself, not speaking a word of English. HE learned. He did so to survive. To make a living. That is what Theodore Roosevelt preached back in those days. He was staunchly against those immigrants who refused to learn English.
Don’t give me this “accommodate people with diverse needs” business. Why? Should we print all of our road signs in Spanish in the name of diversity? Every piece of literature? Menus in restaurants? Where does it end?
I say it’s all about the mighty dollar. Those who are providing the option of “press one” or signage are those who are selling something, except for government institutions, who are enabling.
The point of my blog was, if you want to be a citizen of this country it is your responsibility to learn English. Period.
In my view, in most cases it is laziness and the fact that it is easier to stick with your own language. When your children are learning English in school and you are “forcing” them to speak another language at home because you refuse to learn English, you are lazy. You are un-American.
Period.
