Assimilation: the Horror, the Horror

Well, that seems to be the message from an article in the Boston Globe. The article is about how the children of immigrants prefer to speak English, rather than their parents' native tongue.

After a lunch of hot dogs and rice, Jordy Berges blasted a ball off the wall of the lunchroom at his mother's office, his stomping grounds for the summer.

"No juegues aquí," Yovanna Berges scolded her 7-year-old son, telling him in Spanish to stop.

"Sorry," he answered her, in English.

Berges, an immigrant from Peru, is growing accustomed to such conversations with her son. She is struggling to raise him to speak English and Spanish fluently, which might not seem like a big challenge in the city with the highest proportion of Latinos in Massachusetts. But researchers say Berges and immigrant parents nationwide are confronting a difficult truth: Their children are losing their languages.

According to research presented to Congress in May, even the children of immigrants prefer to speak English by the time they are adults.

Maybe I'm missing something, but when did assimilation become a bad thing? I think it is encouraging that the children of immigrants prefer to speak English. This process is nothing new, it is a part of the history of this nation. Immigrants from all over the world have come to this nation. No other nation in the world has such a history, and no other nation has such a success of assimilation.

Much like the story of the Tower of Babel, a nation with no common language becomes a nation of separation. Having a common language allows interaction despite different backgrounds or heritages. This connection of language is one of the great strengths of America. I don't see a reason to be concerned about it.

Additionally, the decision to speak English is a great advantage. It allows greater access and increased opportunity. You can survive in this nation without speaking English, but it is very hard to thrive here without English.

I have no problem with people knowing other languages, the ability to speak more than one language is an economic advantage. But, if speaking another language makes speaking English harder, it is not an economic advantage. Speaking English should be the priority, anything after that is a bonus.

Obviously, the author of this article does not seem to understand the ideal of the melting pot. I find it amazing that some, living in a nation of the melting pot, do not understand that American ideal.

(Hat tip: Wizbang)