NPR: Study: English Fluency Increases Across Generations

Study: English Fluency Increases Across Generations

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News Headlines: Nov. 30, 2007

Talk About It:
L.A. Times: Immigrants' Children Grow Fluent in English: Study -- "A study released Thursday by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, reports that English fluency increases across generations. By the third generation, Spanish has essentially faded into the background. ... The findings counter the widespread perception that Latino immigrants do not assimilate and that their large numbers are a threat to the English language."

Where do you stand on the issue of immigration? Given the stir in the presidential race over this issue, are politicians demonizing immigrants for political gain? Do you find a connection between this and the "welfare queen" term used to characterize poor blacks in elections past?

Nation:
WMUR TV: Man Takes Hostages At Clinton Campaign Office

ABC News: Source: 3 Held in Sean Taylor Killing

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Middle-Income Blacks Downwardly Mobile

AP: Ark. Lawmaker Apologizes for E-Mail

Press Release: Commission to Examine Whether Minorities Are Misplaced in Special Education

The AJC: Atlanta's Murder Rate Is on the Rise

Politics:
WCBS TV / AP: Obama, Bloomberg Hold Mystery Breakfast Meeting | Puts On Show At The Apollo | Deplores 'Jena Six,' Nooses

CBS News: Black Ministers Back Clinton In S.C.

U.S. News: Justice Thomas: "My Colleagues Should Shut Up!"

World:
AP: Calls in Sudan for Execution of Briton

Reuters: Rice to Visit Ethiopia In Rare Africa Trip

Health:
Forbes: Studies Reveal Why Breast Cancer Hits Black Women Harder

Op-Ed:
Juan Williams: Obama's Color Line

George Curry: HIV/AIDS Still Devastates Black America

Geoffrey Bennett

Tags: Election 2008 | Latinos | immigration

12:14 PM ET | 11-30-2007 | permalink

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Not all the country would work with English-only policy. In this article is showed that while more generations are arriving the percentage of people who cannot speak the language, or understand it is rising as well as those new generations who are being bilingual speaking both languages fluently. But not all of those immigrants coming to the United States have problems with the English language, I am a Latina and I know a high percentage of close friends and family who are now in the United States and when they arrived to the country they knew the language. In some point I agree with the English-only policy because it could make a better environment for Spanish speakers pushing them to learn the language and help them to communicate easily in the country. Which in the article is said that some of the people who get into the surveys declare that if would be better to them to speak the language to find better opportunities of job.

Sent by Jeanette Gonzalez | 12:47 AM ET | 12-03-2007

Immigration is just the latest wedge issue. First welfare, then gay marriage, now Mexican immigrants are the newest cannon fodder.

Sent by Jenna Kent | 6:35 PM ET | 12-04-2007

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