Giuliani Says Immigrants Must Speak English, Airs Political Ad In Spanish

[meegbear]

Dan Abrams has been documenting the misstatements and missteps of some of the presidential candidates on the campaign trail and Wednesday night, he pulled out a whopper from the nosediving Mr. 9/11 himself. Shockingly, this little gaffe had nothing to do with 9/11, it was all about immigrants and language.

Rudy has been pretending to be tough on illegal immigration and has repeatedly said that he believes all immigrants should be able to read, write and speak English in order to become U.S. citizens — then turns around and airs a campaign ad in Florida …wait for it…in SPANISH. Abrams and guest Rachel Maddow couldn’t contain their laughter…neither could I.

Maddow: “How do you say hypocrite in Spanish?”

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/01/10/giuliani-says-immigrants-must-speak-english-airs-political-ad-in-spanish/

[Lisa0825]

1. I heard that last night.

That was SO DAMN FUNNY! :rofl:

[dmallind]

2. In all fairness this is simply a distinction

between what he wants - English for US citizens (the requirement already exists of course but it's minimal at best) and what is the reality now (a substantial portion of both citizens and noncitizens who have limited proficiency).

He's a tool yes - but this is not a demonstration of his tooldom.

[pampango]

4. Well said, dmallind. n/t

[Orsino]

7. Oh, it's hypocrisy, all right...

...to pretend that English can do everything while still pandering in Spanish for every possible vote. The distinction isn't hard and fast here, and probably highlights his pandering more than his hypocrisy.

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. I think you're wrong about that --

"English for US citizens (the requirement already exists of course but it's minimal at best)"

There is no requirement, and has never been a requirement that citizens speak English. Neverthess, 2nd generation immigrants always do, and by 3rd generation they seldom speak anything but.

The claim that English is required is nativist crap that we, on a progressive board, should not be repeating as a fact.

[dmallind]

10. Ermm sorry but yes there is

It's basic, but it is a requirement and is tested during the citizenship test

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=d1fc9f9934741110VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=d1fc9f9934741110VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCRD

[Happyhippychick]

3. I would REALLY appreciate it if some respect was shown and

you would use the proper spelling of the Mayor's name.

It is 9iu11ani.

Thank you.

[Mountainman]

5. It is already part of naturalization.

I think this is just playing to the anti immigrant crowd for votes.

http://immigration.findlaw.com/immigration/immigration-citizenship-naturalization/immigration-citizenship-naturalization-test-overview.html

What to Expect on the Naturalization Test
During the course of the naturalization process, an applicant for U.S. citizenship will be scheduled for an interview at a local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office. At the interview, the applicant will be tested on his or her ability to read, write, and speak English, and will also be given a civics test to measure his or her understanding and knowledge of U.S. history and government.

Note: Some applicants may be exempt from all or part of the testing process due to their age or mental condition.

Language Test

The English proficiency test demonstrates that the applicant will be able to take part in the economic and social aspects of life in the U.S. The test has three parts:

Reading: To test reading ability, an applicant may be asked to read out loud certain parts of Form N-400, Application for Naturalization.

Writing: To test writing ability, an applicant will be asked to write one or two simple sentences.

Speaking: An applicant's speaking ability will be tested when the applicant answers questions about himself or herself during the course of the interview.

The applicant need not be bilingual to pass this test; basic proficiency is adequate. If you have problems with English, you may want to consider taking an English as a Second Language course prior to naturalization.

[dmallind]

8. But it's absurdly simple.

I could pass that test in French, and with a bit of practice in Italian (I did actually pass it in English, but since that's my native language not relevant). I am by no means capable of living a fully engaged life in France or Italy. I would be unable, without significant improvement, to understand many necessary documents or navigate bureaucracy, or find all but the most menial employment in a French or Italian speaking workplace.

Citizenship requires a significant period of residence before applying. It varies on the visa but in my case was 5 years. I think it's appropriate to require some level of language proficiency that would allow a person to fully engage in society, and there is certainly enough time to learn basic English skills before you naturalize. I'm certainly not in favor of an English test to get off the plane - but we need to encourage language proficiency too. I wouldn't expect every immigrant to be able to discuss the history of metaphysics or explain quantum theory in perfectly structured and pronounced English of course - but to be able to read and explain something like a basic newspaper article, or a work instruction or procedure that would be encountered in a typical job.

I'm obviously not anti-immigrant (that would be startlingly hypocritical) but we're not helping immigrants at all if we don't ensure they can function and fully participate in US society.

Just last year I was weighing two career options. One of them was in Shanghai. It's a very cosmopolitan city with lots of English signs and speakers, but even visiting with a view to possibly living there - most likely only for a few years - I took the time to learn some basic Mandarin - which is a pretty tricky language especially if you are tone deaf like me - the emphasis and pitch changes meanings dramatically. Now I couldn't have a prayer of navigating everyday life in Mandarin of course, but I certainly would have got up to that level as quickly as I possibly could, because to do otherwise would have limited my ability to not only prosper and succeed but to become part of the community itself. No matter how many people spoke English - and most of the businesspeople do - I would have been very uncomfortable and limited without knowing some Mandarin. It is obviously the same for immigrants here who are not from English speaking countries.

[indepat]

6. Why should immigrants be able to speak English when in America it has not been

spoken for years?