Some never adopt English as second language

Source: contracostatimes

Alicia Alvarado presses two for Spanish.

Nearly everything the 44-year-old janitor needs can be had in her mother tongue. She shops in Spanish, files police reports, talks to nurses and teachers and voice-mail systems. For 17 years, Alvarado has lived in a Spanish-speaking world, first in Los Angeles and now in Concord's Monument Corridor.

Her continued monolingualism stems from cultural pride, a hectic life and the challenge of studying a foreign language.

"We don't want to lose our roots," she says.

Then, she blushes and adds, "when I first moved (to Concord), I was ashamed to attend English classes."

More than 100,000 people in Contra Costa County speak English less than "very well," according to a 2004 Census survey. Most of them speak Spanish, but many speak Chinese, Tagalog, Korean, Russian and French.

About 10 percent of the households in the Bay Area are considered "linguistically isolated" with no adults speaking English proficiently.

But that does not necessarily mean they are totally isolated.

Eighty percent of the customers at the busy El Molino Tortilla Factory in Concord are Spanish speakers, says owner Santiago Morales. Dozens of businesses up and down Monument Boulevard cater to Spanish speaking customers. Spanish is heard on every corner. Alvarado says she can get everything she needs without having to speak English.

And in Chinatowns, Koreatowns and Little Italys across the Bay, a melange of global consonants and vowels accompany their corresponding foods, art and culture.

"In this 21st century, we celebrate diversity, we recognize diversity," said Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco. "We're saying, 'you're in America, it's important to learn English, but it's also important to preserve that culture that you came from.'" *snip*

Still, some residents feel threatened by the infusion of Spanish in changing neighborhoods such as Concord's Monument Corridor.

"Why don't they speak English?" is an oft-heard refrain from people uncomfortable with the growing Latino population.

One southern California town is considering a proposal to require business signs to be primarily in English. A movement to make English the official language has lobbied Congress for years.

"The world is changing for them and it's hard for them to accept those changes," said Yee, who is also a psychologist.

"I understand how these individuals feel. The reality, however, is that is America - America was made of immigrants who came with all different languages and customs and cultures."

Let's just take a moment to call bullshit on that. Yes America was built on many different people's and cultures...Learning english! And then assimilating as Americans not hyphenated-some-damn-things.

Am I the only person in the world that's heard of Berlitz?

As a personal aside. I used to manage a crew of illegals at a restaurant near O'hare. I offered them the option of paid ESL classes, paid mind you. Any guess how many took me up on the offer?

If you guessed zero you would win a kewpie doll!

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