The USA Is In TROUBLE, AGAIN!

[bfdtpkt]

I went to the movies at AVENTURA MALL, located between MIAMI and FORT LAUDERDALE and realized something while walking thru this very crowded "upscale" mall......

I actually "timed" a period to listen to people speaking and realized that it was actually 20 minutes BEFORE I heard anyone speaking ENGLISH!

I'm not just talking SPANISH, but on 4 or 5 occassions I heard RUSSIAN, FRENCH, ISRAELI...........

This IMMIGRATION thing is totally outta control.............

You guys all over this country really don't understand how much this country has changed.... and in my opinion, most of these people are RUDE and LOUD!...they really "get-off" on speaking their native language in front of Americans.

This area is NOT MIAMI..... forget about it in MIAMI.... all you hear is VERY LOUD SPANISH..............

Quality of life in SOUTH FLORIDA suffering.... I was born and raised in FLORIDA (60 years) so I'm speaking from experience......

In my opinion, it's VERY SAD.................

[bestfriend]

Well, not that I like it any better, at least people used to want to try to learn english, but there is that sign that says "give us your....."

Welcome to the East Village at the turn of the century.

[TrueBlue]

Seems like the "immigration thing" hasn't infiltrated into Newport County as badly as Florida - unless you consider the local hospitality service industry. A unified sub-culture of South Americans and Mexicans has filled most low-wage positions in this tourist mecca.

Every restaurant and hotel in Newport is now staffed by non-english speaking people of Latin origin. This has created a real problem for high school kids who in the past, have relied on summer employment in these fields. It also makes me wonder what happened to all the African Americans who once dominated these jobs.

[bfdtpkt]

The funny thing is, a CUBAN friend told me that ENGLISH is required in order to become a U.S. CITIZEN, but the administrators giving that test, along with a "multiple guess" test are ALL Latin and just "pass" ALL that come before them.........and the older ones NEVER learn ENGLISH...... who can blame them, everybody in MIAMI speaks SPANISH!

This system is NOT working and EVERYBODY, legal or illegal are here with the BLESSING of POLITICIANS and beauracrats!

[Robby Barlow]

Without saying that I agree, but shouldn't you be happy to have so many 'up market' foreign tourists coming to Miami to spend their money?

[bestfriend]

Here, in NorCal, its mostly Asian, Philipino, not so much Chinese, and other smaller Asian nations that run the stores, restaurant staff, hotel staff, etc. Given our proximity to Mexico, you would think it would be Hispanic, but they stay mostly in the manual labor jobs, contruction, trades, farming, etc. There is also a huge Indian and Middle Eastern contingent here, those two being the greatest increase as of late. As I said before, none of these people are interesting in assimilating into the community of English speaking Americans. Lawyers and litigation by special interest groups made it so they don't have to. Whether that is good or bad, I don't know. Sure seems to make for a very divided country though. Holding on to your heritage and sharing it with the people around you is one thing, completely isolating and alienating yourself is another. America is a very different place than it was 100 or even 50 years ago. In the not so distant future, these groups, and the ever decreasing majority, will have to duke it out on the streets. I won't be around, but my prediction would be for unrest and conflict.

[Robby Barlow]

Suppose we have to differentiate between resident and non resident aliens. I assumed by the OP saying he heard foreign languages as he was walking along, he was not referring to the fact that the shops were actually foreign owned, but rather that the clients were foreigners.
I say all this living in a town where about 50% are legal foreigners (European Community). Not taking into account the Romanians, Russians + other eastern Europeans, and Africans living here illegally, which make up probably around 20% of the total!

PS. Anyone not taking advantage of the current $ exchange, to go shopping in the US, is in IMHO either stupid or broke!

[bestfriend]

I took it as residents, didn't even think of tourists. Either way, its just the way it is. And after what you just said, sounds like its the world over and not just America. I really don't care. I just wish there was more interaction between all the nationalities.

[Robby Barlow]

It's not only America. Most of Europe is certainly like that.

Originally Posted by bestfriend

I just wish there was more interaction between all the nationalities.

That would make live a lot easier!

[Cruisingdad]

English is not the primary language in S Florida. It is spanish, followed by german. Lot's of Germans.

But most (if not all) of the German, Irish, English, and French I see here do VERY well and have a home in S Florida, in addition to back in Europe. There are countless Cubans there for completely different reasons. I wonder how much of that would change if Cuba changed??

I don't know.

Come over to Texas. Spanish is almost a requirement. My children are taught that, starting in preschool.

- CD